For the man that left my bed - Dilmer fanfic

▪ Chapter 10 ▪

《《Flashback, six months ago》》

It had been two weeks since the school year had started. Demi was already stressed in her office with all the essays she had to go through and grade. She had asked her students to write a little poem using Shakespeare´s style.

"Well, students, I want you to compose your own poem with the Shakespearean style we discussed today in class. Remember, he used a metrical pattern consisting of lines of unrhymed iambic pentameter, like I told you; the blank verse." She had told them just a few days back and to the moment, none of the compositions she was reading was filling her up.

Her glasses constantly slipped down the bridge of her nose and there came a moment when she got too tired of putting them back in their place and she just let them stay like that as she continued to read her students´ essays.

She was in a good mood, that night she would go with Wilmer to a new fancy restaurant. Even if they had broken up, they still held little dates now and again that sometimes ended up very heated in her apartment or in his house, the one they´d shared not that much time ago.

A bittersweet sigh escaped her lips as she scribbled something down with her red pen. And then, she started reading a poem that very much caught her attention. Though it was amazingly written, something just seemed off. It was incredibly sad and suicidal, it triggered her and made her remember those awful years of her life.

With her heart in a knot, she went to read the name of the author.

Melissa Blanco.

At first she decided to let it slip by, just grade it and then hand it back but when, later that day, she saw her alone in the campus´ café, she couldn´t help herself and ended up sitting in front of her coughing lightly to make her look up at her professor.

“Oh, hey Miss Lovato” Melissa lightly spoke, bringing a little smile to her thin lips. Demi smiled back.

“Hey, Melissa” She answered as Melissa stared at her, waiting for her to tell her why she had just sat in front of her.

Demi bit down her lower lip as she fished the essay from her bag and placed it on the table in front of the student´s cup of coffee.

“What is it? Is it bad? Did I fail?” Melissa grabbed the piece of paper to take a closer look at it as the brown skin of her face turned pale.

“It´s one of the best I´ve graded.” Demi genuinely spoke before clearing her throat softly, “But I´m concerned about you.” She added, soon getting Melissa´s eyes to look down. “Is everything okay, Melissa?” Asked Demi.

Slowly, Melissa looked up at her English literature professor.
“Yes.” She harshly replied as her dark eyes looked into Demi´s chocolate ones. "It's just poetry, I was putting myself in the place of a troubled mind." She quickly added afterwards.

“Okay.” Demi knew from her own experience she didn´t have to push it further. “Just know that I´m here for you if you ever need to talk… Right in my office, don´t be afraid to contact me and...” She made sure their eyes were connected. “Don´t worry, you won´t bother me, I promise.” She could see Melissa´s eyes warming up and also the surprise in her eyes, as if no one had talked to her like that.

Demi stood up and straightened her l black skirt with her hands before giving Melissa one last smile.

“See you later in class.” She added and then left.

And since that day Melissa wouldn´t left Demi´s mind and that date night with Wilmer was almost only about her and about how Demi didn´t really know what to do.

“I just don´t know if I did the right thing by approaching her...” Said Demi for the fifth time that night as she guided the fork into her mouth before chewing on the delicious pasta.

“Dem, I´m so proud of you helping people and all but...” Wilmer sighed as Demi looked into his eyes. “I hope this doesn´t affect you negatively.” He finished.

Demi looked down at her plate and started to play with the food mindlessly. He was kind of right, reading that poem had actually triggered her but she wanted to help, she couldn´t just do nothing.

“I know...” She replied. “But I have to help her, I feel like it´s my job.”

Wilmer smiled at her and nodded.

“Well, then you have my support, as always, mi hermosa”.

Just a week had passed by when Demi was in her office preparing lessons for the semester when a light knock was heard on her door.

“Come in” She said loudly as her eyes never left the computer screen.

“Miss Lovato?” Melissa´s soft voice entered her ears, making her look up at her, surprised.

“Melissa.” Demi took off her glasses and placed them on the table, turning to her with a warm smile on her red lips. “Come in, honey” She repeated since the girl was still standing at the door.

Melissa entered closing the door behind her before walking towards Demi´s desk. “Can I sit here?” She asked, placing her fingers on one of the chairs that were there. Demi nodded her head in response before her student took a seat and sighed.

“Could I talk to you about the poem?” Melissa asked and Demi could finally see all the pain her eyes were holding back.