Elvie
I can’t remember how many times I’ve stared at the canvas hanging on my bedroom wall over the course of the night and morning.
Every time my eyes drift back to it, an uncontrollable smile spreads across my face. I was shocked and at the same time happy when Cassian took me to the gallery yesterday. It was as if he knew what I needed to get my head in place.
Standing there among all those breathtaking pieces, a part of me had desperately wanted to throw my arms around his neck and hug him. But I held myself back. Hugging him in a semi-public gallery where the lines between us were already stretched so thin, felt like a dangerous boundary to cross.
Still, it felt like this man was sent into my world specifically to bring color back into my life. Because how does he just know what to do and say to make me feel better. And the way he looked at me... it made me feel like I actually mattered. Like I wasn’t a burden.
The buzz of my phone on the nightstand snapped me out of my trance. I picked it up seeing a fresh text from Gemma.
Gemma: Better get your ass to campus right now and tell me everything!
Since last night, when I sent her a few pictures of the artwork, she had been bombarding my phone with texts. I hadn’t explained a single thing yet.
Letting out a soft laugh, I grabbed my bag, slipped my phone inside, and headed downstairs.
As I reached the bottom of the steps, my eyes automatically drifted toward the dining table where Cassian and I had sat just a few minutes ago, sharing breakfast in quiet comfort.
Looking at the empty chairs, I couldn’t help but wonder about the very first day I moved in, when he had sternly told me he doesn’t eat breakfast. Was he just in a terrible mood that morning, or was he trying so hard to keep me at arm’s length?
Smiling to myself, I adjusted my bag on my shoulder and stepped out into the morning.
As expected, the second I walked into the classroom, Gemma greeted me with a fiery glare, her arms crossed tight over her chest. Thankfully, I had arrived just as the professor walked in, so she didn’t get the chance to interrogate me right away. But throughout the entire lecture, she kept surreptitiously nudging my arm, tossing me loaded looks, and tapping her pen against her notebook. I could tell she was practically vibrating on edge.
The moment class ended, Gemma grabbed my wrist and dragged me straight toward the school cafeteria for lunch. The second we sat down with our trays, she didn’t even give me a chance to catch my breath before the barrage started.
"Okay, spill!" Gemma demanded, leaning across the table with her eyes wide. "Where the hell did you go last night? Who took you? Those pictures you sent—where did you even get the money for that painting?!"
I held up my hands, chuckling. "Calm down, drama queen. I’m going to tell you everything, but you need to relax. At least let us eat first."
Gemma swatted my hands away. "I have no time to eat! Elvie, do you even know how much those pieces cost?! That was The Atelier Private Gallery!"
I raised an eyebrow at her, surprised. "Oh... you know the place?"
"Yes! It’s all over luxury art forums online. It’s not just a regular gallery where anybody can walk in. It’s completely private, and I heard it costs a fortune just to secure a private reservation!"
A fortune for a reservation?
Cassian had told me that his friend owned the space. Did he actually pay for an exclusive reservation? Or was there something else that he wasn’t telling me? The realization made my heart flutter wildly. This man was truly making me feel things I had no business feeling.
Gemma impatiently slapped her palm against the table, snapping me right out of my thoughts. "Oh my god, girl, stop daydreaming and start talking! How did you get in there?!"
I quickly glanced around the noisy cafeteria, leaning in close so no surrounding students could hear us. "Please... just don’t freak out, okay?" I swallowed. "Cassian—I mean, Professor Reed took me there."
Gemma’s jaw dropped, her eyes practically popping out of her head. "What?!"
"Keep your voice down!" I hissed, kicking her softly under the table while frantically scanning the nearby tables to make sure nobody had heard her.
Gemma slapped both hands over her mouth, her eyes darting around before she leaned across the table until her forehead was practically touching mine. "Professor Reed?" she squeaked out, her voice a strained whisper. "Your hot, brooding employer took you to a private luxury gallery after school?"
"Yes," I murmured, feeling my face heat up to a violent shade of red. "I was shocked too you know."
"Wow," Gemma said. Then a wicked smirk spread across her face. "Elvie... he bought you paintings. Plural. At a gallery that costs more per hour than our entire college tuition. That man is down bad."
Maybe I shouldn’t have told her.
"He’s just being nice!" I protested, though my heart did a treacherous little flip at her words.
"What else happened? Did he kiss you? Did you guys..." She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, leaning in even closer.
"No!" I gasped, clutching my spoon like a weapon. "Nothing like that happened! We just walked around, looked at the art, and then drove home."
"Yet," Gemma countered, pointing a french fry directly at my face. "Nothing like that happened yet. But you like him, don’t you? Look at you! You’re glowing like a freshly painted canvas!"
I buried my face in my hands, unable to hide the burning heat in my cheeks. "Gemma, stop. He’s my professor. And he’s... he’s. It’s complicated."
"Complicated?" Gemma scoffed, taking a bite of her lunch. "Elvie, the man literally bought out an entire private gallery just to make you smile. The line isn’t just thin anymore—it’s completely gone."
I sat back in my chair, staring down at my untouched food as her words echoed in my head. She wasn’t wrong. The boundaries between us were crumbling faster than I could rebuild them, and deep down, a part of me didn’t want them back up at all.
**
For the rest of the day, Gemma wouldn’t stop teasing me. Every single chance she got, she brought up Cassian. Truth be told, I had been terrified she would judge me. I thought she would tell me it was wrong to feel this way about my professor, but look at her, she was already pushing us together without even knowing the full truth. She didn’t even about the time Cassian had his finger inside of me, or how deeply attracted to him I really was.
"Crap, it’s past five!" the words slipped out of my mouth when I caught the time on the big clock in the library.
Gemma and I had come to do some research for an assignment. She had left an hour ago when her mom called her to run some errands, leaving me behind to finish up.
I quickly gathered my books and rushed out of the library. I pulled out my phone, planning to text Gemma and tell her she’d have to pay if she wanted my research notes.
I walked past the side of the arts building, heading for the gates. A gasp left my lips when my arm was grabbed and pulled me into the shadows. Before I could process what was happening, my back slammed hard against the brick wall.
A wince left my lips as I looked up to see Asher towering over me, his eyes dark with rage. "I always knew you were a slut, begging for attention," Asher spat, leaning in so close I could smell alcohol on him. "Tell me, is he fucking you in exchange for letting you stay under his roof? You think I didn’t see you throwing yourself at the professor? How shameful."
My breath hitched in my throat. My mind going blank with shock. How did he know I lived under Cassian’s roof? Did he see us leaving together yesterday?
My lips parted, but no sound came out. Asher stepped closer, taking in my stunned silence. "Even if he tries fucking you, he won’t be satisfied. You don’t even know how to moan, talk more of getting an orgasm. You’re completely useless in bed."
I felt his hand circled around my waist. A violent surge of disgust and pure anger flared through my chest, burning through the shock that had held me still.
I slammed both hands against his chest and pushed him away with all the strength I had in my body.
"Stay away from me, Asher!" I spat, my voice trembling with raw rage. "Whatever I do with my life is none of your business! Leave me the fuck alone!"
Asher stumbled back a step, his eyes widening in complete shock clearly taken aback that I had actually fought back and raised my voice at him.
I didn’t wait for him to recover or say another word. I turned on my heel and stormed away as fast as my legs could carry me, my heart hammering furiously against my ribs.
He had done it again. He always knew how to say the meanest, most hurtful things to tear me down. But his words kept repeating in my head, hurting more than I wanted to admit.
Despite all he said, he has a point. Could Cassian really give me an orgasm? Could he make me feel more than he did the other day?
As if the sky was waiting for moments like this—like the rain always knew the exact time to fall whenever Asher dumped his spite onto me. As I walked toward the bus stop, rain started pouring down, heavy and cold. I didn’t run. I didn’t try to find shelter or cover my head. I just kept walking, letting the cold rain drench my clothes and wash over my face.
By the time I made it back to the house, I was shaking, my teeth chattering from the cold. I pushed the front door open and stepped inside, water dripping off my hair and onto the wooden floor.
Cassian was in the dining room, holding an empty plate. The moment he saw me and the state I was in, his eyes widened.
Asher’s voice echoed in my head: You don’t even know how to moan talk more of getting an orgasm.
"What the fuck, Elvie?" Cassian cussed, dropping the plate and picking up the tablecloth striding across the room toward me. "Where the fuck are you coming from, walking in the rain like this?"
He quickly wrapped it around my trembling shoulders, rubbing my arms to warm me up. His jaw was clenched tight with anger, his eyes fierce with worry.
My eyes stayed locked on his face, following every movement. Slowly, I reached up with my wet hand and caught his wrist, stopping his movements. I bit my bottom lip, looking right into his eyes. "Can you make me moan?"