Forever Could Be Ours

Chapter 11. | Campus Conversations

ALEXANDER

When I told myself I needed to pull my shit together after kissing Hayleigh at detention and start acting like the authority figure I'm supposed to be, I'm disappointed in myself. 

It took her less than one glance in my direction to make me drag her right back into my arms.

It was a moment of weakness, but what other choice did I have? She was standing there drenched and timid, literally begging for my help through her glossy hazel eyes. I couldn't just stand there and do nothing.

The first kiss was a mistake. We shouldn't have kissed at detention, but I got carried away and was out of control emotionally. I can't justify the second kiss in the music room, and honestly? I don't regret it.

Standing there with her plump lips and piercing gaze and her wet hair sticking to the white see-through tee, I couldn't resist not helping her out. Unable to restrain myself, I'm left feeling both ashamed and unsettled. She remains unaware of the sway she holds over me and my actions.

To sum up, I'm fucked. Big time fucked over by Hayleigh Blakely.

Papers are scattered in an uncontrollable mess on my bedroom desk and I'm trying to resist the tempting urge of wanting to throw the pile in the bin. It's Friday night and I'm spending it with half-lousy answers and questionable stains on Jakob Ross's paper.

Boring? Yes.

But do I need to finish correcting these before the weekend is over? Yes.

Am I slowly losing my sanity over these questions I've made myself? Yes.

Tristan asked if I wanted to join today's game, but he respected my rather lonely decision to stay in my room and get it done.

He's one of the few who understands the pressure I'm under. I need to hand in my two-month intern report to Professor Payne in less than a week and I haven't even started yet. It's rough both teaching students and being a student at the same time. I cannot wait for this semester to be over. Maybe for several reasons rather than just one.

Despite the dubious blotches on the paper, I'm impressed how Jakob manages a score of 71%. He may be impulsive and speaks ahead of his thoughts, but math? He freaking gets it.

Throwing his assignment into the pile of 'corrected', I glance over the second last assignment of my soon-to-be-freedom, my eyebrows knitting when I read Hayleigh's name on the top.

She writes her name with a sun over the 'i'. I'm tempted to say it's cute and childish at the same time however, the smile spreading across my face is unmistakable. Even in her handwriting, she brings joy.

Truth be told, Hayleigh fucking sucks at math. There's no point in denying it and I somehow fear I'm the distraction. I try my best to ignore her during classes without making it seem obvious, but I feel she's catching up on my behaviour.

It's a lifetime struggle. She can literally just wave her hand in the air and I will be on my knees in front of her helping out with whatever issue she has.

I'm either a distraction or she really couldn't care less about math - which would make sense looking at her previous behavior with Mrs. Harris. I do want to admit, that I admire how her attendance percentage has increased since I took over the position but who's counting?

I'm fucking counting.

My thoughts are drifting away from where they should be. I should have known from the second I read her name, I wouldn't be correcting more assignments.