"I wanted you to."
I looked into his eyes. He looked so vulnerable. I could tell we were about to have the conversation that I had so badly wantedthese past few weeks. And now that it was here, I was scared to have it. "What? What do you mean?"
"I wanted you to forget about me. That's why I haven't been talking to you."
"Why? I told you that I loved you."
"I know. But I'm no good for you. You deserve someone without so much...without so many issues."
"What issues?"
"You were right. You don't know me as well as you should."
"I do."
"You don't."
His words haunted me. I thought I had found out all his secrets.What else is he hiding from me?
"So if you wanted me to forget about you, why did you come to the party last night?"
"When you sent me that text about having a nice life it made me realize that I couldn't. Not unless you were in it."
"That's a selfish reason." I repeated the words back to him that he had used when I told him my excuse for lying to him.
"It is. But I've seen you disappearing these past few weeks. Not eating. Drinking too much. Not focusing in class. I may be bad for you, but I'm better than the alternative."
"So I get to be with you by default?"
"I need you, Penny. I'm addicted to you. I want what's best for you. And I'm going to try hard to be that for you."
"You know that I'm addicted to you too. Or else our argument wouldn't have just turned into sex. But you left me. I've never felt so broken before. Tyler was there to help try and pick up the pieces. And if I'm being honest, I didn't just sleep with him because I was drunk."
"I know." Professor Hunter gritted his teeth.
"I have feelings for him too."
Professor Hunter sighed. "Here is where I should tell you to go to him. Where I should be unselfish. Please don't make me do that."
"I know you said you needed time, but you waited so long. You made it seem like you wanted nothing to do with me. You wouldn't even look at me in class. I thought...I thought..." I put my face in my hands. "I made a mess of everything."
"No, I did." Professor Hunter grabbed my face in his hands. "I never should have walked out on you that night. I understand why you lied. And I did exactly what you feared. But I need you to know that the age difference means nothing to me."
"When you were in high school, I was in elementary school."
Professor Hunter laughed. "It doesn't matter."
"You're my professor."
"It doesn't matter." He leaned forward and kissed me. I could feel the cut on his lip. But that didn't stop him. He grabbed the back of my head and leaned into me until my back was against the cool tile. "I'm sorry." He kissed the top of my bandage, then the side of my neck. He left a trail of kisses between my breasts and down my stomach.
"Mmm."
He kissed the inside of my thigh. "I missed you."
"I missed you too."
He kissed the inside of my other thigh. "I want you again," he whispered against my skin. He lightly brushed his fingers against my clit. I was still aroused. I had been without him for so long. And now that I was in his presence again, I couldn't get enough of him.
