Chapter 33

Edwin & Audrey

Edwin's POV

The murmurs had grown into a crescendo, causing me to clear my throat annoyedly.

"Alright, everybody," I said, rapping my knuckles on the podium. "I know it's Friday, but you still have to do your work."

The class fell silent again, students shifting uncomfortably in their seats and shooting me reproachful looks. I didn't care much about them, if I was being honest; it was Friday afternoon, and I was counting down the minutes until class was over myself. In fact, I had just given them a worksheet to do since I didn't even feel like teaching today.

But it was Audrey who really caught my attention. She was supposed to be assisting me today, and she was obviously staring at her phone beneath her desk at the back of the room. Every so often, she would smile or giggle softly to herself, her thumbs moving fast across the screen.

Who was she talking to? And why in the middle of my class?

When the clock finally struck three and class was over, I caught her on the way out.

"Audrey," I said, waving her over to my desk. "Come here."

Her face turned a slight shade of pink, but she complied. Stopping in front of me, she asked, "Yes, Professor Brooks?"

I had to resist the urge to cringe at that name; just another reminder that what we had done together on New Year's Eve was completely, totally inappropriate-no matter how satisfying it was to be with her.

"You were texting all through class," I said, nodding toward the phone clutched in her hand. "Care to elaborate why you were so distracted when you were supposed to be on duty as my teaching assistant?"

The poor girl's face turned beet red. She quickly shoved her phone into her jacket pocket with a trembling hand. "I'm so sorry," she breathed out in a rush. "It's just..."

I frowned and folded my arms across my chest. "What is it? What could be more important than your duties?"

Audrey floundered for a moment before replying. "There's a party this weekend."

"A party?"

my studies; it's just that, well... Everyone is going to be there, and my team

at her. Her reasoning was sound, but that wasn't the only thing; I could see

maybe, but... still. I remembered what it felt like to be so exhausted and burnt out from studying that I just lived for those

sorry," she continued. "It won't happen again,

the back of my chair. "Come to my office later, and we'll get the grading done together. If you

to turn my head so I didn't stare at them

Chapter 33

"Just be there at

Audrey's POV

faculty already having left for the weekend. 1, too, wanted to leave for the weekend-but for the sake of having the chance

already cracked, I pushed it open to find Edwin sitting hunched over

"Sit."

chair and pulled it up to his desk, peering at what he was doing. Wordlessly, he shoved a stack of papers toward me, silently ordering

sigh, I

the next hour, we silently sifted through piles upon piles of work that needed to be graded-essays, exams, homework. My eyes soon grew bleary, my foot bobbing anxiously beneath my chair. The pile didn't even seem

the door. I jumped a bit, nearly dropping my pen. Edwin rose and crossed to the door without a word, opening it to reveal a teenager in a pizza delivery uniform. "Delivery for

change. And

slight smirk

watched as he set the pizza down, then began rifling through one of his desk drawers. "Sure. I could eat." My eyes widened infinitesimally, however, as he then pulled a bottle of whiskey and a small crystal glass out of his desk. He uncapped the bottle of whiskey and poured a bit into the glass, swirling it momentarily before taking a sip. So

gaze over the rim

my

"I didn't say anything."

"You didn't have to."

couldn't help but smirk. "Well, I'd be lying if I

head. I

amber liquid, and handed it to me. "Will this keep

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