Alex Pov::The slight fear and apprehension on Zane's features almost makes me laugh. I guess putting the age into consideration does make our relationship look all shades of wrong now. Saying it out loud buoys me though, gives me confidence in a way. It is my truth after all. "How?" He asks, I watch his face as the answer comes to him. But I reply nonetheless because he needs to hear it from me, "I read your debut. It unlocked something in me. The attraction started innocent. I was obsessed with you and everything you had ever written. It wasn't easy with getting to know you since you are so private, but that only fueled my obsession. I scoured the internet for anything about you. The little I got, I obsessed over." "My debut? Wasn't that age restricted?" He asks. It is the closest I have seen Zane be actually taken off guard. He is always so confident and reserved. His demeanour always made him seem like he was unshakable. Nothing fazed him. But here he is, sitting across from m
"Make what up to me?" Zane ask as he moves further away from me to sit on the couch opposite mine. I miss the feeling of sharing his air from when he leaned over me. "You have known me for so long and I am just catching up. I feel bad." He doesn't look like he is joking but I can't help my laughter. I throw my head back and allow the mirth take control of me for a second. Zane cocks his head at me, he doesn't join in on the laughter but his face adopts an amused look to them. I like when he looks at me like this. He is impossibly handsome. "Though I am not sure about how I feel considering how young you were." The smile leaves my face, he winces as he adds, "or are. Fuck. Fourteen is crazy. You being Nineteen now doesn't make me feel any better. It is not like I didn't know how old you were, I mean, look at you. You are the embodiment of youth. You make me feel like an old ogre in comparison. You're a freshman. In my class. Christ. Knowing this added layer of backstory just brings
"Why? Do you want me to stay back?" I throw the question back without answering even though my heart is beating like it wants to tear right out of my chest. Of course I have considered staying back so we get more time to spend together. But the constant intrusion of Daisy and the fear of being discovered by others have kept that need at bay. "Yes. I want you to stay back. I don't think I could go two weeks without you. I want to take you to spend the two weeks break at my ranch in the country side. It is where I go to write." Zane says, holding my eyes. My heart leaps. I have to get used to him being this openly vulnerable with me and his feelings. It is so raw and it leaves me breathless. "You have a ranch?" I ask, deflecting from the madness of my heart thumping almost out of my chest. Two whole weeks away with him. Alone. In the countryside. That is straight out of a fairytale. I would like nothing more. "Yes. It is private property. I use it seasonally when my work requires me
It is dangerous. It is stupidly risky. But all that warning my brain flashes at me through the fog of lust I have enveloped myself in, tongue kissing Zane, straddling him and flexing my hips against his rising bulge, moaning quietly into his mouth and sucking his deep grunts from him too, all that warning signs fades to the back. Fades to nothing. I am all for the sensations and it is heightened to almost unbearable levels. I feel liquid fire in the pits of my stomach. His large palms brace against my hips and he pulls me even closer, his seat moves back, so we have space, not that we need it. We are pressed so close, even air can't pass between us. "Fuck. Fuck. Alex. Wait. Fuck." Zane pants, he pulls away from the kiss reluctantly, our lips coming apart slowly like we are conjoined. My hair is a curtain around us, messy and everywhere. The car is parked some distance away from the dorms main entrance but it is still so dangerous to be doing this here, anybody could walk past. Anyb
"That's it for the semester, guys. I hope we are all prepared for the exams next week. Good luck." Zane is on the podium, looking both edible and charismatic in his eggshell white shirt and loose black pants. His shoes glint off the lights off the lecture hall. He addresses the class with a kind of confidence that can only be inborn. I look at him from my middle row seat and it is hard to believe that I have that man to myself. He is really mine. All mine.I have done my best so far to keep the flashbacks from our time in his car during the early hours of today, away from my mind. My entire best. But it is futile. Right from the moment he stepped onto that podium, looking lethal in his corporate clothes, clean shaven, his hair laid down to perfection, stunningly dark. I knew it was a loosing battle. I can't keep the memories at bay. The heat crawls up my neck at just a sideways glance from him. He spares me a couple glances throughout the lecture, he gives nothing away and yet my mou
"He attended this school right? This same course, in this same department with the same lecturers. His class's year wasn't that long ago. It doesn't matter how I know him. I just want to know how I can reach him. It is quite important, I will appreciate it if you can help me out with that. That is what I wanted to ask you." I don't know how I remain calm in spite of the fact that Tristan's face has twisted into such an angry mask that he is almost unrecognisable. Penny preens at his arm like a dedicated loyal wife and I don't know if I am disgusted at her or sorry for her.Judging by Tristan's reaction to my knowledge of his brother, I can tell Penny wasn't exaggerating when she said Shane was the family's dirty secret and Tristan wouldn't want anyone to know about their connection.But then why would he come to the same school if he didn't want anyone knowing about their connection?"What the fuck are you on about? You are not answering my question. How the fuck do you know Shane and
Zane Orion Pov:: "Mr. Bryan. Let her go this instant." I say through clenched teeth. When Maggie came up to me on my way to my office, breathlessly asking me to come back to the class immediately as there was a physically violent situation happening involving Alex and Tristan, my head went light for a moment. I don't know what I expected but when I opened the doors and saw the boy choking Penny, eyes dark and crazed looking, I hate to admit it but I felt a smidge of relief in that moment. I don't know how I would have reacted if it was Alex he was holding like that. I don't know how far I would have gone. How many lines I would have crossed without thinking. Without blinking. My heart is still beating madly in my chest like a wild animal at the sudden boost of fear and adrenaline that gripped me as I ran back here. "Fuck off." Tristan snarls at me. I hear the muted collective gasps from the students crowding the class. I look back at them, most have their phones out, recordi
Alex Pov:I am being dragged along the hallway. Someone has my hand tightly in theirs and they tug me along. I am cold. I am numb. I squint at the figure in front of me and it is Zane. Panic rises within me as I regain consciousness completely. "Stop! Wait. Where? What are you doing? Where are you taking me? Oh my God, I have to go back. He said that... They all heard that we...Oh God. Zane. Zane. Wait. We have been found out." I say, I try to stop walking but he tugs me along."No, we haven't. Come on." Zane says, he turns to the stairs and starts taking them in twos. I am forced to match his pace. I blacked out earlier when he hit Tristan. The sickening crunching sound of the contact of bone against bone hit me like a nauseous wave but not before the crowd's gasp at what Tristan was saying before he was cut short washes over me. I blacked out. The fear engulfed me and I was vaguely aware of everything else that happened after. Tristan being tackled and bundled out by the security
He gives his charming smile and nods, "Hello to you too, Madeleine." He says good-naturedly. The audience is still cheering and clapping. Someone uses the teleprompter to ask for silence, and it still takes a few seconds for the studio to go quiet so Madeleine can continue. They love him. My heart fills with pride. And love, too. I am so grateful that we are past that dark phase in his life two years ago where it felt like he was losing everything, and it was my fault. "Let's get right into this book!" Madeleine says, and the audience erupts with cheering and applause again. But it is quickly controlled. "First off, I want to talk about the process. It is very rare to see projects like this. I know of authors coming together to write biographies or translating books. But actually writing together? That is new and different. Alex, I want to know what the writing process was like for you. Orion is already quite established and experienced, but this was your debut!" Madeleine asks me.
"I have no idea." I say, truthfully. I really don't. I have still not come to terms with the thought that I am not going to return to the college for the new session. Since Zane is not going back, it makes no sense for me to. That is how it works now. That is how it will be from now on. "Okay. We can put a pin on that for now, then. Back to my offer, what do you think, Alex?" Zane squeezes my knee with one hand, his eyes stay on the traffic ahead, as he navigates the car. I recognise this highway and where it leads. He is driving us to the cabin. His cabin. Our cabin. My heart is so full, I can barely breath. "You want me to co-write a book with you?" I ask him again, just to be sure I am not in a dream. Just to be sure that this is real. The sound of his laughter reassures me. It is real. I am going to be an author! "Yes, Alex. I want to work with you on a book that is going to be more successful than all the books I have ever released." He says as he pulls into the countryside, i
Alex POV::"Oh my God! What do you mean?" My voice comes out as a really loud scream that is very uncharacteristic of me, Zane just smiles, he takes my hand and leads the way out of the hallway, I follow him still confused but feeling a swirl of excitement ramp up in the pit of my stomach at the mere thought. I can't even begin to fathom it! "Come, let's go before you summon the whole department." He says and I laugh but the laughter bleeds off my face as soon as we step out of the department and there are a lot of people around and they all stop to stare at us as if we were stars in a movie and the director yelled for everyone to stare at us. I blush under the scrutiny. I didn't expect this much people to be out and about but I guess most people are already resuming. I think it is only my class that is resuming a week later, the rest of the department are resuming this week. I try to pull my hand from Zane's grip, he doesn't let go, he looks down at me with a questioning look in hi
Zane Orion POV::"We were just trying to determine how this scandal started. If you get what I mean." Mrs. Tyrell tells me, she sounds like she would rather be anywhere else, but Mrs. Manson looks exactly the opposite, I understand she wants to be rid of me and sent that announcement of my job termination to the press. I understand that as vice president of the college, she can't afford the fallout from the scandal, so she must do what is in the best interests of the college, but this is going too far. They are still trying to pin everything on Alex. They want a different story. "I thought the panel was referencing the interview. You should already have your answers to that." I say, holding Mrs. Manson's narrowed gaze. Alex squeezes my hand under the desk, I interpret it as her being nervous. I have missed her so God damned much, it is unreal. Sitting beside her, I keep taking full lungful of her scent. She smells just as I remember, the nostalgia of us together at my cabin, naked
"These feelings, you didn't consider them inappropriate seeing as he was your Professor and a respected member of this faculty?" Mrs. Tyrell asks when the rest of the room remains silent. "No, I didn't." I say, deciding to be truthful and straight to the point."Did you act on these feelings first?" They are trying to determine if I should be the one to place most of the blame on. So it becomes a case of a student seducing her lecturer and they can get Zane back since he is obviously more valuable than I am in terms of who contributes more to the college. I didn't come here to be crucified so I wouldn't give them that satisfaction. It is becoming clearer to me that I definitely wouldn't be allowed to finish my degree here. I nursed a pipe dream, hoping that I could do anything about this case that has now spiralled into something more than me. "I can't answer that as I can't say. I don't know who acted first. It was mutual and consensual from the beginning." I tell them, the confid
Do I even want to continue schooling here? I don't know. I have not been able to really think about the impact of this situation and what it meant for my interests. I came to this school because of Zane, if he is not going to be here, do I want to stay? I mean, I have to think about myself and what would work best for me, but I can't help thinking about him too, I can't help it. He was summoned too and he promised me he would show up after they were done with me, I can't wait to see him. Though it would feel weird meeting again in this department after everything that has happened, but I look forward to it regardless. I missed him so much. "You said you chose this college solely because professor Orion taught here?" Mrs. Tyrell asks, she is obviously going to be the one doing all the questioning while the others sit in, I can feel their sharp gazes trained on me, I can't bring myself to look at any of them, I keep my eyes set on a spot above their heads. "Yes, I did. It was the tru
"I told you to be careful because you are young, Alex. He is almost twice your age. I told you that he had more life experiences you can only dream of. This relationship, it isn't fair on you. You probably can't see it now but you are getting the short end of the stick. I can't watch you spend your youth like this, Alex. This is the time of your life to be young and free and unburdened, you can't spend it dating a man with a kid and a mad ex wife." It is one thing we have come to agree on. That Daisy is insane. She didn't hesitate to believe me after I told her about how Daisy was stalking me and being weird. "Mom, I am young, but I am not naive. I matured almost ten years above my age after we lost dad. I am not a kid. I am not going to spend my 'youth' being free and unburdened as you put it because it would never happen for me. I am already burdened, Mom. I understand your worries and I am sorry that I have disappointed you or that I am not going to listen to you, but it is someth
"How did you know where she is? Did her family home location get leaked online?" My heart is racing so hard, I can barely breath. I can't follow all else that Madeleine said, I can't get past the part about her getting an interview with Alex. The last time we talked, we didn't agree on talking with the press. My dumb strategy was waiting out the outrage. I know that it would eventually fizzle out. I didn't mind being the worst hit. As long as Alex was safe and shielded."Is that the only thing you heard me say?" Madeleine leans forward, intense eyes narrowed in interest. "No, her location wasn't leaked, Orion. I found her because I was interested, it takes little to find someone these days." She says, leaning back, arms crossed over her chest. "Why were you interested?" I will get back to the interview bit but there was something about Madeleine's presence in this cabin that felt different. We are friends but we hardly get involved with eachother's lives. She has made it clear that
"You look like shit." Madeleine pushes past me and the half open door to make her way inside the dark living room. "What are you doing here?" I ask, reluctantly turning on the lights, knowing I look exactly like shit as she said. Madeleine is more than an acquaintance, I would say we have a friendship of sorts. We have kept in touch over the years since my debut, she invited me to her wedding three years ago. She is a wildly interesting woman with a diverse group of friends. Artists and writers and everyone in between. She is also three years older than me. There might be some kind of maternal undertone to our relationship, but it isn't weird. I like her. We work really well together, she is always the first person my books are sent to for a review. And it is a mutually beneficial relationship that has held grounds for years now. All this doesn't explain to me why she is here. She is not the kind of journalist to chase after scandalous stories like the one I am currently involved w