Chapter 51
Grace’s POV
Harry clasped my hand as we walked into the English wing. We rode the elevator up together and Harry looked nervous as he sat down on a bench down the hall from Professor Charlie’s office.
“Okay baby, I’ll just wait for you here. Just uh...text me if you need anything or…”
“It’s fine.” I whispered, pressing my lips to his.
He immediately kissed me back, his fingertips digging into my sides. I pulled away and pulled out my notebook from my backpack that Harry was holding. It was almost six. I was glad Harry was here to wait on me while I was in my appointment.
“I know. Go ahead, it’s almost six. I love you .” he told me.
“I love you too Harry. I don’t think I should be too long.” I said before kissing his forehead and walking down the hall.
I could see Professor Charlie’s light on in his office. The door was open. When I stepped around the corner, I saw him leaning over his desk, reading a book. He had a desk lamp pointed at the book and he was wearing his black rimmed glasses. I tapped lightly at his door and he looked up, closing his book.
“What are you reading?” I asked, the English major side of me coming out.
He held the novel up and I smiled. Who knew? Professor Charlie reads Wuthering Heights in his free time. Oh, do I love that novel. His office was the size of a small closet. His desk was crammed up against the wall and there was a bookshelf that reached to the ceiling taking up most of the space. A few of the titles jumped out of me and a smile grazed my lips.
“Please, sit.” He motioned to the stool beside his chair and I took a seat.
He marked his book with a number in the right hand page of his book and closed it.
“Why do you write in your book?” I asked, unable to hold my question back.
He smiled and looked up to where I was still standing in the doorway.
“It’s uh…stupid really. My mother died when I was six and it’s something she always did. She would mark her pages with numbers to help her get through the days in life and when she’d go back and reread a book, continue the numbers. I have a few first editions that I don’t do that with.” He chuckled.
I took a seat and Charlie turned around, his knees very close to mine. I looked down and bit the inside of my cheek, a nervous habit I’d developed.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“Nothing.”
“Look, answer me honestly. Do I make you nervous?”
I could feel my eyes widening. Gosh, he’s so blunt. I decided to just come out with it and be honest. I nodded.
“That’s the last thing I want to do Grace. Don’t be nervous around me. We’re just a professor and a student having an appointment or you can think of us like friends, whatever makes you the most comfortable.”
“Okay.” I said, my voice barely audible.
Friends? Friends with Professor Charlie? I wouldn’t think that would be weird if he wasn’t my professor but he was. He reached into one of the drawers in his desk and pulled something out. When I got a closer look, I could see that it was my paper that he’d printed out. He looked at it, shaking his head.
“I have never received a paper this good from a 101 student. Grace, you’re brilliant.” He said, his eyes lighting up.
“I wasn’t sure about my topic.”
“No. It’s perfect. Long Term Effects of Sibling Separation in Foster Care. It’s original. It’s interesting. All of your sources are peer reviewed and perfect for the essay. You’re a natural. There is nothing I can really say that’s bad about it but I know how you feel about presenting it. I was the same way when I was your age. I wanted to throw up thinking about standing up in front of a room and speaking.”
“So what changed?”
“I guess just practice. I still get nervous. You should see me at the English Department meetings when I have to speak. I hate speaking in front of my peers.”
“Professor Charlie, you have some kids in your class that are older than you.”
He smiled, shaking his head.
“I know but they’re students. It’s different and most of you are first year. I like teaching 101. Most of you have so much room to grow in your writing. You are all so young. Like you for instance, you can’t be more than twenty. You have your whole life ahead of you.”
“I’ll be nineteen in a few weeks.” I muttered.
He nodded.
“Okay…I’m getting off topic. I’ve made you a list of questions that I might possibly ask you during your presentation. Yes, you will be presenting to the class but think of it like you’re talking to me. I’m probably one of the few that will actually be paying attention to what you’re saying.”
I smiled, knowing it was true.
“You’re the one who will get something out of this Grace. My reason for doing this isn’t really for the classes benefit but everyone as individuals. You’ll learn the most from yourself. It’s important.”
I nodded. I guess I could see where he was coming from. For the next forty five minutes, Charlie had me stand in the middle of his office while he asked me questions about my thesis and why I believed the way I did. He had me explain the reason as to why I picked the quotes I did and then explain where I got them from. His questions were easy and I only stumbled a couple times because of his intense gaze. He smiled as he straightened my papers, placing them back in his desk.
“Now if you do that Grace, you’ll get a perfect score.”
“Really?”
“You’re extraordinarily smart.”
I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks at his compliment.
“So…are we done.”
“Yep.” He said, packing up his leather bag.
As I walked out of his office, he flicked the lights out and locked his door.
“Did you drive here?” he asked.
“No…I walked.”
“Me too. I walk every day since my apartment is so close. Can I walk you home? It’s pretty late.”
“Actually my…”
I trailed off as we rounded the corner. Harry was sitting there, one leg folded and rested on his other knee. He was playing around on his phone, looking gorgeous as always. He looked up as we approached him. He stood quickly and stuffed his phone in his pocket as he walked over to me.
“Hey baby.” He said, leaning over to peck my cheek.
I smiled but I felt a little awkward with Charlie standing there beside me.
“Harry this is my Professor…Charlie.”
I looked at Charlie.
“This is my boyfriend Harry.”
Harry offered him his hand and Charlie looked at him for a moment before taking shaking it.
“You a student here?” Charlie asked curiously.
“Nah. I work. I just walked her here.”
He was being very cool about this exchange but I could tell deep down that he didn’t like my professor. I just knew how to read him.
“I don’t blame you.” Charlie said glancing at me.
I smiled as Harry wrapped a protective arm around my waist, pulling me into the side of my body.
“Well we better get going. Grace and I have to get home to our apartment. We have company.”
I furrowed my eyebrows looking up at Harry. Company? He smiled, looking down at me.
“Nice to meet you.” Harry said, shaking Charlie’s hand once again.
“You too.” Charlie said, his forehead scrunched up.
Charlie didn’t acknowledge me. He turned around and started for the elevators.
Harry’s POV
I didn’t think Grace’s professor would look like that. I hated him just because of how he looked. As Grace and I walked home hand in hand, she looked up at me with curious eyes.
“Oh who’s at are apartment? You said we had company.”
“Sammy’s there.” I told her, looking at her so I could see the smile that I knew would light up her eyes.
“Really?” she shrieked.
“Yeah…she’s going to stay with us for the night. She wants you two to go shopping or something tomorrow. I told her she better watch over my baby girl.”
She shook her head but I could see her smiling. Wow she’s gorgeous.
“I just brought that up in front of your professor because I wanted him to know that you lived with me. I can tell he…admires you.”
“Harry, that’s silly.”
I gave her a look and she laughed.
“Oh do I love you Harry Styles.”
“Ditto baby.”
We walked a bit further and I squeezed her hand.
“Grace, don’t make any plans with Sammy for your birthday.”
“Why?” she frowned.
“Because…I’m getting us tickets to go home….I mean, if that’s what you want? I thought it would be nice to visit our families together for a weekend. I was thinking we could all get together and have dinner.”
“Really?” she asked excitedly.
“Yeah. If you want that.”
“Harry! Yes! That’ll be the best birthday ever.”
“Good.”
I brought her hand up to my mouth and kissed it.
……………………
Grace stayed up with Sammy for half the night and I tossed and turned in bed unable to sleep. I didn’t want to bother them because I knew they were having fun watching chick flicks in the living room but I really couldn’t sleep without her.
I walked out of the bedroom and into the kitchen. They didn’t even notice me because they were laughing about something. I sat down in a chair quietly when I heard my name. They had the TV muted.
“He’s the one Sammy. He changed his mind about having kids. I guess he wants them now. I don’t know.”
“Really?” Sammy gasped.
“Yeah. He told me yesterday. I think he’s just scared. I think it makes him nervous because of his dad but he would make such a great dad Sammy. I know it’s so early to even be thinking about this but there is nobody else. I know that. Harry is it for me. He doesn’t realize how much I love him.”
I smiled to myself as I took my glass of water and tiptoed back into the bedroom through the hallway. I never felt more assured of anything. She made my heart warm. She made me feel so good all the time.
A/N
Professor Charlie on the side! Ahhhhhh! Chris Pine is so cute. Oh and isn't Harry so sweet in this chapter? Okay bye. Vote and Comment lovlies!
Faith <3