D*mn. In those glasses, he looked so effortlessly attractive. My knees nearly buckled just from seeing him up there, all composed and professional. But I knew the side of him that was far from professional, and I had to suppress a smirk at the memory.
Our eyes met for a brief second, just long enough for a spark to pass between us.
As I sat back down, Ezekiel wasted no time jumping into his lecture. But as hard as I tried to pay attention, I couldn't help but let my mind wander, admiring the way he looked up there—so composed, with that deep, calm voice filling the entire room. We kept catching each other's gaze, quick glances here and there. I even brought my pen up to my lips, lost in my own thoughts about him.
Just as I was daydreaming, a voice broke through my thoughts.
"Miss Isabella, would you mind explaining what I'm discussing?"
I snapped out of it to see Ezekiel watching me, one eyebrow raised, his book set on the table and the microphone pushed aside. I pressed my lips together, taking a deep breath before standing up.
"Mr. Ezekiel…" I started, hesitating for effect, "I…"
"Yes? Go ahead, Isabella," he prompted, waiting.
I took a breath and admitted, "I didn't understand a thing."
The class chuckled lightly, but Ezekiel kept his expression firm. "Then why didn't you ask any questions?" he asked, his tone serious.
He was trying to be strict, but I barely minded. I couldn't resist pushing just a bit further. "Sorry, I'll come to you later. I hope you wouldn't mind giving me a little extra help—maybe even an extra class?"
Ezekiel's expression froze, clearly taken off guard. I could feel the eyes of the whole class turning to me; it seemed no one had ever dared to ask for extra classes from him. He hesitated for a moment, glancing away, then raised an eyebrow.
"Uh…" He cleared his throat. "Okay, I'll… consider it. You can sit down."
"Thank you!" I replied, flashing him a smile as I took my seat.
Ezekiel tried to resume his lecture, but I noticed he seemed slightly uneasy, sneaking the occasional glance in my direction. I rested my chin in my palm, smiling to myself. The bell rang just then, giving him a reprieve. Ezekiel quickly closed his book, glanced at me one last time, then made his way out of the classroom in a rush.
I chuckled, grabbing my bag and standing up. As I made my way toward the door, a voice called out.
"Isabella!"
I turned around to see a girl from my class standing there. She looked familiar, but I couldn't remember her name. She stopped directly in front of me, her expression curious.
"So, Professor Ezekiel… is he a relative of yours or something?" she asked bluntly.
I blinked, a little taken aback by her forwardness. She hadn't even introduced herself, and here she was, jumping straight into questions about Ezekiel. I raised my eyebrows, debating how to respond. "Actually, he's my tutor," I replied, keeping my tone casual.
It wasn't entirely true, of course. But I wasn't about to share the real details—if people knew about my mom and Ezekiel's relationship, it would lead to questions I didn't want to answer.
The girl's eyes widened a little, and she gave me a skeptical look. "A tutor?" she repeated, clearly unconvinced. "Since when do tutors drive their students to college?"
Her persistence was starting to get on my nerves. I'd been planning to find Ezekiel after class, but this girl's sudden interrogation had thrown me off track. Trying to keep my patience, I replied, "By the way, what's your name? I don't think I know you."
She seemed a bit taken aback, as if realizing she'd skipped over introductions entirely.
he wasn't alone, either—she was with a few other girls who were watching me closely, obviously part of her little entourage. One of them nudged her, laughing, "Mira, she doesn't even know who you are."
The girl turned to me with a slightly mocking smile. "Are you serious?"
I raised an eyebrow, shifting my gaze from her friend back to Mira, who was interrogating me.
"Sorry, but I don't know her!" I repeated coolly, not hiding my amusement. It was clear that my indifference was getting under their skin. Mira crossed her arms, giving me a stern look, but I could tell she was just sizing me up.
Then she straightened, her voice turning calm and collected.
"I'm Mira," she said, tilting her chin slightly. "I'm the queen bee of this college."
"Queen bee, huh?" I replied, suppressing a smirk.
"Like, prom queen, right?"
A flicker of annoyance crossed her face, but she quickly recovered. "For three years straight," she said with pride. "It's basically tradition. But you wouldn't know that since you're new."
"Got it," I replied, pursing my lips as if impressed. I didn't let her see that her title meant anything to me. I wasn't about to be intimidated.
Mira's tone softened unexpectedly, and she flashed a smile.
"You're Isabella. I've seen you with Professor Ezekiel," she said.
"So I was curious if he's related to you or something. You know… since he doesn't usually tutor anyone outside his classes."
My mind raced a bit as I took that in. I hadn't known that Ezekiel was particular about tutoring, so clearly, Mira had caught my earlier lie. I blinked, maintaining a calm expression as I felt her gaze study my reaction.
"Oh, is that so?" I said smoothly, leaning on one leg with casual indifference.
"He's just been helping me get caught up. I transferred here recently and was behind in a few classes."
Mira's friends exchanged glances, as if they were mulling over my response, but Mira's eyes held mine, thoughtful yet searching.
"Interesting," Mira said finally, her smile returning, though her gaze was still sharp.
"So, he's giving you a lift too?" Mira asked, eyes narrowing slightly.