Page 53 of Bless My Heart

I lean back in my desk chair and shut my eyes when I hear a knock on the door. I look up and see Wes standing there with a crooked smile on his face.

“Hey, Doc.”

“Hey, Wes. Office hours are over.” He walks in and sits down, anyway.

“Oh, I know. I just wanted to stop by and see my favorite professor. Have you seen Dr. Cross anywhere?” He playfully looks around like he’s not here to see me.

“Shut up.” I laugh. He can always make me laugh.

“But for real, I just wanted to check on you. Make sure you’re doing ok. And to see if I can come over tonight. I’ve got a bit of a sweet tooth, and I heard you’ve got dessert.” He wiggles his eyebrows at me.

“You are relentless.”

“And you love it.” I nod my head but don’t respond. I want to tell him that I love him. I love everything about him. How he makes me feel, how he makes me laugh. He’s always there when I need him.

But I don’t tell him.

I’m not ready.

If I tell him, it means I’m putting my heart on the line and in the crossfires of being crushed. What if he doesn’t feel the same?

“Well, text me when you’re on your way out of here, and I’ll head toward your apartment. Let me know what you want for dinner, and I’ll pick it up on the way.”

“You’re the best,” I tell him.

“I know.” Of course.

“Now get out of here.”

He stands up and leans across the desk. I stand and meet him halfway to kiss him. He cups my cheek in his hand and kisses me hard. Wes doesn’t know how to give quick kisses. His kisses mean something every single time. I’ve come to really look forward to them and to just enjoy them.

Then, I hear it.

Someone clears their throat. It’s not me. And it’s not Wes.

My eyes fly open, and I take a step back from Wes. I look over his shoulder and see Sara Ellis leaning in my office doorway with a smirk on her face.

I don’t say anything. I can’t.

Wes looks at her too, and it seems he doesn’t know what to say either.

“Well, I guess this is how you have such high teacher evaluations, huh?” she asks.

Suddenly my throat feels like the Sahara Desert. I can’t think of anything to say. This is exactly what I didn’t want to happen.

“She has great evaluations because she’s a great teacher,” Wes says, trying to defend me.

“Hmm. Seems you might be a little biased as your tongue was just down her throat.”

“Even if it wasn’t—“ he starts.

“Wes, just stop,” I whisper. There’s no point in trying to defend anything. She saw what she saw. “You should go.”

“Hazel—“ He looks confused. He’s not sure what to do. I’m not sure what to do. All I can think to do is close myself off. Build my walls right back up.

“Go.” He looks at me and then at Sara before back at me. I can’t even look him in the eye. I’m ashamed that I let myself be weak around him. If I had stayed strong like I wanted to at the start of the semester, this wouldn’t have happened.

Wes grabs his things and pushes past Sara as he leaves.