Total pages in book: 247
Estimated words: 234281 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1171(@200wpm)___ 937(@250wpm)___ 781(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 234281 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1171(@200wpm)___ 937(@250wpm)___ 781(@300wpm)
"Please stop."
"But ultimately, the whole encounter—-"
Diana could barely breathe. "P-Please—-"
"Was a matter of favors being exchanged. That's all there is to it." The professor leaned back against his seat. "I hope that clears things enough, Ms. Leventis?" No answer yet again, nothing except a pair of eyes that had become dull with the absence of hope and life, and his chest almost caved in,
God. Damn. This. Life.
God fucking damn this life.
He had the craziest urge to sink to his knees and beg for her forgiveness and barely managed to restrain himself from doing so. One act of stupidity for this day was already one too many, and it wasn't like he was doing this just to hurt her.
More than anything else, he was doing this for her, and he had to fucking remember that.
Even if it was a truth she wasn't to know, it was enough that he knew.
You're doing this for her, goddammit.
So stick to the fucking plan.
"If you've nothing else to say, Ms. Leventis—-" The professor gestured towards the door with a pleasant smile. "I'll see you in class."
Her
I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself by Nicky Holland
DIANA COULDN'T STOP crying.
"I can't believe I was such a fool, Kat. I was such a stupid, stupid fool."
Kat was her best friend, but more than that, she was someone Diana had known her entire life, one of the rare few whom she trusted to never judge her.
And so it was to the other girl that Diana had only been able to confess the entire sordid story.
Magnolia and Amine had been concerned as well, of course, and they had naturally wanted to know what could've happened to cause Diana to break down.
But all she had been able to do was shake her head, too ashamed of how stupid and gullible she had been.
Such a fool.
Stupid, stupid fool.
Panic clutched at her chest as Diana suddenly realized the many ways things could get worse. "What if he has a hidden camera in his office?" Her voice started to rise. "What if he's got pictures and—-"
The cry of hysteria Katya heard from the other end of the line had her silently cursing Professor Asshole for breaking her friend's heart. Diana had the sweetest, gentlest soul, and only the worst kind of asshole could have stomached the idea of causing her friend to shed even a single tear.
"Listen to me." Katya spoke in a purposely sharp voice, needing to distract Diana from entertaining pointlessly destructive thoughts. "I've looked the guy up, and while he's obviously shit when it comes to how he treats women, everything I've read tells me he's not the kind of asshole to extort women that way." She stopped speaking, letting the words sink in for a moment before adding quietly, "I know you're hurting. But you aren't doing yourself any favors by worrying things about you're both uncertain of and unable to control."
"It's just so hard, Kat." Another ragged sob shook Diana's form. "It just hurts so much."
"You're the one with the psychology degree between us, Di. So you tell me," Katya pressed. "Do you really think he's that kind of person?"
Diana dug her nails into her palm, seeing but not really seeing the way they left red crescent marks on her skin.
Do you really think he's that kind of person?
She dug harder, but the pain just wasn't enough.
Do you really think he's that kind of person?
Something splattered against her fingers, and it was only then she realized she was crying.
"You're right." Diana closed her eyes, and the tears fell harder. "He's not that kind of asshole." He was just someone who thought she was good enough for a ten-minute sex game...and nothing else.
Him
THE PROFESSOR COULDN'T believe what he was seeing.
A pale, stiff figure sat on the front row, dark bags under her eyes, and hands tightly clasped over her desk.
Diana.
It had been two days since she had stood naked in his office, two days since he had done his best to humiliate her into wanting to despise the mere thought of him. Two days. Two fucking days he hadn't been able to get the sight of her dull, lifeless eyes out of his mind, and when he wasn't fucking thinking of her, he was fucking dreaming of her.
In the past forty-eight hours, there had been countless times he had almost succumbed to his desperation and guilt. Countless times he had already punched in her number on his phone, and all he had to do was hit the Call button.
But he hadn't.
Because for once in his goddamned life, he was doing his best to be good.
And the only good thing to do where she was concerned was to stay the fuck away.
So why the fuck are you still in my class, mijn obsessie?
With hell's greatest temptation seated just a few damn feet away, his sacrifice was turned into ashes, and a stampede of emotions he hadn't felt a long time was threatening to make his chest explode from within.