Chapter 11

11

The old stone buildings of the University rose before Adrianna as her heels clicked along the cobblestone path. A chill autumn breeze rustled the crimson and amber leaves above, the slanted sunlight dappling her skin.

Adrianna quickened her pace, clutching her worn copy of Wuthering Heights to her chest. She was already late for her English class, but she couldn't bear to enter that room. Not with Professor Hanks inside.

Her pulse raced at the thought of him. The broad shoulders filling out his tweed jacket. The hair forever tousled, as if he'd just rolled out of bed. Those perceptive blue eyes that saw into her very soul.

She shook her head, swallowing hard. No. He clarified they were over.

Yet her heart refused to listen to reason. It leapt at the sound of his voice, the brush of his hand. It was agony and ecstasy all at once, a sweet torment she couldn't escape.

Adrianna paused outside the heavy oak doors of the lecture hall, steeling herself. She had avoided his class for over a week now, inventing excuses and illness to stay away. But she couldn't hide forever.

Taking a deep breath, she steeled her nerves and walked inside.

There he was, leaning against the wooden lectern, all tousled hair and tweed jacket. Her heart nearly stopped in her chest. His perceptive blue eyes found hers from across the room, a faint smile curving his lips.

"Welcome back, Miss Rose," he said. "I'm glad you decided to join us again today."

A flush crept up Adrianna's neck as she sank into her seat. She opened her book with trembling fingers, hiding behind its pages.

It was going to be a long hour.

Professor Hanks began discussing their assigned reading for the week, Charles Dickens' Great Expectations. Adrianna tried to focus on his words, but found her gaze drifting to his hands, his mouth, the way his accent curled around each syllable.

"What did you all think of the relationship between Pip and Estella?" he asked the class. "Miss Rose, you're usually quite vocal in these discussions. What's your analysis?"

Adrianna blinked, startled to be called on. She cleared her throat, hoping her voice didn't betray her nerves.

"Estella is a representation of unattainable desire," she said. "Pip idolizes her, puts her on a pedestal, but she remains cold and distant, a symbol of what he thinks he wants but can never have."

A smile tugged at the corner of Professor Hanks' mouth. "An interesting perspective. What else?"

"She's also a metaphor for social class," Adrianna continued, finding her footing. "Pip wants to become a gentleman to win Estella, to rise above his station, showing how class mobility was nearly impossible in Victorian England."

"Very good." His eyes gleamed with approval, sending a thrill through her. "You've made some insightful observations."

Adrianna's heart swelled at the praise. In these moments, she could almost pretend they were the only two people in the room. His gaze was intense, intimate, as if they were sharing a secret language no one else understood.

When the lecture ended, she lingered behind as the other students filed out. Professor Hanks approached, leaning one hand on the desk beside her.

"I've missed your perspective in discussions," he said. "Don't stay away again."

She looked up at him, caught in his magnetic pull. "I won't," she whispered.

It was a promise she knew she couldn't keep. But for now, it was enough.

* * *

Adrianna walked across the quad, the chill autumn wind tugging at her hair. She breathed in the crisp scent of fallen leaves, a wave of melancholy washing over her.

It had been a week since her promise to Professor Hanks, and she'd done her best to avoid him outside of class. She skipped his office hours and took alternate routes between classes to evade him in the halls.

Part of her hated herself for it. She missed his smile, the warmth in his eyes when he looked at her. She missed the way her heart raced under his gaze, how he made her feel seen and understood.

But she couldn't trust herself around him. One smile, one touch, and she might throw caution to the wind. As much as it pained her, avoidance was the only solution.

Adrianna was so lost in her thoughts that she nearly collided with another student heading in the opposite direction.

"Sorry about that!" The girl grinned, brushing a lock of blonde hair behind one ear. "Oh, hey, Adrianna."

Adrianna blinked, taking in the other girl's heart-shaped face and bright blue eyes. "hey," she said.

Rachel chirped. "We have English Lit together, right? I just love Professor Hanks. Don't you think he's brilliant?"

A spark of unease flickered in Adrianna's chest. She forced a polite smile. "He's a good professor."

"Oh, he's more than that." Rachel's smile turned coy. "Anyway, see you in class!"

She sauntered off, leaving Adrianna with a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. Rachel's interest in Professor Hanks could only complicate matters, and she had a feeling this wouldn't be the last she'd see of her.