Page 27 of Damaged Professor

“It’s clearly not what we really want,” says Abby. “But no-strings is what we need to keep you out of trouble at Princeton. It’s just going to be so much harder to manage that than either of us expected. Because… I want to stay the night.”

“So stay the night,” I tell her. My palm softens against the side of her neck, running over her bare skin, down towards the start of her shoulder, where the blouse isn’t quite covering the skin. “You can. We both want it.”

“We do. And that’s the problem. I think that we need to make sure that we don’t do anything like that,” says Abby. “Because you’re just that… I just—”

She cuts herself off, her teeth snapping together with an audible snap. I can feel the shift in the air, as though the whole room knows that something’s about to happen. That we’re on the verge of making some sort of dreadful mistake.

A mistake like a professor and a student falling in love.

The static in the air is all consuming. And that’s when I realize that she’s right. If she stays here tonight… Then we’re going to make this into something more than just an easy thing. We’re going to turn it into breakfast, and lunch, and don’t you want to stay just a little bit longer?

And as much as I want to see her stretched out in my bed and bathed in the early morning light, I know that she’s right.

“Do you… Do you want more coffee first, or should I just walk you to the door?” I ask.

Abby thinks on it for a moment, turning to look at where the coffee cups have been set down. After a moment, she gives a heavy, resigned sort of sigh.

“I should probably just go,” says Abby.

Nodding, I lead her back to the main entrance, towards the front door. We both stop again when we get there, before it’s opened. Neither of us wants this to end. But it has to. There’s an old saying that says as much. All good things must come to an end eventually, right?

And this end—it’s coming now.

I can’t help but ask, “We’re going to do this again sometime though, right? Even though it’s a little complicated?”

Abby smiles at me in full then, and I realize how much I love that look on her; how much I want her to be happy, how much I want to see her with that bright spark in her eyes.

“Yes, I would love to do this again, Dylan.” She leans forward, pressing a kiss to my lips, chaste and sweet again—a lingering moment. Then she turns and steps outside, making sure to pull the door shut behind her, quickly enough that no one would be able to see her leave.

I open it again in an instant. There’s plenty of light from streetlights but I feel like she’s about to disappear in darkness. Abby walks slowly towards her car but pauses. Her head turns towards the house, having heard the door open. She catches me staring.

“I just—I just want to make sure you get in the car alright,” I explain. It’s stupid really, getting to her car doesn’t mean she’ll arrive home safely. I should have just called in my driver for her. She frowns a bit but then smiles.

The cold air pierces my body, but it pales in comparison to the pain of watching her leave.

I close the door and rest my back against it. Instantly, my house feels empty, almost foreign. I’ve spent years living on my own, and it has never felt quite as empty as it does right now.

Abby’s right. This is already way more complicated than it was supposed to be. But what am I supposed to do when she smiles at me like that? Not fall head over heels for her? Clearly, that’s impossible.

I stand in the immense entry way like a lost dog for a few moments, and then drift into the sitting room. Sitting down heavily on the couch, I kick one leg out in front of me and give a frustrated groan.

“Damn,” I tell myself. “You’re in over your head, aren’t you?”

The silence in the house somehow manages to both mock me and agree with me. Class is out for two more days, but then I’ll have to walk into that classroom and pretend like I feel nothing more for Abby than I do any of my other students.

And somehow, that’s starting to feel like a truly impossible thing.

Chapter fifteen

Abby

Todayisourseconddate. Well, not a date but close enough. He wants us to spend the day together, that’s something.

I can almost hear Nichole calling me out in her high-pitched voice. I don’t care. I haven’t been this happy in a long time. And I want to enjoy it, no matter how long it lasts... I sure do hope it lasts.

A bunch of clothes are in a pile on my bed, but I’ve decided to keep it simple— a blue dress and a warm jacket. The weather is getting chilly. And I can’t afford to walk back home in that dress if my car breaks down again.

I give myself one last look in the mirror and I’m out. I drive slowly, enjoying the building anticipation.

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