Chapter Four - Reunion

Astrid’s POV

Suddenly, my hands are numb. Something hot and hard is blocking my throat. Everything is starting to feel so surreal that for a moment I’m not even sure if I’m dreaming this.

However, it is real. All of it. That really is Klaus, standing in front of me as my new professor, sleek and lean in his dark gray slacks and white sweatshirt. His black hair is now longer, slicked back but still wavy. His green eyes are still as dark and brooding, still with the same hint of melancholy that makes it so hard to look away.

And as though things can’t get any worse, the memories start to flood in.

I remember the first time I met him, when Lexi took me to her home for a group project. Klaus had been nothing but nice to me then, always accommodating and friendly. He asked me about my family and myself, and even though the interaction was normal and should be somewhat fatherly, I found myself unable to stop thinking about him.

At first I dismissed it as me needing a father figure in my life. After all, I never really had that. The only parental figure I had was my aunt, and even that was taken from me. I thought I just needed someone to fall back on. I thought I just wanted someone for guidance.

But I was wrong.

My thoughts about Klaus grew from admiration to what feels like obsession. They were something I was ashamed of, but at the same time unable to shake off. I wanted him. In more ways than normal, in more ways than he would ever allow.

I wanted him to be mine. The father of my best friend.

And I hated myself for it.

Still, the longing in my heart bloomed. Seeing Lexi meant seeing Klaus. Being with Lexi meant being with Klaus. I was obsessed, and for some time, I seriously thought I would have a chance. Then I saw her with Anastasia.

For some reason, thinking about that moment alone is enough to knock the air right out of my lungs.

It’s been three months. I should be over it, right? I tried my best not to even think of him during those months, and it felt like it was working.

But seeing him now is bringing all of the memories back. Including the feelings that come with them.

The shame, the guilt, and the betrayal all come back in a single swoop. I lower my head to hide my face, but before I can even do that, Klaus looks straight at me.

“I’m Klaus Slater,” he introduces himself in a calm, collected tone. “I will be your professor from now on. I take it that you just started to discuss the works of Charlotte Bronte?”

“He’s hot,” Beatrice whispers behind me. “God, never have I been so happy to get rid of Professor Wesley….”

My face grows hot. It’s weird to hear my own thoughts being echoed back by another person.

Because Klaus is indeed hot.

The familiar shivers of desire run down my back. I can feel a certain spot between my legs getting warm even as I watch him walk in front of the class.

I thought--hoped against hope--that he would at least give me a smile, but his gaze passes over my face like nothing, and my heart constricts in response. I fidget in my seat as though it’s being lit on fire under me.

Cade suddenly turns around to face me. “What’s wrong?”

“Huh?” I glance up at him. Then back again at Klaus. Fuck this. “Nothing.”

“It doesn’t look like nothing,” he mutters.

“It really is nothing,” I say in a voice that’s louder than normal.

Everyone turns around to look at me, even Klaus, who just grabbed the whiteboard marker to write something. His green eyes freeze on me, and very slowly, he asks, “Is there something wrong, Miss…?”

“Marshall,” I say after a beat. “Astrid Marshall. No, sir, there is nothing wrong.”

“Very well.” His tone is as nonchalant as ever. “If there are no problems, let’s continue our discussion about the wonderful work of Charlotte Bronte, Jane Eyre.”

He goes on to talk. No obvious emotion passes on his face. Even though time itself seems to stop whenever he glances at my general direction, there’s no reaction from him. It’s as though he’s not surprised to see me here, almost like he doesn’t even recognize me.

And maybe he really doesn’t recognize me anymore.

* * *

“Why are you not touching your food?” Cade suddenly asks. “Are you alright?”

We’re at the dining hall now. Three classes have passed and yet I can’t bring myself to think about anything else other than Klaus and the possibility that he doesn’t know me anymore.

But the thing is, I did nothing to change. I was his daughter’s best friend. He should have remembered me. Hell, he kissed my sister. They are most likely still together these days.

“I’m fine,” I tell Cade, and just to show him that I’m alright, I take a forkful of pasta into mouth. “Let’s just eat and hopefully we have enough time to study for the quiz later.”

“I don’t want to study,” he states flatly. A flirtatious smile appears on his lips, then he slowly leans over and pinches my chin. “I know something I would rather do….”

There he is again.

I force a smile, but the only thing I want to do right now is to push him away from me and tell him that I already told him that I would be ready on his birthday.

But before I can do any of that, a shadow looms over us. I look up, only to find Kelsey standing beside our table, flashing me a simpering smile.

“Hey there,” she says, taking the seat opposite mine. She looks over at Cade who stiffens up. “How are you? Still cock-blocked?”

Cade’s face turns red, and even though I can’t see myself right now, I can safely say that my cheeks are burning red too.

Kelsey Nixon is his ex. I heard it from Penelope the first time Cade and I got together. Apparently, he and Kelsey were high school sweethearts. They’ve dated from freshman year all the way to senior year. They only broke up because she thought he was going to a different university so she decided it would be best for them to be on their separate ways. He agreed, then they ended up in the same university anyway.

And that’s when he met me.

Kelsey never let me rest since then.

She’s one of the girls at school who talked about me when I started to date Cade. She spread the rumor that I stole him away from her, and a lot of girls in her circle believed that.

When she found out, somehow, that Cade and I haven’t had sex yet, she reinvented her approach and decided to taunt him about that instead.

And Cade never says anything back to her.

Like right now. Cade just lowers his head and looks away. Meanwhile, Kelsey is enjoying the show. She’s smirking at him, leaning forward teasingly. “So you’re telling me… you haven’t fucked anyone in three months?”

“Leave him alone, Kelsey,” I snap, then I look at Cade. “Tell her to go away.”

I don’t know what I’m expecting, to be honest. I wait for Cade to at least make a gesture with his hand to shoo  Kelsey, but he just hangs his head like a child caught doing something naughty. I want to get mad at him, I want to prod him into doing something, but all I feel when I look at him now is disappointment and exhaustion.

Kelsey laughs out loud. When she speaks again, she doesn’t bother to keep her volume at a normal conversational level.  “There’s no way he’s going to do what you want, Virgin Mary. I do know how to make him do something for you, though. You let him fuck. But you won’t do that, would you?”

“Stop it,” I hiss at her. “Just leave, or I will--”

“Do what?” she brags loudly, and now the people sitting close to us are looking. “You know you can’t get involved in anything related to a fight. You’re here on a scholarship. Poor and a virgin. Cade really fell low when he got with you. Is she your pity project, Cade? Are you just with her to take her virginity? You’ve always been weird with that….”

Usually, I’m able to brush off her blows. She’s already done this many times, and it never really bothered me. This time, however, her last words cling to my mind.

I look at Cade. “Is that true?”

He shakes his head vigorously. “No, it’s--”

“Come on,” Kelsey says, her voice getting progressively louder. “You’re a charity case, Astrid. Nothing more--”

“What’s going on here?”

The sudden sound of a male voice makes the three of us flinch. I look up at the source of the voice and my heart drops to my stomach.

It’s Klaus, and he’s looking down at Kelsey with disapproval. “What’s going on here?”

Her smirk melts off her face. “Nothing, sir….”

I notice that she’s running her gaze over him, checking him out. Anger nearly bursts out of me, but I bite my lip and hold it back.

“I think your friends are waiting for you,” Klaus tells her coldly. “It would be best for you to leave, before your sorority mother hears about this.”

He motions to her Theta Pi jacket, and with that, she gets up and leaves. But of course, she has to give me one last sharp look before disappearing into the crowd.

However, even with all of this going on, Cade still remains quiet. Now he’s just looking up at Klaus blandly. In a sarcastic tone, he says, “Thanks a lot.”

Klaus ignores him. This time, he locks eyes with me. Suddenly, his expression softens. An unreadable expression crosses his features. And in the softest, warmest tone ever, he asks, “How have you been, Astrid?”