One Night With My Alpha Professor by Eve Above Story

Chapter

431

Audrey & Third Person

Audrey's POV

The walk back to campus was mostly silent, save for the occasional sniffle or cleared. throat. Other than that, the only sounds between Gavin and I were that of our footste echoing on the pavement.

It wasn't until the brick facade of the campus dorms came into view that Gavin finally broke the awkward tension between us. He stopped in his tracks, his hands stuffed into his pockets, and turned to look at me. "Audrey, could we... talk?"

That word made me blanch visibly: talk. I knew this was coming. I supposed a part of me had known the moment those pictures went viral, but even more so when I

would mit to Edwin that Gavin and I were on a date.

Goddess, I had acted like such an idiot. I could still hear the way my voice had quavered when Edwin had asked if we were on a date, the way that I had floundered like an idiot. Gavin had to answer for me, all because I was too much of a coward to tell Edwin the truth. "Um... Yeah." I turned to face him despite my urge to flee, and he gestured to a nearby bench beneath an arched streetlamp. I nodded stiffly and sat beside him, the light casting a serene amber glow that would have normally calmed me if it weren't for the current set of circumstances.

Gavin settled onto the bench beside me and was silent for some time, but I said nothing, waiting for him to speak first. When he seemed to gather his thoughts, he turned to look at me. "I thought tonight was a date."

I swallowed and averted my gaze to my lap, where my fingers were worrying the hem of my dress. "It was."

"Why didn't you want to admit it, then?"

His question left my head spinning. I couldn't tell him the truth: that, deep down, I

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hapter 43

couldn't even admit that uth to myself. All I could do was sit

ropped on his knees. ook," he finally said after several beats of silence, "I get it. You don't... see me the y 1 see you. But you could have just been honest with me from the

in....

hanging heavily in the air above our heads. eared my throat and murmured, "I was trying to be honest. Really, Gavin. But I

look over his shoulder. "Is that it, then? You don't know how feel

idn't at first."

how you

felt that familiar p**ng sensation of hot at

1

now," I admitted. "But I really

true; I knew that there was no real reason for me to reject Gavin. He was perfect e

Gavin, even now, I couldn't keep myself from

want anyone but

I couldn't tell Gavin that. I couldn't tell anyone that. Tina was the only 10 knew, because I

Gavin," I said softly,

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Chapter 43

jerk his head up to look at me. "And I never

blinked at me for a moment, his soft eyes searching my face as though he were trying to find some kind of hint that I wasn't being entirely truthful. But I was being completely transparent, and he knew that. "Friends," he said quietly with

nodded, my eyes misting over with tears. "I love spending time with you. I just... can't see us together. I'm really sorry that I didn't realize that

for a moment, his jaw working uselessly. Finally, he

of

nodded, and when he turned back to me, his face softened. "I

"Gavin, I-

It's okay. I'm not going to even try and guess who it is, and I won't pry. But I could tell, whenever we were together, that there was someone else on your mind. And I

Love... I never said anything about love. But Gavin was right about one thing: no matter how hard I tried, someone else was always on my mind. And I hated and cherished it at the same time. "So...

of hair behind my ear. This time, I didn't pull away-because I knew he

the sadness in his eyes. "And I really do hope you find happiness with... Whoever it is that won't