Price of desire

Chapter 8

THE COST OF DESIRE

RYAN

After I confessed my love for Elena, everything changed between us. She began avoiding me as if I no longer existed. In class, when I raised my hand, she never acknowledged me. Her gaze never met mine, no matter how many times I tried to catch her attention. The warmth she once showed me had disappeared entirely, replaced by cold indifference.

At first, I told myself that she just needed time to process everything. I convinced myself that if I gave her enough space, she would come around. But as the days turned into weeks, the silence between us only grew heavier. The more she ignored me, the more unbearable the weight of her absence became. Every time I saw her, I felt an ache deep in my chest, a longing I couldn’t shake. I needed to confront her. I needed to know if I had imagined everything—the tension, the unspoken connection, the way she looked at me when no one else was watching.

That morning, after class, I saw my chance. Elena was leaving the lecture hall, her pace brisk, her posture stiff. She was trying to disappear before I could reach her. I pushed through the crowd of students, my heart pounding as I prepared to call her name. But before I could speak, a voice rang through the hallway.

“Hey, babe!”

My entire body went rigid. I recognized that voice instantly, even though I had not heard it in weeks. Dread coiled in my stomach as I turned around, forcing a smile and trying to act normal. Emily stood a few feet away, smiling brightly as if no time had passed since we last saw each other. Her long chestnut hair cascaded over her shoulders, and her hazel eyes shone with excitement. However, the sight of her did not bring me any comfort. Instead, unease settled deep in my chest.

I swallowed hard, forcing myself to keep my expression neutral. “Emily?”

Her smile widened. “Surprised?”

I blinked, still trying to process her sudden appearance. “What are you doing here?”

She pouted slightly, tilting her head in a way I recognized all too well. It was the same look she always used when she wanted attention. “Aren’t you happy to see me?”

My jaw tightened. “That’s not what I meant.”

Emily ignored the tension in my voice and stepped closer. “I came to finish my transfer paperwork.”

Her words hit me like a punch to the gut. “What transfer?”

Emily giggled, looping her arm through mine as if she had every right to. “Oh, babe. I told you I wanted to switch schools. Long-distance was unbearable. And now, we don’t have to do it anymore.”

A sickening feeling twisted in my stomach as I heard her words. This couldn’t be happening. I muttered quietly, asking if something was wrong. She looked at me, concern flickering across her face, and I faked a smile before pulling her into a brief hug. But my mind was elsewhere.

Before I could say anything else, my eyes flickered past her, searching for Elena. She was gone. A sharp, crushing pain settled in my chest. Elena had seen Emily with me. She had heard Emily call me "babe." And she had walked away without hesitation, without looking back. Panic surged through me. I had to fix this before it was too late.

I gently pulled away from Emily. “I need to—”

Emily’s fingers tightened around my wrist, her nails digging in just slightly, enough for me to feel the warning behind the gesture. “What’s wrong?”

I forced a neutral expression. “Nothing,” I lied.

Her gaze lingered on me for a moment too long. Then, slowly, she smiled. There was something behind that smile, something unreadable, but I did not have time to figure it out. She leaned up, pressing a soft kiss against my cheek. I barely felt it. My thoughts were already elsewhere.

Already with her.

Elena. My one true love.

I barely remembered what excuse I gave Emily to leave. All I knew was that I found myself standing outside Elena’s office, my pulse erratic. I wanted so badly to see her, to fix everything. The door was slightly ajar, and I pushed it open and stepped inside. As I entered, I saw Elena sitting at her desk, unmoving. She was not working. She was not reading. She was just staring into nothing.

My chest tightened at the sight of her. “Elena.”

She jolted, as if she had been pulled from deep thought. Her entire body stiffened when she realized I was in the room. “Ryan, what are you doing here?”

I shut the door behind me. “I needed to see you.”

Her expression hardened. “This is completely inappropriate.”

I took a step closer. “Why have you been avoiding me?”

She exhaled sharply. “Ryan—”

“No,” I interrupted. My voice cracked, raw with emotion. “Don’t push me away. Not after everything.”

“There is no ‘everything,’” she said, her tone clipped and sharp. “You are my student. That is all.”

A bitter laugh escaped me. “You and I both know that’s a lie.”

She did not respond. Her silence spoke louder than any words ever could.

I stepped forward and reached for her hands. For a moment—a brief, earth-shattering moment—she did not pull away.

And then—

The door swung open.

A cold wave of dread washed over me.

Emily stood in the doorway, staring at us in our compromising position. A slow, knowing smile crept onto her lips. “I knew it,” she whispered. “I just needed proof.”

Elena stiffened, her hands slipping from mine as her face paled. My breath caught in my throat. “Emily—”

She lifted a hand, silencing me. “No need to explain, babe.” There was something sickly sweet about her voice, something that sent an unmistakable warning through the air.

I took a step toward her, but she did not move. Instead, she reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. My stomach plummeted. What was she trying to do? Moments later, she turned the screen toward us and started recording.

Elena’s face lost all color. She was shocked and pained by what was happening.

Emily hummed, tilting her head. “I wonder what the university would think of this? A professor seducing her student? That sounds like a career-ending scandal to me.”

“Elena did not seduce me,” I snapped. “This was my choice.”

Emily’s eyes flickered with something dark. Something dangerous.

“I know, babe,” she said softly, slipping the phone back into her pocket. “And that is exactly why you are going to do everything I say.”

Elena inhaled sharply. “Emily, please—it's not what you think.”

Emily ignored her, stepping closer to me. “Here is what is going to happen,” she said, her voice eerily calm. “You are going to break up with her. Publicly. You are going to humiliate her. You are going to make her regret ever looking at you.”

The world around me tilted. She wanted me to destroy Elena, to end my love and everything I held dear.

I clenched my fists. “And if I refuse?” I asked, peering into her eyes.

Emily’s smile never wavered. “Oh, you will,” she whispered. She leaned in, lowering her voice so that only I could hear. “If you don’t… I will do more than ruin her career, and you would not want to know what I can do.”

Elena gasped, horror flashing across her face. “Emily, please—” she pleaded.

Emily turned to her, meeting her terrified gaze. Then, slowly, she smirked. Without another word, she turned and walked out, leaving us to drown in the consequences of what she had just set into motion.

Elena’s face twisted with anger, her eyes burning with pain and betrayal. “I warned you, and you wouldn’t listen… Look what you’ve caused!” she screamed at me.