Chapter 17

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• My Professor Lectured My Heart   Chapter 22

  Ariel lay sprawled on her bed, eyes fixed on the ceiling, but her mind was busy with thoughts of him. Professor Luther. She squeezed her eyes shut, the very name making her face feel warm. This wasn’t just a small liking anymore. Her chest felt tight with every memory, every time he looked at her for a moment longer than he needed to, every word he spoke that seemed to hint at something more, even if she was just imagining it. “It’s not a crush,” she whispered to herself, her voice barely audible in the quiet room. . “Not anymore.” She let her fingers trace lazy circles on the bedspread, feeling the texture of the fabric against her skin, trying to ground herself in something tangible when her emotions felt so overwhelming. Her phone buzzed, and she picked it up. It was a message from Daniel. “Come downstairs, I made sandwiches.” Ariel needed to talk to someone. Her heart felt too full and confused to keep these feelings to herself. She went downstairs and found Daniel in the ki

• My Professor Lectured My Heart   Chapter 21

  Luther had asked Ariel to come see him that morning. A few minutes later, someone knocked on his office door.“Come in,” he called, setting the pen down on his desk and folding his hands.The leather of his chair creaked slightly as he straightened his posture.Ariel quietly walked into the room. The door closed softly behind her. She was wearing simple clothes… faded jeans and an oversized navy sweater… and holding a notebook tightly against her chest.“You wanted to see me, Professor?” she asked, her voice carrying that distinctive quality that always caught his attention… soft yet clear, like water running over smooth stones.“Yes. Please, have a seat.” Luther gestured to the chair across from him. He watched her settle in, and noticed how her hands fidgeted with the spiral binding of her notebook. “I won’t take too much of your time.”Ariel nodded.“I wanted to follow up with you on the incident involving Daniel. Have the police updated you on anything?”Ariel sighed. “They said th

• My Professor Lectured My Heart   Chapter 20

  The gym buzzed with the sounds of a basketball practice… the squeaking of sneakers on the shiny floor, the bouncing of balls, and the laughter of the players. Ethan leaned against the bleachers, laughing along with the rest of his basketball teammates. “Dude, you should've seen Daniel's face,” Greg, a tall, skinny player known for his loud mouth, said with a laugh. “ he looked like someone ran him over with a truck.” “He’s right,” Marcus chimed in, dribbling an invisible ball between his legs. “We did good, bro. He won’t be coming between you and Ariel again anytime soon. I’m pretty sure he’ll be spending a long time in the hospital.” Ethan smirked, casually tossing his water bottle from one hand to the other. His golden-boy looks, and eyes that held the kind of trouble most girls ignored until it was too late. “Daniel needed a lesson,” Ethan said nonchalantly, stretching his arms behind his head. “Guy thinks he can just stand in my way? Nah. Not happening. By the time he recovers

• My Professor Lectured My Heart   Chapter 19

  The loud, piercing sound of sirens echoed from far away. Ariel’s fingers shook as she held her phone tightly against her ear. She kept saying the address again and again to the person who answered the emergency call. “Please hurry... he's bleeding a lot,” she choked out, glancing down at Daniel who lay motionless on the sidewalk. His once handsome face was so badly bruised that she could hardly recognize him. The hooded attackers had long disappeared into the night. Moments later, bright red and blue flashing lights illuminated the street, and paramedics hurried over to Daniel. “Miss, step back! We need space! Give us room to work!” one of them told Ariel. Ariel stumbled backward, her hands clenching tightly into fists at her sides. Tears blurred her vision as the paramedics carefully lifted Daniel onto a stretcher and quickly loaded him into the back of the ambulance. She followed them to the hospital. A few minutes later, she found herself standing under the harsh, bright lig

• My Professor Lectured My Heart   Chapter 18

  Because suddenly, his mouth came down hard on hers, a kiss that was rough and showed a desperate need. Ariel made a surprised sound against his lips, but then she leaned into the kiss, her hands grabbing tightly onto his shirt. Before Ariel could fully understand what was happening, Luther had pinned her back against the wall. His hands moved all over her body, touching her, feeling her, as if he was saying she belonged to him. “Ariel…” he groaned against her skin. “You drive me insane… I need you to be clear with me about what you want. Stop making me so confused.” “I… I want you, only you… all of you.” He picked Ariel up easily and carried her through the hallway to his bedroom. He gently placed her on the bed as if she were very delicate and valuable. His kisses became intense and urgent, and the way he touched her showed he wanted her deeply. They took off their clothes quickly, not even thinking about it. And then he was inside her, filling her completely, moving with a fas

• My Professor Lectured My Heart   Chapter 17

  Ariel arrived at cheerleading practice early the next day, her backpack slung low over her shoulder. Maybe throwing herself into routines and stunts could help clear the lingering ache in her chest, the weight of everything she didn’t understand… Luther, Ethan, her mother’s bakery... everything. The gym was mostly empty when she arrived. Only a few girls stretched lazily on the mats. Ariel set her bag down and joined them, silently tying her shoes tightly. As more girls slowly came into the gym, the captain of the cheerleading team told everyone it was time to start warming up. They ran quickly from one side to the other, did some exercises, and then started practicing cheerleading moves. These moves involved lifting each other up in the air, throwing them, and catching them safely. Ariel was so focused on the cheerleading practice that she didn’t see the look on Dana’s. Dana was one of the older girls on the team, and she had never really liked Ariel. When the coach wasn’t watchin

• My Professor Lectured My Heart   Chapter 16

  The next morning at school, Ariel pushed open the heavy doors of the library. She was immediately greeted by the familiar smell of old books and polished wood. She hoped that she could finally find a quiet moment here, away from all the gossip and the weird stares people gave her. But she was wrong. Before she could even find a quiet corner to sit in, a group of girls blocked her way. She recognized all of them from the group that supported the basketball team. “Well, look who it is.” said a blonde girl in a mean voice, crossing her arms over her chest. Ariel blinked, momentarily caught off guard despite having anticipated some form of confrontation after yesterday's event. “Can I help you?” she asked. “You’ve done enough already.” another girl… Tiffany, if Ariel remembered correctly… said angrily, her voice full of hate. “You better pray we don’t lose the tournament, or else...” Something snapped inside of Ariel.“Or else what?” She challenged, squaring her shoulders. “You know

• My Professor Lectured My Heart   Chapter 15

  I woke up feeling sick the next morning. My head was hurting a lot, and my stomach felt twisted and upset. For several minutes, I just stayed lying in bed. I tried to get enough strength to sit up, but every time I moved, my body felt stiff and protested. My alarm clock was blinking its light because I had slept through the time it was supposed to wake me up. This was great. Just… great. Dragging myself out of bed, I stumbled to my feet, struggling to get ready. My arms and legs felt heavy, like they were made of stone. With trembling fingers, I managed to pull my hooded sweatshirt over my head, the fabri catching on my earring. No time for breakfast, or anything resembling self care. I snatched my bag from the floor and rushed out the door. My bag swung back and forth against my side as I hurried out. By the time I made it to class, the lecture hall was silent. Everyone in the room turned their eyes to look at me when i carefully opened the door a little bit. Professor Luther stoo

• My Professor Lectured My Heart   Chapter 14

  Ariel sat quietly, her hands clasped tightly in her lap, feeling the judging eyes of the adults on her but keeping her gaze fixed straight ahead. Professor Luther stood silently by the window, his arms crossed over his chest, his attention seemingly focused on something far outside. The college administrator leaned forward slightly. “Miss Anthony, please tell us what happened, in your own words.” She became nervous. Explaining wasn’t really something she liked doing because she'd always end up rambling. Ariel took a deep breath and began to explain. “It started when I was walking past the main hall and I overheard two girls saying mean things about me. I tried to ignore them, but then one of them pushed me, and I tripped. Ethan helped me get up, and we talked for a little while. Then Daniel came over and asked me to have lunch with him, and Ethan stepped in. They both started arguing very intensely and then began to fight. I tried to stop them. I really did.” “Who threw the first