𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐃𝐈𝐆𝐘

FOURTEEN | THE JEALOUSY

↳ I made a very simplified diagram to show the general layout of the buildings at SU. SU does not have a traditional campus, it is very outdoor-oriented. There also aren't that many people attending since it's so prestigious, so a lot of the campus is designated for clubs/sports. Imagine this little map as the Liberal Arts Building. The diagonal lines show which parts of the walkway are covered with a roof. The courtyard is completely open & is lined with arches on all sides. Most academic buildings follow this layout, so you are completely outside the moment you step foot in/out of the classroom.

**A/N: It would mean a lot if you'd leave me a comment because I am DYING to know y'alls reaction to this chapter!

By their next class together, Jade's "silent treatment" had been re-established once again.

However, this time, Jonathon really couldn't even be upset about it because he knew she wasn't doing it out of spite or to be petty. She had poured her heart out to him, and he had disregarded her feelings as if they meant nothing to him.

Jade Sinclair, the girl who never showed even a flicker of vulnerability, had wholeheartedly confessed that she was developing feelings for her literature professor—to her literature professor.

And he had said nothing.

The feelings were actually mutual, only Jonathon had been too cowardly to be honest about his. There would just be so many implications and consequences to a relationship like this, and he wouldn't know how to face any of them. Not only was Jade a current student of his, but she was also thirteen years younger than him.

So the man was beyond conflicted.

He had been in love with Veronica for so many years, and he had been so devastated when he caught her with Vincent on her birthday. But he had forgotten about all of that so much sooner than expected, and it was because of Jade. Jonathon hadn't even fully realized yet that the intense feelings he once held for Veronica had pretty much vanished entirely. There was no room left for him to dwell on her when his thoughts had become so consumed with Jade's wellbeing.

At first, Jonathon was convinced that his physical attraction to Jade stemmed from the fact that she resembled Veronica. But as he spent more and more time around her, the more those features that once felt like similarities revealed themselves as differences.

Jade was her own unique individual. And now, he was recognizing that her appeal went far deeper than just her outer qualities. Yes, Jade was absolutely beautiful. She had radiant skin, glimmering eyes, silky hair, and lips that he was dying to taste just once.

But above all that, she was by far the most intelligent person he had ever met. Of course, she was a prodigy. But beyond her ability to instantly understand literally everything she was taught, her mind simply operated unlike anything he had ever seen before. She was wise and insightful, and she had the capacity to think about things in a million different ways. For every question he asked, she had a hundred answers to give.