Forbidden Literature

37| Responsibility

- D E D I C A T I O N -
This chapter is dedicated to ReeReverie for helping me out with the idea (: She's absolutely fantastic! This story would absolutely not be the same without her❤️
Go fall in love with her stories like I did!!!

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Sara had been right, the rumors had spread throughout the student body, but thankfully not as much as I thought. Mainly it existed in the classes Jasper taught, namely the freshman classes. As if they weren't annoying already, now they would give me and Jasper pointed looks before snickering to each other. More than once did Jasper have to tell them to knock it off. I watched as he slowly lost his cool demeanor a few times, no longer being the suave professor. This only made me more furious at the students.

It was because of people like them that I can't talk to my boyfriend properly. That and stupid university rules. But as much as I hated it, I never gave in to their childish antics. I stayed invisible, and although it hurt, I knew it was necessary. If we wanted our relationship to work, we had to be at a distance while at school.

When his eyes drifted to mine, I had to make sure I didn't react. When I passed him papers and our hands briefly touched, I had to fight from blushing. When the class ended we agreed that there were no more meetings in his office, they were pointless most of the time anyway.

I had to pack my things and leave telling him to have a good day, no more no less. It stung more than I thought it would. Every denied glance, every ignored pass in the hallway, it all felt like someone was ripping my heart out. I didn't want this, but I know we must do this.

I looked forward to the end of the day where I could slip off to Jasper's and feel free from the constraints the university holds. During the day I would hide away, but at night I was all his.

One particular Thursday night when Jasper got home we decided to pick up a few things from the grocery store since he was running low on food. At first I was nervous being in public with him but he kept assuring me that there was no way we would run into someone at a grocery store at almost nine o'clock.

"Trust me," he said grabbing a cart, "half the English department goes to bed at seven. Either that or they are busy with night classes so there's nothing to worry about."

"Perhaps," adjusted my large sunglasses Sara gave me awhile back. "But you never know."

He eyed me as I sat my purse in the cart, probably taking in my full appearance for the night. Whereas he donned blue jeans, grey shirt, and glasses, I went a different route.

"You look like you are trying to hide from the papparazzi," he snickered.

"Maybe I am."

He rolled his eyes before walking in the store that thankfully wasn't too busy. To be honest I did feel slightly ridiculous with my over-sized hoodie, sunglasses, and hat, but hey, if I learned anything in college its that you run into everyone that you wish would fall off the planet at the grocery store. Hell, who knows maybe I'll see Ms. Harrington. My stomach tensed at the thought.

"So what's on the list?" Jasper asked pulling me from my mental image of Ms. Harrington shopping for carrots. Only sinister people shop for carrots.

"Hmm? Oh! Yeah, let me see," I took out the list from my pocket and unfolded it. "Bread, milk, coffee, hamburger meat, spaghetti noodles, do you have any sauce?"

"Probably not."

I nodded pulling out a pen from my purse to scribble it on the list. "Okay we'll add that too. Oh! Maybe we can get that one with four cheese in it. Like the one from that fancy Italian restaurant?"