Page 15 of Irresistible Professor

"Mom," I began, but she shook her head gently, silencing me with a look that said she understood everything that lay unspoken between us.

"Bonnie," she said, her voice firm yet full of love, "you know what you have to do."

I nodded, the ballgown feeling suddenly like a costume meant for someone else's life story. In that moment, the decision was made. It was time to step out of the dress and into my truth, whatever that might mean for my future.

Chapter Eight

Ford

The weekend had brought with it a rare reprieve from the frenetic pace of the university. As I sat in my study at home, grading papers and sipping on a cup of coffee that had long since gone cold, I found my thoughts wandering to Bonnie. I couldn’t stop thinking about the conversation we had the day of our picnic lunch.

When she asked what I would do if she wasn’t engaged, I just blurted out the first thing that popped into my brain, which was that I’d marry her myself. The thing was—it was the truth, one that I hadn’t even admitted to myself until the words came tumbling out of my mouth before I could stop them. There was no question that I’d completely embarrassed myself. Since then, I’d kept my distance, worried that I’d made Bonnie feel uncomfortable being around me. That was the last thing I wanted. Even if I was head over heels for the woman, I respected the fact that she was engaged to another man. She wasn’t mine, and she never would be. I’d just have to find a way to live with that, because I didn’t have any other choice.

The cursor on my computer screen kept blinking, waiting for my input, but instead I stared out the window at the darkening late afternoon sky. A fine mist hung in the air, and in the streets down below my building, drivers were beginning to flick on their headlights. I watched the ebb and flow of the traffic for a while with a heavy heart.

Suddenly, my phone buzzed on the desk, breaking the silence. Reaching for it, I was surprised to see Bonnie’s name flash on the Caller ID.

Can we talk? It’s important.

It was unlike her to send something so cryptic, and my brows furrowed with concern.

Of course. I’m at home now, just grading some papers. Would you like to stop by?

Her response came a moment later.

Yes, that would be great.

I quickly typed out my address, and closed the laptop, my heart skipping a beat. The idea of having Bonnie at my place, when there were no distractions from work was more than a little appealing, but I knew she might be coming over simply to tell me she never wanted to see me again after I put my foot in my mouth and ruined everything. Even though I’d fallen for the woman like the hot-blooded idiot I was, the thought of losing her friendship caused me more pain than anything else.

With a sigh, I tidied up the living room, trying to focus on the mundane task rather than the anticipation bubbling inside me. The grey light of dusk filtered through the windows, and I straightened the stack of magazines on the coffee table and propped the pillows on the old sectional I’d acquired second-hand.

The doorbell rang, and I quickly made my way to the foyer. Taking a deep breath, I opened the door to find Bonnie standing there, her expression a mixture of determination and something else I couldn’t quite place. She was wearing an open navy-blue jacket over a soft purple sweater that brought out the depth of her brown eyes, paired with dark jeans and a pair of boots that clicked softly as she stepped inside.

“Hi, Ford,” she said, her voice steady, though I could sense an undercurrent of intense emotion beneath her calm exterior.

“Bonnie, come in,” I said, stepping aside to let her enter. “Can I take your coat?”

She shrugged off her jacket, handing it to me with a small smile. “Thanks.”

We moved to the living room, where she settled her petite frame onto the edge of the couch, her hands clasped in her lap. I could tell she was building up to something, and I wanted to give her the space to say it in her own time.

“Would you like something to drink?” I finally offered, trying to ease the tension in the air.

“No, I’m good,” she replied, her eyes meeting mine with a potency that sent a current of electricity through me.

I sat down next to her, close enough to feel the warmth of her body but leaving enough space to let her speak without feeling crowded.

“Bonnie, you said it was important. What’s going on?”

She took a deep breath, as if gathering her courage. “Ford, I broke off my engagement with Jonathan.”

The words hit me like a tidal wave, a rush of relief and disbelief mingling with the realization of what this meant. She was free. Truly free.

“Bonnie, I…” I started, but she held up a hand, her eyes earnest.

“Let me finish,” she said, her voice soft but firm. “I realized that I couldn’t marry him because I’m in love with someone else. Someone who makes me feel alive and understood in a way I never thought possible.”

Her confession hung in the air, and I felt the world narrow to just the two of us. The emotions I’d kept in check surged forward, the truth I’d held back now impossible to deny.

---