Chapter Five
Too close for comfort
The room suddenly went quiet the moment he walked in.
Not the kind of silence that came from respect.
The kind that came from curiosity.
He was never meant to be the lecturer for the course but somehow, he's here to lecture us.
I thought I had suddenly started seeing him even when he wasn't present.
It took about a minute before I finally believed my eyes.
Then I heard his voice again.
Low. Calm. Too familiar.
"Can we get the class started?."
My pen stopped moving.
My heart stopped with it.
I froze within me.
Slowly, like I was scared of what I'd find, I lifted my head.
Jude stood at the front of the class.
Not sitting.
Not blending in.
Standing.
In front.
I felt like my breath had left me all at once.
He looked really different.
Still Jude—but sharper. More put together. A pressed shirt instead of a hoodie. A watch on his wrist.
I annalized him like someone I've known for a long period of time.
The confidence with which he spoke needed to be studied.
He appeared as someone entirely different.
"I'll be taking today's lecture."
He finally said after observing the look on everyone's face.
The room buzzed instantly.
Whispers. Murmurs. Interest. From every corner of the room.
Lena leaned toward me. "Who is that?"
"How am I supposed to know?"
I snapped almost immediately.
My chest felt too tight.
My hands had started shaking.
Because the man who had held me together on a couch two nights ago was now holding a marker standing in front of the class as my lecturer.
Jude's eyes scanned the room.
Careful. Controlled.
Then they landed on me.
And this time, he didn't hide it fast enough.
A flicker.
Shock.
Recognition.
Seems he doesn't know that was my department.
His hand tightened around the marker.
Just for a second.
But I saw it.
The air between us stretched thin.
He looked away first before it became obvious.
"I'm Jude Hale," he said to the class. "I recently joined the department. I'll be assisting with this course for the rest of the semester."
I became unstable. I could see myself already failing the course because how the hell will I be tutored by the same man whom I had a one night stand with.
"My God"
I muttered slightly too loud.
He joined the department recently.
Recently enough that the timing felt cruel.
Recently enough that this wasn't planned—just badly aligned lives crashing into each other.
My stomach dropped.
Lena's eyes lit up. "Wow. He's young."
Too young.
Somehow familiar.
Maybe dangerous.
Jude continued talking. About expectations. About coursework. About deadlines. His voice was steady, but I noticed the small things.
The way he avoided my side of the room.
The way he paused before saying my name during attendance.
"Ava Carter."
My spine went rigid.
"Yes," I said, barely above a whisper.
His eyes lifted.
Met mine.
Stayed there a second too long.
Something passed between us. Silent. Heavy.
I looked away first.
Then he nodded and moved on.
Like nothing had happened.
Like we hadn't crossed a line that couldn't be erased.
The lecture continued.
Every word felt unreal. Every minute was way too long.
I tried to focus. I tried to write. I tried not to think about the fact that he's in authority above me.
When class ended, chairs scraped and voices rose. Everyone packed up, talking about the "new lecturer."
I stayed seated.
Lena grabbed my arm. "Okay. You're officially freaking me out."
"I can't talk right now," I said.
She followed my gaze.
Straight to Jude.
"Oh," she said slowly. "Oh."
I stood up too fast and headed for the door.
I almost made it.
"Ava."
My name again.
Softer this time.
Not for the class.
For me.
I froze.
The hallway outside was quieter. Sunlight poured in through the windows, too bright for how wrong everything felt.
Jude stood a few steps away.
Close enough to remind me of his warmth.
Far enough to remind me of the line between us.
"This was not supposed to happen like this," he said.
My laugh came out sharp. "You think?"
"I didn't know you were a student here."
"I didn't know you were a lecturer here either," I snapped.
"But how do you expect me to believe you?"
"You literally knew me before I met you "
"So, what are you trying to hide"?
"This is all your plans
Happy you have succeeded right?"
I said, almost raising my voice because at this point, I was boiling within me.
"Hey, I don't wish things to end here between us. Give me a chance please"
He said almost like a whisper.
Lena walked toward us like nothing had happened. No shock. No questions. She didn't react as though she finds it odd that I'm communicating with the new lecturer who she finds familiar.
Just a soft smile, like she hadn't overheard a single word.
"You're both acting weird," she joked lightly. "Let's go."
Paris, my roommate joined us outside, still buzzing with excitement about the new lecturer.
On the way home, she wouldn't stop talking about him—his confidence, his voice, the calm authority in the way he spoke.
Paris has always been a goal-getter. The kind of girl who doesn't just want something—she pursues it. Relentlessly. Fearlessly. Willing to bend rules, cross lines, and take risks to get what she desires.
Back in our room, she grew quieter. She kept glancing at the ceiling and smiling alone.
when she thought I wasn't looking. Thoughtful. Dreamy. Almost shy.
"I think I like him," she admitted softly.
My chest tightened.
"You think you like who?"
"The new lecturer of course"
She said as though she was pissed off by me.
"Ohh really?"
"That's not a crime".
"Make your advances towards him if you think you can get his attention"
I said like I was advising my little sister.
I thought within me
Jude likes me. He's obsessed with me.
He actually wants something serious.
Yet I know, deep down, that if Julian ever came back, a part of me would still choose him.
And Paris, she's definitely going to find her away around Jude's heart
Later that night, something in me was whispering to me that I might be carrying a baby for Jude.
My phone vibrated. It was Jude.
"Hey, how can I make it up to you?"
My chest tightened.
I stared at the phone without replying.
Another text. I thought it was him but to my surprise.
Lena: I know you had something with the lecturer. How cheap does that make you look? And yet you claim you love my brother?
My breath ceased.