“I can’t think of anything but you,professor.”
I shake off his grip and tug at the collar of my shirt for no reason.
“I thought you were busy thinking about someone else.”
“That was nothing.”
“What happened? Did you finish his course, too? Lose interest?”
He smirks.
“I don’t know what you think you’re gaining, coming into my office…”
“Maybe I should refresh your memory…”
He places his hand on my face just as someone knocks at the door.
I shake his hand off politely and move to open it; the last person I expected to see is standing in front of me.
“Eric.” My voice is croaky. “What…? What are you…?” There’s a sense of guilt over something I didn’t even want forming a knot in my throat.
Eric’s eyes shift behind me, then move back to mine.
“He was just leaving.”
“There’s no need.” His voice is hard, cold. “I shouldn’t have just shown up like this.”
“No, listen…”
“You told me, right? No surprises.”
“Eric, please…”
“You don’t owe me any explanations,professor.You don’t owe me anything.”
* * *
“INEVER LIKED that guy,”my sister says as she helps me iron my shirt for tonight; for the faculty Christmas party I’m obligated to attend. I’d completely forgotten about it. “He’s a manipulative snake.”
“You never like anyone.”
“I like Eric,” she says with feigned nonchalance.
“I guessed you would.”
“You like him, too, right?”
“That doesn’t matter and you know it.”
“Because you’d rather a guy treated you like shit than have to find someone who cares about you and everything in your life, including your sister?”
I knew Mila would like Eric. That’s exactly what I was afraid of.
“You know Eric is part of that category…”
“Maybe.” Mila shrugs. “But he seemed different to me.”
“Different how?”
