(Lily's POV)
The rain started pouring suddenly, like the cloud couldn't hold it anymore; it didn't even leave a sign that it was going to happen. The water was dropping so heavily, and I stood drenched in the lobby, rainwater pooling around my feet as the storm outside seemed to seep into the very space around me, the sound of raindrops pounding against the roof and walls a deafening accompaniment to my own ragged breathing. The water around my feet was so cold that I was starting to shiver, and my legs, exposed to the cold rainwater, made my body give a cold shock response, which started to make me have goosebumps, and the heavier the rain gets, the colder its water is. The day was supposed to be quite a good day. But then there was him who is the actual determiner of it. In class today, he barely looked at me; his eyes kept scanning the whole room like i wasn't even there. "Lily, why does that even bother you?" I asked myself. His job is primarily to lecture us on philosophy, and philosophy only. It's normal for him to focus on everyone knowing is following or not. It shouldn't have bothered me—it was normal—it was professional, but it did. I hate the whole of this, I hate the fact that it did bother me; i hate to the extent that it did, but I'm really bothered by it. At this point, I can't even deny that I'm lost in it, I'm lost in him. I'm completely helpless and there's nothing I can't do to help. I rarely fight back the feelings like I used to do because it really is, and the more I try to fight back the feelings, the more it shows its authenticity. Even though he wasn't focused on me, I was still head over heels for him. The way he leaned against the podium, his smooth and commanding voice—it was impossible to ignore. When he rolled up his shirt sleeves, I was completely gone. And when his eyes met mine, it felt like he saw something he always wanted to. I always tried to put an end to this attraction, but I guess it's beyond my power, I just cannot. "I came here to learn, to prove myself—not to become some livestock over a man who didn't see me as anything more than a mere student," I said to myself. It felt like I'm a loop, because I'm always repeating this cycle. Every time I thought I'd get home out of my head, something would pull him right back in—a memory, a fleeting glance, even the sound of his just might just play in my head again. Sometimes it's not even just the excitement the attraction brings; it comes with guilt. He trusted me as a student, but I'm here fantasizing about every thing that crosses my mind. I thought about everything very quickly. It made me forget the outside world and I only remember where I was after I managed to come out of my illusion. The rain's still there, falling heavily. My feet are now very cold. I was contemplating if I should leave or wait longer. It keeps getting heavier, and it looks like it wasn't coming to an end anytime soon. It's so cold. The rain seemed endless, the cold getting more unbearable. I couldn't wait any longer, I just knew it had to leave. I stepped out of the lobby and now into the heavy neverending rain, as soon as I was in it, the rain hit me like a ton of bricks. The droplets feel like needles on my skin, stinging and cold. I blink rapidly, trying to clear my vision, but the rain is relentless. My clothes are instantly soaked, clinging to my body like a cold, wet shroud. The fabric weighs me down, making every step feel like a struggle. My shoes squelch with each step, water seeping in and making my feet feel like ice. The rain drums against my ears, a deafening roar that makes it hard to hear anything else. I feel disoriented, like I'm in a washing machine on a spin cycle. My skin starts to prickle with goosebumps, and I can feel my body temperature dropping rapidly. My teeth chatter, and I wrap my arms around myself, trying to conserve what little body heat I have left. I was already having a severe headache. As I try to make my way through the downpour, the rainwater rises up my legs, swirling around my calves like a cold, grey mist. I stumble, my feet slipping on the slick pavement. I'm soaked to the bone, shivering, and struggling to see or hear anything. All I can do is keep moving forward, because I just can't bear staying at where i was earlier, I'd probably have to just manage to scale through. Every step felt like I was sinking gradually. I hugged my bag to my chest, and the water kept plastering on my face; my clothes clung to my body, every inch of me exposed beneath their weight. The cold kept piercing through me, but I kept moving. Just then, the blinding glare of headlights suddenly cut through the rain, stopping my tracks. I couldn't hear the sound so the driver was probably moving very slowly. My heart leaped to my throat as I squinted, trying to see who it was. I turned back to see a familiar sleek, black sedan roll to a stop just behind, its windshield wipers battling the relentless downpour. The driver's window lowered, and there he was—Victor. His dark, deep voice reached me through the chaos of the storm. His countenance felt like the rain was something planned by him. His face looks like it's filled with more of the satisfaction that his plan came to life than empathy for me. My crazy thoughts continued. "Lily, get in," he projected. For a moment, I couldn't move. My breath hung, my pulse causing a steady rhythmic vibration wildly as my eyes locked onto his. "I—" I was startled, trying to say a word of disapproval, but no words came. "Now," he amplified loudly. I managed to take a step, then two, and more, staggering forward. The rain was hammering against my back. I reached the car, grabbed the door handle, and pulled myself in, trying to minimize the amount of rainwater that would follow me into the car. I slide into the passenger seat, trying to avoid getting the seat too wet. I'm aware that I'm dripping water everywhere, and I try to apologize, but my teeth are chattering too much to let any words out. The heat of the car’s interior was suffocating, or maybe it was just him. The damp chill clung to me, but all I could feel was the warmth radiating from his presence. My soaked blouse was plastered to my skin, and I crossed my arms over my chest, feeling like it was some sort of shield of myself from his eyes—or maybe myself from him. He made sure to make me make myself very comfortable before I saw him look at the interior mirror. He cleared his throat, his fingers flexing around the steering wheel as she was driving visibly slowly. "Does he want us to spend forever in this car?" I said in my mind. "I hope you are very comfortable like this," he cleared his throat and said. I glanced sideways, watching his jaw tighten. My pulse quickened when his gaze flickered to me, dark eyes lingering on my face. That was when I realized what he actually meant. "I didn't mean to..." My voice became very unsteady. He exhaled sharply through his nose. "You're always doing it." "Doing what?" "Acting like you are completely perfect all alone and you need noone," he said, his voice low but steady. The tension heightened, stretching between us like a taut wire. The rain hammered against the roof. I could feel his eyes on me again; when I turned my head, he still didn't look away. I wanted to say something, at least something reasonable, but I didn't know what I could say.His hand shifted on the wheel as he focused back on the steering. "You’re freezing," he said without any enthusiasm, like I wasn't the one he was talking to. He was starting to sound like a sweet, strict man, or maybe someone who realized he's too sweet, so he's trying to act strict. Before I could respond, he stretched to the other front seat, grabbed a jacket from the back seat, and handed it to me without looking, the rough brush of his fingers against mine sending a jolt up my arm. "Thanks," I murmured, clutching the jacket to my chest.The silence returned, heavier now, filled with everything we weren’t saying. My heart pounded so loudly I was sure he could hear it. The car pulled to a stop outside my building, the rain still pouring in sheets. I didn’t move. Neither did he. "Lily," he said, my name a whisper that felt like a command. I turned to him, my breath catching when I saw the way he was looking at me. His eyes were dark, unreadable, but it felt like there was something there—something I didn’t dare name. He leaned forward, just slightly, and I felt the air shift between us. My hand gripped the jacket tighter, the damp fabric pressing against my chest as my pulse thundered in my ears. And then, just as quickly, he placed his hand on my right shoulder. "Oh my gosh, did he just...?! His hand on my shoulder! It's like a jolt of electricity just ran through my entire body. I feel like I'm melting into his touch. I felt warm and safe. "Go inside," he said, his voice tight. "Before you get sicker, make sure you take good care of yourself; you've had a long day already." I hesitated, searching his face for something—a clue—anything—but it was closed off, his expression was very unreadable "Goodnight, Victor," I whispered, my voice barely audible over the rain. He only noticed, but his eyes followed me as I stepped out into the storm, the rain washing over me again as I hurried inside. Once I was safe behind the door, I turned back to see his car still there, his headlights cutting through the downpour. And then, he drove off, leaving me standing there with my heart racing and my mind spinning. But..., could he?(Lily's POV) The rain had finally stopped, but inside my tiny flat, a tempest of emotions had taken its place. Still wet, my clothes clung to me like a second skin, serving as a memory of the rainstorm that had brought Victor to my doorstep. His jacket, still with me, now hung over a chair, was a tangible piece of him in my space, its scent a cocktail of sandalwood and something uniquely Victor, stirring a forbidden warmth in me. I still do not know how he outrightly knew my house address, but that's even less of my worries right now. I made my way to the bathroom, showered, letting the hot water attempt to wash away the chill which I know wasn't just from the rain but from the intensity of Victor's gaze, the brief touch of his hand. Standing beneath the hot stream of water, every minute we spent together flashed through my mind. I recall his sparkling eyes, his gentle, caring hand on mine, and his breathtaking grin. I sat on the edge of my bed, wrapped in a robe, the quiet outside
(Lily's POV)Sophie and I made our exit from my place with the door having that kind of finality that denotes something unfinished business. The cool air of the night contrasted sharply with the warmth Victor's presence had left upon my skin. We walked to the library under a silence falling upon campus, bedecked with street lights. Sophie was silent, but I could feel her curiosity - like a soft hum in the background. We squatted into our study spot, surrounded by the books, but the mind was in my apartment, with Victor. I could hardly fix my attention on my notes, for they all began to blur together. Victor's jacket weighed too heavily in my bag - a secret I was not prepared to share. Sophie was busy on her laptop, but I could see eye glances darting towards me occasionally - a subtle look of concern- curiosity.I knew that the silence was pregnant. I tried to ease the weight of it with idle talk about our projects, but she still resisted. "You
(Lily's POV)The day passed by like a swiftly flowing river. Classes, lectures were nothing but echoes in my head: they were clearly not the keepers of my mind locked on the recollection of Victor, the jacket in my bag like a secret waiting to be told. I had steered clear of the early morning and had rather planned to come during late afternoons when his office hours would be less crowded so that we might snatch a moment that was truly ours.Taking a rushed lunch with an unquenched appetite, it tasted like ashes in my mouth because my thoughts were pre-occupied with what was going to happen. The hustle in the campus was quiet now as students were either leaving for the day or lost in their own worlds, oblivious to the storm inside.Every step I took resonated as a drumbeat-within him echoing my commotion. Victor's door was ajar, inviting or perhaps warning. I knocked, and my heart thudded with the noise in my chest."Come in," his voice, always the most haughty, now bore a tone of war
(Lily's POV)The sun was too bright this morning, as if somehow it had conspired with the whole universe to expose everything about me-the incidences that could well be buried in the depths of my heart. Its relentless beams streamed through the curtains and thrust into the perfect surrounding of my defenselessness, penetrating into the turmoil that was brewing within. I lay in bed tied down, remembering the kiss of Victor. It was not only the stamp of his kiss that seemed to haunt me; rather, it was the way he had lingered, how his scent now clung to me with promises forbidden, that I could not strip away. Every inhalation was another reminder of his phantom presence on my soul, creating sensations that hurt as much as they soothed.Every ounce of strength needed to push me out of bed. Each step felt heavier, infused by my thoughts. Dressing, for me, became a needless ritual of defiance: as if by getting donned in an outfit just right, it would keep me safe from my desires. I chose c
(Lily's POV)Answering the letters of the campus was loud as ever: shuffling feet of hurried students trying to make it to class, muffled sounds of friends gossiping and sometimes far-off shouting and cheering from a sports field. But every one of those sounds became an echo of my paranoia growing. All laughter seemed too knowing, all glances seemed a bit too long, and every whisper carried some hint of my secret-the secret kept inside me to torment me with a thousand fires.Victor.I felt my body tremble even at the thought of his name. It lay thumping within me, my heart, and it hasn't stopped since the very moment that changed almost everything. I passed through all that crowd filled with students, feeling like some spotlights were trained on me wherever I went, looking all around me for any telltale signs that someone knew. Did they notice how I looked at him? Probably even how he looked at me?By the time I'd reached the library, my nerves had gone absolutely. From the comforting
I jumped from the heart as the sound of its throbbing echoed in my world as it became a blur of sounds and colors. His eyes met mine, and suddenly, time stood still. I felt all: the excitement, the fear, and the impossible pull. It was as if the universe conspired for us to meet again, a cruel jest that left me breathless and aching.I quickly looked away. My legs began pushing me into a run. I hurried back to my apartment, even if my steps were quick and steady. Each step resembled trudge through water with agony from that brief encounter. All this was running in my mind like a broken tape- his face, his eyes, the way he looked at me. Was it surprise or something deeper-tension?I shut my door behind, so heavily so that the sound echoed within the still space. I leaned against it, my breath now racing, catching short gasps as I pressed a hand to my chest, trying to calm the frantic pounding of my heart. What was I supposed to do? Ignore it? Unless it happened? The kiss changed everyt
(Lily's POV)Innocent rays of morning sun lit through my window, like an accusation, into the secrets I had kept hidden within. My mind kept straying towards Victor and the kiss we shared later on, later with a meeting planned. My heart raced heavily, anticipation creating this heavy weight in my chest. I dressed carefully in a way that I had not bothered what I looked like in days; I chose clothes that felt like armor against the vulnerability I knew I'd face today-simple blouse, jeans that fit me just right, and boots that kept every other step grounded, though my heart was running nowhere near that speed.Breakfast matters very little; I could not even appreciate flavor in my tight-stomach condition. Every step to campus counted down toward seeing him again, having the conversation we both knew they needed to have but dreaded. Campus was alive with students, but to me, it was set up for the drama about to come.The topic of Victor's lesson was existentialism, the subject that mirro
(Lily's POV)Going out of Victor's office was like entering another world, with that kiss still burning on my lips and now a secret that marked me. The campus was deathly silent and this served as the complete contrast to the storm that raged within me. Each step back to my apartment dragged like heavy chains around my ankles because of what we had done.Now, the solitude of my room would usually be comforting, but right now, it felt like a cage. I changed to try to wash off the day, but Victor's touch remained, a whisper on my skin. I sat before my desk, staring at the blur of books in front of me as my mind went over the kiss, his breath in my neck, the danger of us being too close.A buzz tore through the silence when my phone went off. Sophie sent a message, and to me, it was like being thrown a rope. Hey, come over? José and Davies are here, we're just hanging out.The last thing I wanted was to spend this with friends to whom I had to confess this horrible truth. But it somehow
(Emily's POV)I shut the door behind me, and just stood there for some minutes, tired and stressed.The silence here I what I really needed after the noise. The atmosphere was thick, warm, and somehow suffocating. My apartment was too quiet, and too still. No voices, just the soft hum of the fridge and the sound of my own heartbeat.Sophia was still at the loft, dancing with someone, drunk and shining. I didn't even tell her why I was leaving that. I just mumbled something about being tired and stressed, and she was distracted, just smiled and turned back to the person she's with.The ride home was something that felt like it didn't happen. One second, I stopped the taxi and told him where I'm headed. Next, he told me were at my street, and I asked him to drive forward little, paid him from my purse, and alighted at the front of my apartment.The moment I was inside, i felt a little tired, forgetting that my body was tired earlier.But my body wasn't tired, maybe not really.It was ju
(Emily's POV)The loft was already charged with energy when we got there. Music vibrating through the walls before we even opened the door, I didn't even know this was what I should be expecting.The thud of bass followed us upstairs, shaking the building. The air was thick with the smell of perfume, wine, and too many different brands of cologne, just everything mixed togeter.Sophia pulled the door open violently without knocking. The interior was honey-hued and it was fairly dark, just string lights that coiled around the beams of the ceiling.People walking in every direction, glasses held aloft, voices ebbing and flowing. Laughter from the other side of the room where a small bar had been set up, bottles already partially drained.We stepped inside and were assailed by a wall of heat and noise.Sophia smiled at me and turned to leave. "This is already perfect."I nodded, even though I could feel the butterflies curling around my stomach. The dress clung to me more than I thought
(Emily’s POV)The sun slipped in through my blinds, falling in stripes across my bed. I turned over slowly, my head was heavy and my body sore. It felt like I had been hit by everything all at once, work stress, late pizza, the noise, everything.I blinked at the clock beside me. It was 11:03 a.m.“Shit,” I muttered, my voice rough. I never slept this late, not even on weekends.The red dress I made up my mind to wear was still hanging on the chair. It looked like it was looking at me. The party was tonight. Eight o'clock. Johnson. The fun. All of it waiting.I sat up and rubbed my face with my palm, then stood and walked barefoot into the living room.Sophia was passed out on the couch. Her hair was messy, one sock missing. The plush cat from the arcade was resting on her chest. The TV was off. Her laptop was shut, and the pizza boxes were still on the table.I leaned over the couch.“Soph.. Soph” I said. “It’s eleven.”She jumped a little like she wasn't being chased, blinking fast.
Emily's POVIt was 4:30 p.m. when I flung open the hospital doors like someone escaping a wild conflagration. Sophia's keys jingled alongside me, the two of us near-running to the lot, the fatigue of the week tugging at our legs but Friday freedom egging us on. I’d made sure we left early with some silly excuses—"admin catch-up," whatever the heck that meant—and nobody had the energy to argue.Sophia slid into her sleek black Mazda, always a step ahead, her taillights blinking with that smug little smile. I got into my car, the A/C grumbling as it started up, the wheel warm beneath my hands from being parked in the late afternoon sun.Traffic zoomed past me, but my mind wasn't on the road. It was on Johnson. Or, more specifically, Sophia's endless chatter about him.She'd been gushing about him all week like she's the author of a romance novel. "He's got this laugh," she'd said on Monday, bending across the break room table like she was sharing state secrets. "Deep. Contagious. You'll
His lips crashed into mine, and the world spun.He rolled them in one fluid motion, and I was abruptly beneath him—his body looming over me, one strong hand clenching both of mine captive above my head. The bed dipped beneath, cause of the action, but he didn't stop the kiss. It grew even more, hard and hungrier, like he'd been starving for me. Our lips dancing together, wild, sloppy. His tongue pushed past my lips, tasting me, claiming me, and I gave way, kissing him back just as fiercely.I breathed out into his mouth as his free arm found my waist, gripping hard, yanking my body against his. Everything about him was hot and hard and demanding. His chest against my breasts, his hips grinding into mine, that heavy pressure between my thighs driving me wild."Victor," I breathed into his mouth, my voice already shattered.His eyes burned into mine, pupils wide with longing. "You drive me crazy," he growled, then dropped down again, lips brushing over my jaw, down my throat. "Completel
(Lily's POV)I can't even say think of how exactly I made it through Wednesday, and today, it's Thursday.It was very slow one, and every hour dragged like my body was waiting for something—something that I wanted to have start last night, but still haven't. The way Victor had looked at me in his office. The way his voice softened when he spoke about his brother. The way I’d wanted to kiss him but I just couldn't do it.All day, it sat in me. That pull. That ache. That craving.By the time my last class ended, I was practically vibrating with nerves. And want. The type that sits deep in your belly, heavy and sweet. I didn’t even text him. I didn’t need to. I know he'd be at his place, so this time, I do not even want to have the permission to, I just wanted to.I didn’t go home first.I took a cab straight to his apartment.When I got there, the sun was just starting to set, casting soft gold light through the tall windows of his place. I stood at the door for a second, breathing in.
(Lily’s POV)The bed felt too big when I woke up. The sheets were cold, like I haven't slept on them all night. I stretched my hand, half-asleep, expecting to feel Victor’s warm body beside me,but there was nothing. Just the empty space and my pillow. I sighed, turning onto my side. It was Wednesday morning, i’m at my place. But everything still smelled like him. My body still felt like him.My skin was sore in the nicest way, my thighs still a little shaky from the way he held me Monday night, as my brain was replaying everything. I tried to take it all out, I closed my eyes for a second, and it all came rushing back—how his hands gripped me, how he kissed me, how he made me feel like I was the only girl on earth. And then yesterday, Tuesday, when he took me to school, the way his fingers brushed my knee in the car, that quiet smirk he gave me before I got out. It was driving me crazy.I pressed my thighs together under the covers, my breath hitching just from thinking about it.Ever
(Lily's POV)I buckled into the passenger seat of José's car, my bag tucked in beside me as he ignited the car engine. The smell of his cologne, something light and citrus-scented, wafted through the car, adding to the soft hum of air freshener. His knuckles drummed against the steering wheel, a loose smile still in place as he backed out of the parking lot.“You’re awfully quiet,” he said, side-eyeing me as he maneuvered through the light traffic.I scoffed, turning toward him with a smirk. “And you’re awfully nosy.”José gasped, clutching his chest dramatically. “Me? Nosy? I've never been told that.”I rolled my eyes, laughing, as I leaned my head back against the pillow. The day had been long, but here, the gentle hum of the car beneath us, the city racing by in bursts of light and movement—it felt oddly peaceful."So, what's up?" he asked after a moment."What do you mean?""You just look. different. Happier? Preoccupied? Something." He shot me a look that's like he's reading me,
I walked and sat on the seat next to Sophie, allowing my bag to clatter onto the desk with a bang. She glanced at me, still radiating her just-had-an-outburst aura."Sophie," I said, wincing at her. "Why'd you shout that out like that?"She didn't even flinch—not even a bit, smiling nastily. "Tell me you two are not good-looking people and perfectly perfect to be a couple?I scoffed, shaking my head. “Ooh, that’s what we’re doing now, ain’t it? What even with the perfectly perfect”“All I’m just saying is—”“Don’t say it.”“—you and José look great together.”I groaned, tilting my head back. “I hate you.”“You love me.”I didn’t argue, just side-eyed her as she smirked like she just had a victory.While we waited for the lecturer, we had conversations as usual, our voices dipping to a whisper whenever the hall became quiet, then rising once more the instant other individuals started talking. I kept myself occupied flipping through my notes, pretending to read, while Sophie annoyingly