Chapter 110
Mireya
Play - Church Bells by Henry Morris
Numb
A few weeks have passed since Hayzel found my sketchbook and learned the things I had spent years hiding from her. People always say that the truth sets you free somehow. I don’t know if I’d go that far. What happened still hurts, and knowing it doesn’t make any of it disappear.
But the exhaustion of hiding it is gone. I don’t have to pretend anymore with her. I don’t have to lie about why I hate going back home, why I’m so over protective with Milo. I don’t have to choose my words carefully or wonder if she’ll notice when the voices get too loud and mean again.
And somehow that makes me feel closer to her than I’ve ever felt.
Life at St. Ellesta hasn’t slowed down for any of that.
We’ve been keeping up with training, classes, and every assignment our professors have thrown at us before the last exams. Graduation is only a few weeks away now, and we’re too close to the finish line to start losing the marks.
Exams, and exams, every day. Evaluation, then physical test, then whatever they have in mind to break us before the end.
Damien and I have been getting closer too.
He’s still my professor. I’m still his student. We still sit in the same classroom surrounded by everyone else, and act like there isn’t an entire world between us that nobody knows about.
But outside of these walls, he has become part of the ordinary parts of my life.
He helps me when I need him, keeps an eye on me during my self defense classes even if he’s not my assigned professor.
He drives Hayzel, Blue and I back home on weekends so that I can spend some time with Edna and Milo now that my father is out of the town for another long assignment.
Somehow, Blue has decided that Damien was his second favorite person. He comes by my dorm every night, bringing me food because he knows I can forget necessary things like eating. Sometimes he stays over because he can tell I’m having a bad night.
He knows I’m still fighting. The cravings haven’t disappeared nor the nightmares. Neither has the need to hurt myself. There are days where I still feel the pull toward old bad habits, when my mind turns against me.
And he does notice the new scars, but he never made me feel ashamed of them, never made me feel stupid for struggling. He sits beside me, makes me laugh, or kisses me to prove that he’s still there. He’s always there.
He’s teaching me slowly that one bad day doesn’t erase every day I’ve fought to get better.
Good memories. New ones.
We’ve been working on the case too. The storm inside me hasn’t quieted since I learned the truth about my mother’s death and her killer. The Chained Poet. If anything, knowing only offered more anger and rage to cover the painful part of the grief.
We know the common denominator is St. Ellesta.
We also know that our headmaster, Mister Spencer Porter, is involved somehow.
We know a lot, but the name is still a question mark.
Damien never says if we find him. He always says when we find him.
It’s such a small and stupid detail. But every time he did it, I’d kiss him to thank him for being so confident about this.
We have a plan to find more about the killer.
The academy has been preparing for a huge charity fundraiser that they hold every year. It’s been nonstop decorating and deep cleaning. The facility has been shape-shifted from a modern gothic building to something so luxurious it would be fit enough for a prince.
We need to get our hands on that donor’s list. And once that is done, we’ll be closer than ever to finding out who this bastard is once and for all.
“Earth to Ms Vitelli,” I hear someone say suddenly which causes me to blink rapidly as my vision is slightly blurred from daydreaming.
My vision clears and I now see who’s standing in front of me.
Professor Green.
“Oh. Sorry Ms Green, I didn’t sleep well last night apparently,” I reply standing up from the bench I was sitting on outside of her class.
“It’s perfectly fine. I was just asking if you were alright?”
I return her smile with one of my own before nodding. “Yeah, of course… I’m okay, thank you for asking.”
She nods her head once, “Well, if you ever need anything you know where to find me,” she says gesturing towards the classroom behind us.
“Thank you, again. Ms Green, I really appreciate it,” I give a lame wave before walking further down the semi-empty hallway.
There’s a few students lingering nearby and also a couple of janitors. Like I said, cleaning is at an all time high.
My bag drops off my shoulders as I feel myself being dragged into a room. “Hey—” I say loudly before my back is slammed against the wall.
“Shhh,” Damien whispers and I instantly breathe out a sigh in relief.
His mouth finds mine as a few voices walk by the classroom as if to silence me. And when he pulls back, a faint smile appears on his lips. “Intercourse activity,” he says in a low voice. “Making sure you’re training well enough before the final exams.”
“Intense training, completely appropriate,” I say, stepping closer to him.
He grabs me by the waist, lifting me as he kicks the door shut behind us with his free hand. My back meets the wood, and his hands slide beneath my thighs, holding me hard against the door.
My thumb brushes over his lower lip, and I lose myself in his eyes for a second.
Deep blue eyes, filled with affection and desire, only focused on me.
“You’re very distracting when you look at me like that,” I tell him as I press my forehead against his,
I feel him smile against my fingers and he presses a kiss underneath them.
“Maybe I’m not distracting you enough…”
He pulls me closer, my legs wrapping instinctively around his waist. I hear him flick the lock, and a soft chuckle escapes my lips.
It’s just us. No interruption, no one walking in. Just him and I, and a lot of need.
“That’s better. Now I have your attention,” he whispers as his lips move from my fingers to my neck. A long path of wet kisses moves slowly down my throat and I hear him suck in a rapid breath.
In a second, my skirt is up around my waist, and his hands tighten around my thighs, almost impatient now, drawing me closer and closer, until both our bodies merge.
He kisses my lips. Once. Twice. Multiple times until I hear the sound of my underwear ripping.
“I’ll buy you new ones,” he says, sounding breathless, “Can you be quiet for me?”
I’m completely exposed now, and his eyes never leave mine as he lowers the zipper of his pants. His hardness teases my core as he presses against me and my breath catches.
“I might start questioning your teaching methods—fuck… Damien,” his name falls from my lips like a silent prayer.
Then he pushes deep into me, painfully slow. Inch by inch, so leisurely I can feel every contour and every pulse as he buries himself fully inside.
I throw my head back and bite down the loud gasp that begs to be heard.
“Shhh, just a little more, baby,” Damien whispers against my lips, rewarding me with another soft kiss and my back arch in response.
His fingers dig into my skin as he continues moving into me relentlessly.
The classroom disappears beneath the sound of our uneven breathing and the desperate sounds of our bodies melting against each other.
My leg slips from his hip when my entire body tightens, as the door handle starts to move behind us.
“Hello…” I hear them say and my heart flutters. I instantly recognize the voice. Ethan.
“Fuck,” I whisper and Damien covers my mouth with his hand.
“Mr Caldwell, I wanted to speak to you about something…” he says and Damien grunts out a response.
“Yeah, give me a few minutes, I’m coming…” he replies, his voice low tense as he continues to push into me.
I have to bite my lip to keep me from laughing out loud at his reply. But it quickly turns into a needy whimper as his hand comes up to keep me quiet.
He looks at me, eyes sparkling with amusement and then looks back at the door.
“Look, I haven't got time to wait, I need to go back and study,” Ethan says impatiently.
“Bennett,” he says in his usual cold voice. “I said..” thrust, “I'm coming…” another thrust.
My laugh disappears immediately and so does his. He collapses against me, forehead pressed to mine, his hand still covering my mouth.
He presses a lazy kiss against my lips before settling me back on my feet carefully, my legs still trembling.
“You’re coming, huh?” I ask quietly, trying to not breathe too loud.
“Don’t make me laugh, I need to stop thinking about that right now,” he says with a smile. “Stay here,” Damien continues, readjusting his pants before leaving another quick kiss on my mouth, “I'll get rid of him.”
I nod, smoothing out my skirt as I hide at the end of the classroom. He closes the door behind him as he starts talking to Ethan and I can hear them perfectly from where I’m standing.
After a few minutes, he comes back in, and walks toward me as if nothing happened.
“Round two?” He asks, as his hand slips underneath my skirt with something soft. A tissue.
“I have a sparring class today…I can’t even feel my legs anymore,” I say, a soft smile curving my lips. “But we can do round two and maybe three later.”
“So flirty today, aren't you?”
“I’m just a good student I guess?” I tug my bottom lip between my teeth and grin. “I need to go, Hayzel and I have to finish an assignment.”
He nods, adjusting my skirt back and I do the same, tucking his shirt between his pants and buttoning the odd button or two.
Then he grabs me, pulling him closer to him, “Tell me more about that class?”
“The professor is kind of an asshole if we’re just a minute late…”
He smiles again, his hand reaching out to squeeze my hips before pressing a kiss on my shoulder.
“How horrible? Do you think a kiss could help put him in a better mood?”
A laugh escapes me as I lean toward him, pressing a small kiss against his cheek. “Nope, he’s too grumpy.”
He walks me back towards the door after that, adjusting my hair one last time, like nothing ever happened between us only moments ago.
”I have students arriving in a few minutes,” he continues, running a hand down my face. “But don’t forget about our date tonight.”
Date.
How strange does this sound? I keep the thought to myself and unlock the door instead.
“I’ll see you tonight.” I say, slipping out of the room and back into the hallway.