Teenagers are excessively social creatures. They crave attention more than anyone in the world. It's a period of someone's life where connections, fame, and friends and maybe money matters the most. That's what Zoe thought.
Being a teen wasn't easy but neither was being an adult. You had to face all the hormonal changes in you, had to go to high school every day and watch other's laugh and smile with their already formed social circles while you remained alone and pretended that you didn't want or need things like best friends and a seemingly caring boyfriend to have his hand around your shoulder and kiss you in the hallways or maybe walk with you to your next class. Then there were the teachers. Hipocrital figures which were supposed to set an example for the younger generation and give them knowledge.
The only thing Zoe received from her teachers was severe anxiety.
They were all gloomy, angry, yelled a lot, never tolerated a student once, weren't understanding. All Zoe got from those hypocritical figures was the fact that adult life was tough and students were a perfect punching bag to relieve stress.
Most teenagers didn't seem like they liked going to school and most teachers seemed to hate their job. It wasn't a pleasant place to waste three years of your life.
When Zoe managed to make it into high school, she had no friends other than the one who she met every day at Mr. Harris' house. Mr. Harris had convinced her to try at least. This was a fresh start, said he. I'm sure you'll make other friends, said he. There are good kids out there, he said. You're lovable and nice, he said. Everyone will love you, he said.
How wrong he was.
No one wanted to be her friend.
Slut.
Bitch.
Don't sit near me. I might catch a disease.
Didn't her mother leave her?
I heard she's poor now. Her dad got kicked out of the family.
Hasn't her mother slept with half of the town? Gross, how is she able to attend this school? I'd be so embarrassed.
I heard she's working as a prostitute.
Teens were savage creatures with no remorse and awfully big mouths to entertain them through their boring lives.
The city surely was big but the upper class of the society there knew everyone and people loved to gossip. Who doesn't love gossip?
The school Zoe attended, weirdly so, was one of the elites. The best of the best. But the prices were also ridiculously high and the school was a money-sucking machine to the parents of the students who attended the college. The only reason the headmasters and the teachers could enjoy those ridiculously high salaries and expensive cars were because of the families of the students.
The college had it all. The clean classes with beautiful chairs, tables, interactive blackboards, and colorful chalks. Fancy laboratories with every utensil possible, one where Zoe could easily imagine Dr. Jekyll exploring the dark side of science in. Zoe was sure the man would pull a Mr. Hyde if he found out the dreamy laboratory was almost never used. Such a waste.
Let's not forget about the humongous library with endless books, so many books that if Zoe managed to read one every day, she most likely wouldn't have finished them all before she died. Again, no one used the place except the few students who actually loved to read, the only ones Zoe could relate to. They were the type of people who never bothered anyone and only minded their business. She liked them starting from the pretty girls with big round, expensive, golden glasses to the pretty prince-like boy who always sat in front of her when he read a book.
There was a time when Zoe had a crush on the blonde prince. He matched the hero of those teenage romance novels and mangas she'd read perfectly. When Zoe wanted to disappear from the people who made her high school life a living hell, she always hid in the library and always sat on the same exact place right before the high school prince would show up and take a seat in front of her.
In those brief moments, her heart would flatter and her lips fought with her unwillingness to smile. Zoe would glance at him time after time, picturing scenarios where the stranger would help her and save her from the hell she was thrown into. She couldn't help herself.
A teenage heart was an open door and everyone could easily step in if they were attractive enough, had a few tattoos or were rumored to be a certified bad boy who f*cks around and has never found his significant other.
Not to mention that he looked like an angel to Zoe, with his face tilted to the side and placed on his palm as he had his elbows on the table while he flipped pages after pages. Sometimes the sun paid the two a visit, shining on his golden hair, making them brighter. It was like God himself had pulled him out of a book and made him come to make Zoe company when she was sad the most.
But life isn't a movie. The boy never glanced at her once and he never talked to her too. Zoe was surprised he even sat so close to her. It was probably because no one was around to see them. He didn't save her and they soon separated without even exchanging names.
Besides pretty boys with cold smiles and indifferent attitudes, the college had lots of gyms for different sports, fancy pools, resting rooms where students could stay during break and a very large cafeteria, the nightmare of Zoe. A place where students loved to talk about her rumored life, shoot glares and laugh at her. A place where she had no one to eat with except for guys who loved to tease and pick at her.
Outside, the college was adorned by beautiful, well-grown flowers and paved grounds with benches and tables made of grey granite rocks. The parking lots were filled with cars fighting to attract attention. From the outside people, it was a place out of a magazine, a place students dreamed to study in.
While to Zoe it was a living hell that burned her every day. When she stepped out of that place, she felt like she could finally breathe and while she walked to Mr. Harris' place her invisible burns hurt. But when she saw the man who was like a father to her and the boy who had turned into her only precious friend her burns healed just like magic and she forgot everything until she had to face the same monsters tomorrow morning.
"How could you allow something like this happen? I thought this school was a safe place for our children!" The woman scolded the headmaster of the school like she was a kid. "Are we paying all that money for nothing?"
The headmaster flinched and shot a glare on Zoe's direction before facing the enraged woman, the same woman whose husband was cheating on her with Zoe's mother.
"Mrs. Wilson, I promise this is the last time something like this happens." Then she turned to Zoe. "Zoe, apologize to Anna!"
Zoe gripped her uniform tightly on her hands, refusing to look at her classmate. Meanwhile, Anna had a content smile on her face.
"That girl laid a hand on my daughter! You think a smile is enough?" Mrs. Wilson shrieked loudly, looking at Zoe in disgust. "Have her expelled immediately! What if she attacks other students?"
Zoe fought the desire to scoff and drop a remark. This woman could care less about what happened in this school or to her daughter. This wasn't her worrying about her kid. It was her trying to get revenge. She knew what her husband was up to and yet she could do nothing about it except for maybe releasing her anger on the s*ut's daughter.
Zoe finally looked at Anna. Did she really have to take responsibility for this? The girl in front of her had no sort of scar or bruise on her flawless skin while Zoe was covered in them and yet these people ignored it.
The headmaster wasn't a big fan of Zoe either but she had to suck it up since her grandfather was involved.
That day, Zoe's hatred for her family and especially her mother blossomed like daisies in spring. Rapidly, covering every corner of her young heart. This was all their fault. Everything that had happened to her was their fault.
Zoe loathed the place.
"I don't want to go here. I'll choose my high school myself." The fifteen-year-old girl rose her voice for the same time in years.
But apparently it wasn't high enough for her grandfather to listen. "I've already done all the registration procedures." The man informed his granddaughter, his eyes not even having the audacity to look at her.
"You can't control me! I'm not part of this family, remember?" Zoe slapped the words this man had said to her all the time in his face. How dares he? Where does he find the confidence?
Finally, her grandfather deemed her worthy of his attention and angrily abandoned his papers. "Who the f*ck do you think you are talking to, young lady? Who's paying for your expenses? If you don't attend this college then I'll stop sending you money."
Her grandmother gasped rather loudly, making Zoe remember that she was there too. She turned her attention to her grandmother and pleaded with her eyes for help. But her grandmother did nothing. The woman looked away, guilt distorting her features.
"But I don't want to," Zoe whispered in complete defeat, feeling hopeless like she's never felt before and that alone said a lot. Hopelessness was a constant feeling, accompanying her since she couldn't remember. One of Zoe's many non-human friends.
"Then let your siblings starve to death." Her grandfather didn't budge. He was persistent and there was nothing on this earth that could change his mind.
He was sending his granddaughter to a living hell. Everyone on that college knew Zoe. They all knew her family and their situation. In that place, there were families her mother had ruined because she couldn't be loyal to one man. No one liked her there. She wasn't welcomed. She didn't belong there.
However, with teary eyes and fists tightened she gave up. Young Zoe— she was way too innocent, way too powerless, way too weak.
"I hate you! All of you!" She spat and left out of there trying to keep her head up high, slamming the door shut as hard as she could but not before hearing her grandfather's last words.
"Ungrateful b*tch. She's just like her!" That was the last time Zoe stepped in that place, the house that was supposed to be her dad's. It was the last time she met her grandparents too.
That day she vowed that when she and the man who had contributed in her ill-fated life met she was going to be stronger. She was going to show him that she was different. She didn't need him.
And as Zoe gazed at the messy room filled with teens, talking among each other she couldn't help but feel as if she was thrown back in high school. When they stepped inside, everyone stopped talking and began to stare at her. Old judging faces replaced the actual people in the room and Zoe could clearly hear their laughs at her back.
Suddenly, all air was punched out of her lungs and she found it hard to breathe. She wanted to run away. This wasn't going to work.
Sawyer! Where's Sawyer? She needed him.
Her mini freak out worsened when she realized he wasn't here. He wasn't there back then either. Nor was Mr. Harris. They had left. Like everyone else. Like her mother did and as her father and grandparents did.
Didn't she deserve to have those people with her? Didn't she deserve their love perhaps?
"Zoe?" Noah broke her out of her reverie when he noticed her grip on his arm had tremendously tightened. "Are you okay?"
Zoe nodded her head even though he couldn't see her and murmured a weak "yeah." But the sad truth was that never had she been okay.
No— wait. That'd be a lie. There was a time, long long time ago, where she was happy. Not all the time but she was when she visited Mr. Harris and he cooked food for her and watched crappy Tv shows with her.
She was happy when she had those secret meetings every few nights with her first and only friend too.
But they all had to leave. Noah was going to leave soon as well, thought she.
"Let's get this over with." She let go of Noah, her voice coated in ice.
"Who's she?" A girl was the first to ask.
"Everyone. This is Zoe. She's a good student of mine and I invited her to join us today. Hope you don't mind."
"Hello, gorgeous." One of the boys present greeted her, grinning. Zoe didn't utter a word and the boy's smile fell. They surely didn't seem to mind.
All Zoe did was take a seat next to Noah as soon as he did. When she didn't react, the guy's friends laughed, slapping the guy on the back and whistling loudly. A rather dramatic response. Zoe realized that high school boys never change. Her ex's friends used to do the same thing. It made Zoe wonder what she had seen in such an immature prick like her ex? But then again she wasn't the smartest back then.
Not that she was the smartest now either.
Men are definitely better.
"Is she deaf?" The boy asked.
Noah laughed under his breath, giving Zoe the paper with the names of all the people present here. "Could you please read this for me, Zoe? Everyone else please confirm your attendance when you hear your name."
He's going to take their attendance? Are they in school or what?
"Sir, you think we're in school or something?" A girl voices Zoe's thoughts. "Also since we mentioned school, we all have f*cking exams coming and we have studied nothing. Why did you want us to come here? As you can see we're very busy failing in life."
"Man, she's right. My parents will take my car if I fail these exams." Another spoke up.
"High school sucks." Flirty groaned and Zoe emotionally connected with him. It really does, buddy.
"I apologize, guys. I understand that you have your own occupations but this isn't up to me either. Your parents choose the schedule here and if you could just cooperate with me, I'm sure this therapy will go smoothly and you can all leave early?"
All of the kids present scowled. They clearly weren't happy with the situation but they didn't utter any further complain. So as no one talked, Zoe began to read all the names out loud.
"Oh, so she talks too." The flirty boy childishly frowned, making Zoe's lips twitch but then they fell again. Because when she finished and had the chance to look at them, she realized she had lost her childhood. She had lost the chance of doing so many things she wished to have done but couldn't do anymore. She couldn't make friends and study in groups while enjoying a sweet coffee with true friends while not having to worry about her f*cked up manipulative family. She lost the chance of going after her first, childish love too. Having dates with him, going to parks, having sweet kisses on nights, away from privy eyes and holding hands while they walked on the road.
"Everyone's here," Zoe commented when she was done, forcing a smile at the group teasingly. "I'm surprised."
"Trust me. We have no choice." One of the flirty's friends spoke. "We're being held here against our wishes."
"Why do you dislike this place so much? The people here are trying to help you." Noah questioned.
A girl snorted, her dislike about this place rather obvious. "No, they're trying to take our parents' money and act as if they care about our problems."
"It seems you've had some bad experiences with your previous therapists." Noah murmured, pursuing his lips in a thin line.
"You're not so bad though!" Another girl from the group exclaimed while everyone else expressed their hatred of the whole psychology race. She smiled at Noah like he was some sort of savior and it was obvious that the girl wasn't admiring him for his advising skills. Zoe fought the desire to roll her eyes. She didn't blame the girl. Noah Hayes was quite a good looking man and he also had this saint-like smile. He was way too polite as well, too f*cking polite to everyone it annoyed Zoe at times. People like him made everyone feel special when in fact they weren't. Not to mention that teenage girls fell in and out of love faster than a furious Asian middle-aged man spat out complaints. (Angry rapper, worldwide handsome Jin everyone? No, shame on you!)
"Why haven't you told your parents that the consulting wasn't helping? That your consultants were bad?"
"They're too busy to listen." Mia was the first to talk, looking a little bit sad.
"Mine thought I was trying to get out of consulting." Another one spoke up.
"Hold on—" Zoe interrupted everyone. "Are you all rich?"
Everyone nodded their heads. "Well, duh. Have you seen the payment fee for this crappy place?"
For some reason, Zoe couldn't understand why the fact disappointed her. What about the kids who needed consulting and had no money? Wasn't this an organization trying to help children with problems? She thought this place was a charity organization.
"Doesn't this place do charity?" Asked she confused.
"Sometimes. When our parents feel generous enough and want a good image for their business." All of them chuckled.
Zoe couldn't understand what was funny in that. It wasn't funny at all. But what else did she expect from people raised in wealth, people who care only about themselves and their precious money-making machines? She came from a family the same as theirs. To these people, others didn't exist.
It made Zoe wonder if she'd turn out the same if she wasn't abandoned or kicked out of her family.
"You seem so angry at your parents. Aren't you the least bit grateful you were born and raised without having to worry about money?"
"Screw the money! Who the f*ck cares about those?" Flirty spat in anger. It seemed he had a few family problems too. "That's all our parents think anyway. I'm sure we're here because they don't want to be embarrassed. Their successors can't be viewed as crazy people by others."
They said that now to sound sentimental and like they couldn't care but in reality, money was a lot more important, not only to these people here but to almost everyone. If you didn't have a lot of money in this society, you weren't somebody after all.
"Instead of complaining, you should be happy they care enough to bring you here!" Zoe didn't shout. Her voice was rather normal but it made everyone stop talking and the teens felt like they were getting scolded somehow.
"They might not be the best but they haven't abandoned you, have they?" No one talked. "What about the others who are suffering more and have no money to come to fancy facilities like this so they can have a talk with those useless psychologists you take for granted? They have no one. And apparently no one's generous enough to offer free sessions nowadays either." Loathing and anger coated her voice the more she talked.
This isn't how she thought this meeting would go. She didn't predict she'd get angry at some little spoiled, ungrateful brats.
On the other hand, Noah felt like he was on the part receiving Zoe's anger too. For some reason the way she talked made him feel as if he had disappointed her as if he had made a sort of mistake.
"We know that but aren't you being a little judging too?" Mia spoke for everyone. "Just because we're rich doesn't mean we have no problems and can't suffer the same as them. What does money have to do here? You think we wanted to have a lot of money?"
Zoe had unintentionally offended Mia. "I'm sorry, Mia. That's not what I meant. But if you have the money, it means one less problem to worry about right?"
"Sometimes money is the problem." Flirty surprised everyone and silence fell as they all looked at him weirdly, making the boy shift on the ground, flustered. "What? Why are you all looking at me like that?"
"You sounded...smart," Mia spoke and everyone laughed.
Flirty scowled. "I'm smart, alright? I'm just not as flashy about it as you all idiots are."
"I should thank you. They've never been so mouthy before." Noah whispered in Zoe's ear with a chuckle. "Maybe I should take you with me more often."
"I can think of a few ways you can thank me." She muttered back, the side of her lips tilting up.
The meaning of the sentence didn't go unnoticed by the professor and shamefully it made his pulse quicken.
"Alright, guys! Let's begin, shall we?" Everyone groaned.
Zoe felt her phone vibrate on her pocket and so she pulled it out to see she had a message from Sawyer. Her heart jumped painfully. Sawyer never messaged her. They rarely talked to. She shouldn't have been upset. He's always been like that but this time it was a different kind of silence she was receiving from him. One she didn't like.
Luisa and Joel are staying with me.
She was a little disappointed at the message and yet relieved to know her siblings were in good hands. A soft smile spread on her face.
"...pornstar!"
Zoe's head flew up in a snap at the word, her heart again jumping on her throat, this time not from excitement but from fear. What was going on? Had one of them recognized her? F*ck, no, no, no this can't be happening! It was too soon. She couldn't let Noah find out.
"What?" Fear was clearly detectable on her voice as she spoke.
"I'm a pornstar." A girl repeated in a whisper, blushing.
Zoe's rapid heartbeat began to slow down and she regained her breathing while she internally screamed in relief. But then her dread clutched her throat again. She works in the porn industry? What if she knows Zoe? Wouldn't she have mentioned that since the start, had she known?
"No way!"
"F*ck!"
"Why?"
"How's it being a pornstar?"
"Why did you become a pornstar?" Professor Hayes was the last to act, quite unapproving.
"It just happened. I really like sex and making money while doing it seemed great, I guess." The girl, Asian guessed Zoe by her features, shrugged her shoulders, shifting on her seat uncomfortably having noticed the professor's disapproval and others' judging glances.
"I see but the industry you're working on isn't a good or safe one. I don't understand your reason either. You realize how this will affect your life in the long-term?"
The girl nodded her head. She looked so alone and down since no one was understanding her. Zoe wanted to come in her defense but she feared she'd reveal something she shouldn't when talking.
"I bet she doesn't care." One of the boys snickered. "You Japanese people are quite perverted, damn! I heard a lot of young girls do the same as you so I'm not surprised."
At that moment Zoe had an unbearable desire to slap the unknown boy for his stupid, unthoughtful remarks.
"It must be hard to find a boyfriend while doing that.." Another girl stepped in.
"I think she's lucky." Zoe finally stepped in, her brow twitching from annoyance as she told herself to not beat some sense into these kids.
Isn't this f*cking place supposed to be somewhere you can talk about your problems freely without the fear of being judged?
Everyone seems surprised since she talked.
"How's she lucky?"
"She gets to have lots of amazing sex with good looking guys and even gets paid for it. It seems like paradise to me. Besides those guys are polite, nice, experienced and a guarantee of satisfactory sex, not to mention they're really big... something a little boyfriend of your age surely isn't."
The boys of the group scowled deeply by having their massive egos blown by Zoe.
"Who said we're not good in bed? Spend one night with me and I'll show you how good I am! You'll be crying." Flirty stated confidently.
Talk's all they got. And he didn't know that Zoe had tried a lot of amazing sex with a lot of amazing men. No one could probably surpass them.
"Ignore them, sweetheart." Zoe smiled encouragingly at the girl, ignoring everyone else. "I'm sure they will all be searching you up tonight."Everyone blushed and the girl finally smiled.
"Thanks."
"You're talking as if being a pornstar is amazing when we all know the industry is super shady and unsafe especially to females. You shouldn't be encouraging her. I suggest you drop that profession before you ruin your life." Mia stepped in when Zoe thought the discussion was finally over and both Zoe's and the girl's smile dropped.
"Not every agency is bad and moreover she might enjoy doing whatever she's doing. Who are you to say to her that she should quit?" Zoe said through gritted teeth, getting angry.
Mia didn't back off. "Since you seem to think to make porn is a normal job, would you do it? Huh? Do you have the courage?"
"Of course!" Zoe said without batting an eye, her lips twitching. She already was a well-known porn actor. "Especially if I get to shoot with people like her." Zoe pointed to the girl. "I'd totally do her."
"You seem to want to do everyone," Noah muttered, after being quiet for a while and Zoe shut her mouth.
What does that mean? Is he angry? Did she say something wrong?
"Therapy is over for today everyone. You can all go. See you next time." Everyone present was eager to collect their things and rush out of there.
Even Noah rose on his feet and began walking on his own without waiting for Zoe. She was about to follow him but was stopped by a hand grabbing her arm. It was the cute Japanese girl.
"Hey, about earlier, thanks a lot. I don't usually get supported like that. Not a lot of people understand like you."
Zoe smiled. She did understand her because she was in the same situation as her.
"It's fine. You shouldn't care what others think with your line of work but you seemed quite flustered back there."
"I'm still getting used to this." She admitted. "I'm new, I guess. Thanks again, Zoe. See you around." And with that, the girl left while Zoe wondered whether she had done a good thing supporting her.
It was true porn industry wasn't the best place to be and the right thing according to society was to help her leave.
Noah must've thought the same since he was frowning.
"What's wrong?" Zoe already knew what was the problem but she asked anyway.
"You shouldn't have supported her, Zoe. She's not in a good place and you know it."
"Why? She was being attacked by those judging little d*cks!"
"It's not right!" Noah responded. "You think being a pornstar will do her any good. I bet a big chunk of the reason she's here for therapy is because of her profession."
"You don't know that." Zoe retorted, getting defensive. "Maybe she enjoys her work. Who are we to tell her to quit? She'll do that when she wants."
"You really think being a porn actress is a work?" Noah slightly raised his tone and made a lump form on Zoe's throat. "More like ruining your life."
All the hopes of him, someday understanding her and the reason she's done what she's done flew out of the window. It seemed impossible to tell Noah about her work now and that saddened her. They really had no chance of being together for a long time if he opposed this line of work so much.
"I don't want to talk about this. Let's stop here, alright?"
Noah didn't seem reluctant to but he let the matter go anyway. While Zoe, she didn't want to talk about this because she was afraid it'd hurt. Noah couldn't have possibly made it clearer that he wasn't a fan of her job. And she wanted to avoid a discussion which most likely would lead to a fight because she thought it would lead Noah away.
"Did you really mean it?" Asked Noah after a few seconds of silence.
"Mean what?"
"That you'd become a pornstar if you had the chance?"
Air got knocked out of her by guilt and indecisiveness. This was it. This was the best chance for her to finally tell him. She could do it.
I already am a porn actor. "Why not?" Said she instead, jokingly—the fear of losing this man stopping her.
"Zoe, please don't joke about this. It's not even funny." Noah grimaced, unknowingly throwing another punch on Zoe's self-esteem filled with cracks.
"Why?"
"Your life is already tough as it is. Doing that will make it worse." Professor Hayes was genuinely worried about her. He hadn't stayed a lot with Zoe but it was enough to know that her life wasn't the best and she already had more problems than she could handle. Noah was afraid that Zoe could actually consider it. It was easy to be blinded by what seems like easy money.
The ice brick surrounding Zoe grew thicker as she tried to swallow everything that was happening. This is why feeling wasn't good.
Where did he find the right to talk? He didn't know any single thing about her or what she'd gone through. He had no right to tell her what to do. She hated being ordered and controlled. People had done that to her all her life.
"If I were a pornstar, would you be jealous?" Zoe or maybe Blythe or whoever face of her he had chosen to have right this moment stepped ahead, closing the gap between them and placing her palms flatly on his chest.
Noah didn't have time to reply before he was pushed by her and fell backward, for a split second thinking she pushed him on the ground from anger until he landed on a couch in shock. Zoe plopped herself on his lap, trapping the man.
"Zoe..." Noah murmured, placing his hands on her waist. He wanted to push her away, pushing her away was the right thing to do but, dear lord, he couldn't. He just couldn't. She felt like she belonged there. It felt amazing and undeniably nice having her on his lap.
She was the first to place her lips on his like a starved animal, sucking the little determination professor Hayes had to push him away. He groaned, kissing her back with just as much force, his hand going to get hold of her silky black hair. Her sweet honey scent graced his nostrils and his pulse quickened as their tongues found each other and began to dance. It was a kiss that shamefully aroused our professor as nothing had before. He was enjoying it so much, it was a crime. Her kiss was so good, so addictive, she could probably keep his lips locked on hers until he died from lack of breath and yet he wouldn't mind.
Noah couldn't remember the last time he'd wanted to touch someone this badly. Every part of his body was burning in flames and he was so aware of her body pressed against his and could feel every curve of her. From her lush soft breasts which were begging to be freed from her thing tank top.
When Noah hesitantly made to touch her chest, he also realized his little vixen wasn't wearing a bra. It made him growl low on his throat like a wounded animal as his hand fondled her soft breast. Zoe felt him swell further under her and instinctively she began to grind herself on him, trying to ease the ache building in between her legs, shooting shivers and speckles of pleasure throughout their bodies.
Zoe split their mouths apart and began to plant kisses all over his neck and collarbone while unbuttoning his shirt and revealing parts of his naked upper body with each kiss of hers. When she was done getting him out of his dress shirt and making sure no part of his chest wasn't touched by her lips, she rose on her feet and made to unbuckle his pants.
"Zoe!" Noah's body tensed and he stood up straighter.
His hair was messy and sticking in every possible direction while his lips made it clear they've been kissed thoroughly. He looked like such a hot mess, Zoe couldn't possibly stop right now. Noah didn't want to stop either and he was trying to remind himself that he had a lover out there. She wasn't Zoe. This was wrong.
"Shh. It feels good, doesn't it?" Zoe anyway unzipped his pants when Noah couldn't find the strength or the desire to stop her.
"I've always thought of doing this with you." She whispered in a breathy chuckle as her fingertips touched him through his boxers, pumped with excitement.
Zoe had f*cked "married" man lots of time on her shootings but never had she gone with someone who's been taken before. Now that she thought about it she's never had sex with someone out of the cameras. In some view, her sex life was inexistent.
Except for Sawyer.
As Zoe kneeled before Noah and pulled his c*ck out, she was reminded of Beatrix and her father and for some odd reason, she felt a sense of victory. Right at this moment, Noah was hers. She had the power to make him betray Beatrix like this. It made her feel immensely good. Her blood was boiling from adrenaline and enthusiasm.
Is this how her mother and Beatrix felt when they broke others' relationships?
Zoe was doing the same. She was being the same as them. It didn't matter that it was Noah and Beatrix. What they were doing wasn't morally right but who the f*ck cared? Zoe was the one and only Claire's daughter after all.
Ignoring her conscience and the bitter feeling clogging her insides, she wrapped her lips around his head and sucked, making Noah shudder.
"F*ck... Zoe. We have to stop." Noah caught strands of her hair on his fists, tugging the tiniest bit, a weak attempt to make her stop. Again, he couldn't. He allowed Zoe to do whatever she liked with her tongue.
And she did. The young woman was an expert. She certainly knew how to use her tongue. She sucked and licked over and over like his d*ck was a lollipop she couldn't get enough of, being awarded by groans and curses of pleasure from her partner. She felt his thighs tense and so did his grip on her hair when he was close. It was a moment both of them were waiting for.
Until his phone rang and Zoe's skillful tongue stopped its movement.
They'd have ignored it. They tried to ignore it. But they already knew who was calling. Noah couldn't see so he had a different tone for people.
This one was Beatrix.
Zoe pulled back like Noah burnt her. They both stayed in silence and the phone rang, stopped ringing and rang again countless times.
The woman sure was a bother. She didn't know how to give up.
Noah finally picked it up. "Hello?"
"Hello, baby. Are you done with work? I'm coming there right now." Beatrix didn't beat around the bush.
"Why?"
"I'll tell you when I arrive. I'm almost there." She said, sounding way too excited and then she hung up. It was so fast, Noah didn't even have time to feel guilty while talking to his future wife on the phone.
"She's coming here." Was all he said.
"I see." Was all Zoe said.
She stood up from where she was sitting on the ground and was about to fix her appearance so she wouldn't look she just got f*cked but then her hand froze and she stopped herself. She looked just fine right now. If anything, she hoped she looked like she got thoroughly f*cked.
"Zoe..." Noah began to talk but Zoe wanted to avoid the conversation that was about to come her way. She had a good idea of what he wanted to say and she didn't want to hear it.
"Zip yourself up, professor. Unless you want to greet your fiancee like that." Which Zoe wouldn't mind.
His lips formed the shape of an o and he fumbled to make himself more presentable, cursing on the process.
"I'm going then." Zoe picked up her bag, rushing to leave out of there before Noah rejected her.
"Do you have someone you love, Zoe?" Her body tensed like a rock at his weird question.
"I've loved many people during my life, Mr. Hayes. What about it?"
"I don't think you love me. I think you're using me to avoid something or someone..."
Zoe laughed under her breath, releasing the doorknob and turning around to face one of the men she did love in some weird way, resting her back on the door. "How do you know I don't love you?"
"You can tell when someone doesn't love you or not." Was all he said. He understood because he didn't love Beatrix either. "You are obsessed with me maybe but you don't love me. I'm curious. Are you trying to prove something by seducing me?"
Zoe's lips twitched and the feeling of hopelessness she felt when she was interrupted by Beatrix left her body. This was nice. Right now, she felt like she was talking to a friend.
"Isn't this the part where we're supposed to not bring all this up and act like it never happened?" She avoided the question with a laugh.
"I don't think that's mentally healthy." Noah frowned. It was difficult for him to bring this up but it was going to weigh heavily on them later if the didn't communicate with each other.
"You know.. you're actually important to me. I mean it." Zoe finally confessed, sounding like a little child.
"I know." Noah smiled. It was a sweet smile.
When he smiled at her like that, she had the urge to hug him so she did so. She flew in his arms and Noah happily caught her, wrapping his arms around her body tightly in a comforting hug. It lifted her spirit up to the skies. Never had she imagined this day was going to end so well. Maybe god was finally being generous to her.
"You smell like me," Noah commented while having his face laid on top of her head.
"Good. I'll make sure to hug your fiancee if I meet her today if that's the case."
F*ck, why's this girl so freaking blunt?
Noah shook his head and pulled back from the hug. "You're trying to break me up from my fiancee, little troublemaker."
Ah, here it was. Acting as if nothing has happened.
"Yeah, that's exactly what I'm trying to do. Let's both pray I make it, alright?" Zoe smiled tightly while Noah sighed.
"Have you ever had desired to be with someone more than anything in your life, Zoe?"
"..I have," Zoe admitted after a long pause and wondering whether she should be honest or not.
"Why aren't you with the person right now?"
"It's not that easy." She defended herself. It felt as if Noah was scolding her for the fact that she couldn't keep the first love of her life. "It's complicated. We just couldn't be together."
"I see." Noah suddenly looked so sullen and sad. It was a face Zoe had never seen in him before. He was happy all the time, so it was difficult to imagine this man had problems of his own.
"You once asked me why I am with Beatrix. It's difficult and complicated for me too." He cupped both of her cheeks on his hands. "I hope you understand now."
He was telling her that he and Beatrix weren't going to break up anytime soon. Zoe had thought that the confrontation, acting as if nothing had happened and rejection wasn't going to come but Noah just blew them on her in a gentle manner.
She had to give him some credits. It was rather smooth.
"You know why I like you, professor?" Noah rose a brow at her question and Zoe rose on her tiptoes so their lips were almost touching. What a little tease.
"We're quite similar... Both of us aren't trying at all." Then she pecked him on the lips, pulled back in a smile and patted his chest. "Let's keep up the good work."
With that Zoe left, feeling a little victorious. She kept the same smile on her face even when she saw a big, fat leech strolling her way. The leech's smile fell when she saw Zoe and the condition she was on.
"Zoe, what are you doing here?" Beatrix tried to smile through gritted teeth.
"Having fun," Zoe replied smugly. "It's been so long, aunt. I've missed you." She then pulled Beatrix in for a hug, keeping her promise to Noah. She also thanked all the producers of men's cologne out there for making the damn thing so freaking strong and smelly. "Noah's waiting for you in his office."
"You little s*ut." Beatrix pushed her away, her whole face flushed from anger. "What did you do?"
Zoe knew that telling Beatrix this wasn't going to split those two up but at least it was going to make this woman boil in rage. She was going to test her own medicine.
I'm getting revenge.
"I'd suggest you get work on your skills on sucking a d*ck. Your future husband might not like it after he's tried better."
AUTHOR'S NOTE.
I don't know how to feel about this chapter. Phew, it's quite intense.
Did you all like it?
Who do you think Zoe will end up with?
As a way of apologizing for my absence, I made a super long chapter. Please, forgive your girl. Exams are f*cking her on the brain. (if that makes sense)
Love you all. I hope everyone's doing great in school!