Lessons in Sin: A Student/Teacher Romance (Forbidden Love)

Chapter 23

When the alarm rings in the morning, I throw it at the wall - the electronic scream reduced to nothing but a quiet creak before it dies out completely.

‘Do I want to ask?’ Katie asks.

I ignore her, turning in my bed until my face is flush with the wall. I should be getting up, rushing to get ready for today’s classes. But I can’t. The ache in my stomach cripples me, reducing me to nothing but a ball of snot and tears. I want to know how Tristan is. I want to know that he’s okay. I want to scream that I was lying, that everything I said was buried in lies to keep him safe.

Tristan loves his job. He’s amazing at it too. I couldn’t let him lose everything for me. If he was caught screwing a student - no matter how innocently this started - no other institution would employ him. He’d be blacklisted.

His entire career gone in a matter of minutes.

My phone buzzes. Mine, Noah, and Lily’s group chat flickering on the screen.

Noah: My classes finished early. Coffee anyone?

Lily: No.

Noah: No? You’re saying no to coffee?

Lily: Don’t sound so surprised.

Lily: I’m lying dumb dumb.

Noah: Phew, thought I was going to have to call the doctor.

Lily: :)

I click the call button, a sob wracking my body as they answer.

‘Can you guys come here instead?’

*

Lily strokes my hair as I finish telling them everything. I trust them with my life and right now I need someone to be there for me, even if the person I really want is probably sitting in his office, hating me from afar.

‘Jesus.’ Noah breathes as Lily sends me a pitying look. ‘Do you have any idea who would know?’

‘No! It doesn’t make any sense.’ A fresh batch of tears leak from my eyes. I don’t think I have enough tears left for full droplets anymore and so they leak pitifully from my eyes like a slow river stream.

‘Can I see the message again?’ Noah says, his hand held out for the phone. He stares at the message for longer. ’Is there anyone you’ve made an enemy of while here?’

’I don’t think so, why?’

‘Whoever wrote it called you a slut, seems personal.’

Lily’s brows furrow. ‘And they didn’t call him anything - fricken sexists - but that kinda implies it could be someone that’s jealous?’

‘Doesn’t really narrow it down though, does it? Half of the university is lusting after him. It could be anyone in his fan club.’ I grumble.

I try to think back to the gaggle of girls that surround him after each class, trying to pick out a mean stare, or a pointed glance directed by one of them towards me but there’s nothing there.

It all seems like harmless crushes on their part.

‘If only one of us was a tech whizz, maybe we could have found a way to track the phone back to someone.’

And that’s when it hits me.

Grabbing my phone off Noah, I call Ruby immediately.

She’s currently at home having finished her classes few days before so she should pick up and like I suspected after the second ring her lyrical voice floats through the phone.

’Finally! I want early Christmas dee—‘

I cut her off, too desperate to be polite. ‘Ruby, I need your help.’

’Sure, what with?’

‘Is there any way you can track an unknown number?’

’Text or call?’

‘Text.’

’Send it my way and I’ll get onto it.’ I hear shuffling in the background and the sound of her laptop starting.

This is another thing I love about her - she’ll help me with no questions asked. I send her the number, and she says she’ll call back when she’s got it.

‘And now we wait.’ I say, my tears, for the moment, frozen in my determination.

‘We’ll find them Scar.’ Noah squeezes my fingers.

‘I hope so.’ I whisper.

Tonight, is the final rehearsal before my performance, and I’m not quite sure if I’m ready.

I’ve got the moves down to a T but from the heavy feeling in my chest, I might just crumple the minute I’m on stage and see that empty seat where Tristan should be.

’Thank you, both of you, for being here.’

Noah and Lily smile, their eyes pained, and I know if they could, they’d take away this nightmare. Sitting up, I smile at them both. ‘You want to come learn some dance moves?’

I need to feel the music in my blood, but I don’t want to do it alone.

They nod and before long we’re In Andre’s studio, all of us collapsed in laughter as Noah rubs his sore ankle.

‘Okay, maybe ballet is a bit harder than it looks.’

Wiping my laughter away, I jump back up and go through the motions of my dance again, grinning as Noah whispers show off under his breath. My situation with Tristan still lingers in the corners of my mind, the unknown number lurking like a beast in the dark … but I feel more optimistic. If I can figure out who sent the text, maybe there’s a way I can blackmail them right back. Although it doesn’t guarantee anything.

What I said to Tristan … it was unforgivable but I’m hoping he will at least understand why I did it.

I spin into a pirouette, steeling my body to stay straight, narrow, but still allowing my skin to bend, graceful as a dove. The music soaks into my skin, ushering me through the moves until the last note falls.

I gasp for breath, the tears falling in the silence.

’Brilliant.’ I look up to see Andre standing with Noah and Lily - the former two gaping as if they’ve seen a ghost, the latter smiling like I’ve never seen. ‘Dance like that tomorrow and you’ll have them falling over your feet to sign you in the future.’

Noah sends a flirty smile to Andre, ‘Yep she’s going to blow them all away.’

‘And you are?’ Andre raises an unimpressed brow.

Noah’s smile doesn’t falter though, too secure in himself to let it phase him. He simply holds his hand out. ‘Noah, Scarlett’s best friend. Single if you want to know.’ He winks at Andre.

There’s a smile in Andre’s eyes - a hidden something. But ever the professional, Andre simply nods and turns to me. ‘Do you feel ready?’

I nod, pushing away the doubt, my resolve strengthening with the knowledge that whatever bastard has tried to break me won’t succeed.

‘Good. I’ll see you tomorrow.’ He walks to the door but pauses and throws a ‘don’t forget to invite your friends to the dance.’ Before walking out.

‘Okay, that means I’m in with him, right?’ Noah sounds smug.

I laugh. ’Sounds like it.’

And that’s when my phone buzzes.

Ruby: I’ve got the bastard.

Ruby: A woman called Nina Webbs. I’ll attach a photo.

The photo loads, the pixels slowly forming until everything clicks into place.

The anger doesn’t bubble or boil, it doesn’t make my eyes blaze and my hands tremble - it cuts. Icy calm slices through every thread of control I’m currently clinging onto leaving only a chilled clarity in its wake.

Before anyone can ask me what I’m doing, I’m running with only one thought on my mind.

Tristan, please forgive me.