AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"But—"
I walked away before she could say another word, bounding up the steps. Winnie's small gasp made me smile as I stopped at her row. She glanced down, and I knew Cassandra was still there. I knew she was staring at me, probably wondering why I'd left her to talk to Winnie. But Winnie had come to class crying, and I was just being a good professor, checking on my student to make sure she was okay.
"I wanted to check on you," I said, forcing Winnie's gaze back to me. "Are you sure you're okay? If you're having any issues, you can tell me."
"I'm okay," she murmured, sliding the strap of her bag onto her shoulder. "Just some personal stuff."
I said nothing, just stared at her, waiting to see if she'd tell me anything more. If she did, maybe it would help her trust me more.
She glanced back down, and I followed her gaze, but Cassandra was gone. Everyone was gone. It was just the two of us.
"You can trust me, Winnie. I'm here to help." I took a step closer to her, but she surprisingly held her ground. Her eyes bored into mine, and my breath caught at the tears lining them.
"Today is the anniversary of my parent's deaths," she rasped. "It's a hard day." My heart shattered at the raw vulnerability in her voice.
"I'm so sorry." I took another step forward, my hands clenching at my sides. I wanted to touch her. I wanted to comfort her. "You should've stayed home today. I would've helped you catch up."
Her chin wobbled as she collapsed into her chair, as if her legs couldn't hold her up anymore. "I thought coming here would distract me," she admitted, wiping her cheek roughly. "I never know what to do. It's just...it's so lonely. Every year, I deal with it alone."
Without thinking, I sank into the chair beside hers and rested my hand on her back. She didn't pull away—if anything, she leaned into my touch.
"You don't have to be alone today," I whispered. "I'm here. For whatever you need, Winnie. I'm right here."
She sniffed, wiping her cheek again. I slid my arm all the way around her, deciding to risk everything for a simple hug. She pressed her head against my chest, and I felt her shoulders shake as she cried. A wet spot spread on my shirt, her tears soaking through to my skin.
"Shh. I've got you." I rested my chin on her head, inhaling the soft, clean scent of her shampoo. "I'm here."
She leaned more into the embrace, as if she were starved of touch. Maybe she was. I could feel the heavy weight of her grief in every hitched breath, and I held her closer, wanting to rid her of all the pain.
Eventually, her sobs quieted, and she finally lifted her head, her eyes red-rimmed and the blue in the center like the clear, teal oceans of the Caribbean. "Thank you," she whispered hoarsely, her voice fragile.
I smiled softly as I brushed a stray tear from her cheek with my thumb. "You don't have to thank me. I mean it. I'm always here for you."
We were too close to each other, and she was too broken, and her scent was too tempting, and my cock was too hard in its cage. This wasn't a good idea. I needed to pull away. I needed to do something to stop this.
But I couldn't.
She stared at me with those massive, trusting eyes, and a part of me stopped caring about the consequences. A part of me wanted to risk everything for her, turn in my resignation letter, and be with her.
I was ready to throw everything away for her. For this moment. For a kiss.
But then she pulled away, and I let my arm fall back to my side. She licked her lips, folding them between her teeth as she frantically looked for her bag.
"On the floor," I said, reaching for it. She snatched it from my hand as she rose, her body shaking.
"Thanks for everything, Professor Ashford." Even her voice was trembling.
"You can call me Emmett," I offered, but she shook her head.
"I have to get to my next class." She rushed past me, and I let her go. It would be a disaster if I went after her, if I tried to stop her.
What had I been thinking? Allowing myself to get that close? That couldn't happen again.
But as she disappeared out the door, her sobs and teary eyes still haunting me, I knew deep down I couldn't let her slip away entirely. Whatever infatuation I'd felt for her had just solidified itself in my mind.
We had a connection—an undeniable one. A connection so rare it only came around once in a lifetime.
As I went about the rest of my day, one word kept sliding back into my mind.
