Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 61 - Chapitre 70

Noah’s POVThere were very few things I hated more than formal dinners.Formal dinners with professors ranked near the top.Everyone sat too straight.Everyone laughed too politely.And somehow, even water tasted academic.I adjusted the collar of my shirt and looked around the private dining room.“This is terrible.”Ethan, sitting beside me, did not look up from the menu.“You have been here seven minutes.”“Exactly.”“You complain too much.”“I express myself.”“You exhaust people.”“That too.”Across the room, several professors were already seated.A few students had been invited because of the writing competition and other departmental awards.Which was the only reason I was here.At least, that was what I had told myself.Then Professor Hayes walked in.And suddenly my evening became significantly more complicated.He wore a dark suit.No tie.His shirt was open slightly at the collar.That should not have mattered.It did.He greeted two professors near the entrance, then look

Noah’s POVAvoiding Professor Hayes was supposed to make things easier.That was the whole point.No private conversations.No unnecessary office hours.No flirting.No trying to make him jealous.Fine.I could do that.I was an adult.A very mature adult.Which was why, for the next two weeks, I avoided him like he had personally offended my entire family.Maybe mature was not the correct word.But it worked.I arrived in class exactly on time.Not early.Not late.Exactly on time.I sat farther back.I answered questions when called.I stopped waiting after lectures.And most importantly, I stopped looking at him.Mostly.Sometimes.Fine.I still looked.But less.That counted.The problem was that Julian noticed.Of course he noticed.He noticed everything.On the first day, he said nothing.By the second lecture, his eyes found me more often.By the third, he called on me four times.Four.At one point, Ethan leaned toward me.“He is trying to make you talk to him.”I kept my eyes

Noah’s POVRumors never start with the truth.They start with something small.A look.A conversation.A person staying behind after class.Then someone adds a little imagination.Someone else adds confidence.And suddenly, everybody knows a story that never actually happened.I learned that on Tuesday.The day after Julian almost kissed me.I had barely slept.Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the same thing.His hand lifting toward my face.The way he looked at me.The way he stopped.By morning, I had decided we needed to act normal.Not distant.Not awkward.Just normal.That plan lasted until I walked into the student center.Two girls from my department were standing near the coffee counter.I knew them.Not well.Enough to recognize them.They were talking quietly.I would have walked past without caring.Then I heard my name.“…Noah Bennett.”I slowed.Not enough to make it obvious.The first girl lowered her voice.“I am telling you, he is always in Professor Hayes’ office.”

Noah’s POVMy father came to campus on a Thursday.He did not warn me.Of course he did not.I was leaving the library when I saw him standing near the main entrance in a dark coat, checking his watch like the entire university had personally inconvenienced him.I stopped walking.For one second, I considered turning around.Too late.He looked up.Our eyes met.“Noah.”There was no surprise in his face.Which meant he had been waiting.Perfect.I adjusted the strap of my bag.“Dad.”He looked around.“This place is busier than I remember.”“You have been here twice.”“That was enough.”Of course it was.He looked at me properly.His eyes narrowed slightly.“You look tired.”“I am a student.”“That is not an explanation.”“It kind of is.”He ignored that.“I thought we should talk in person.”My stomach tightened.About law school.About money.About the competition.About everything.I already knew.“Okay.”He glanced toward the café across the courtyard.“Somewhere private.”I almos

Noah’s POVThere were thirty-two days until graduation.I knew because Ethan had started a countdown.Not because he was excited for me.Because he enjoyed making my life difficult.“Thirty-two,” he said as we walked across campus.“I know.”“Thirty-one tomorrow.”“I understand how counting works.”He grinned.“Just making sure.”I adjusted the strap of my bag.“You are enjoying this too much.”“You have spent half the semester waiting for graduation like it is some romantic holiday.”“I have not.”He looked at me.I looked away.Fine.Maybe a little.Graduation used to mean finishing school.Getting my degree.Escaping deadlines.No more terrible group projects.No more lectures at eight in the morning.Now it meant something else too.Julian.That was the dangerous part.For months, graduation had been this distant idea.A safe future.Something I could imagine without actually dealing with.But now?Thirty-two days.Thirty-two days until I was no longer his student.Thirty-two days