Sometimes he loves me

Chapter 9

EMMA

I wake up by my alarm clock, and stretch my sleepy body.

"Shut up." I mumble as I turn the alarm off on my phone. When I look at the time I immediately jump out of bed, and instantly forget the nightmare I just had because I overslept.

I hurry to get ready and have just enough time to take a quick shower. So with no make-up on I run to my car. I don't need make-up anyway, since Vincent isn't here. I don't need to look beautiful for anyone else. He went back to New York last night after dinner and will be back next weekend.

As promised though, my car was parked at the spot that guy dropped me off yesterday. It almost was like every single thing in it was replaced and it felt like a brand new car.

While I hurriedly drive to school, I notice my bare arms. My eyes fall on the red burned mark on my forearm. Shit. I forgot to put on a dress with long sleeves. The burn kept me awake and my eyes are still red and puffy from crying all night, but it could have been worse.

I stop before a red light and glance at the back seat. I sigh in relief when I see my white vest laying there. I quickly grab it and put it on to hide my arm. What happens between Vincent and me is nobody's business. And before he left yesterday, he said how sorry he was and promised me that we will do something nice soon to make up for his mistake.

By the time I park my car, my class is about to start. I run down the hall of school looking at my watch every turn I make. Fuck. I feel my nerves tying a knot in my stomach. I hate to walk into a class that has already started and I can't help but think of all those eyes that will be on me. Especially since I hardly know my classmates. I guess I'll have to find a way to sneak in quietly so no one will notice.

I run around the corner in the deserted hallway when I suddenly bump into a hard chest, pushing the air from my lungs.

"Sorry, I didn't see-" When I look up I stare into two familiar onyx coloured eyes. "You." My voice dies before I swallow. The tall boy looks at me in surprise, but then smiles.

"Good morning to you too, darling." He says in a low voice and I quickly try to control my startled facial expression.

"Good morning." I nod before turning my gaze to my all-stars.

"What's this, Snow White? Late on your second day?" He asks amusedly.

My eyes dart to his face. Vincent doesn't want me to talk to him, but it's almost impossible. I could bump into him at any moment and he's in my Engineering class on mondays. It would be rude to ignore him, and I've got better things to do than deal with Vincent's jealousy right now. What is his problem anyway? I never cheated, ever. How can he be so delusional to think I'm capable of being unfaithful.

When the tall guy raises his dark eyebrows I realise he asked me something. "I overslept." I say as I fiddle with the hem of my dress.

Only now do I notice that we are standing in front of the classroom where I need to be, through the small window I see that the teacher has already started. I take a step towards the door, put my fingers around the latch and sigh, but I don't open it. I just stand there. He looks at the screen of his cellphone.

"You're already ten minutes late, so you might as well just skip it." He says, making me look up at him like he's crazy.

I'm no Saint, but skipping school in the first week of University doesn't seem like a good idea. Although the feeling of just walking away now instead of into the classroom seems very appealing to me. No eyes on me and no lecture from the professor with everyone turning to me.

I look back through the window, seeing the professor point at the bord behind him. They will all look at me, all 35 students. When I take a deep breath to calm my heartbeat I can tell from my breathing how much I am shaking, I grab my necklace with my free hand.

Please don't let me have a panic attack in the middle of school.

"Darling," When I look up from my tense trans he looks at me concerned. His gaze briefly moves to my hand, which I've closed around my charm. "Are you okay?"

"Sorry. I don't like being late because..." I begin, but fall silent. Am I really going to tell a stranger about my social anxieties?

"You know, I knew this girl that used to have panic attacks." He tells me.

"Is it that obvious?" I ask with a sigh, somehow I feel relieved that someone understands me. Even though I don't like the idea of people being able to see what I feel.

"Don't worry, others won't notice. It's just that she had the same thing." He tries to reassure me.

"How did she get rid of them?" I ask him.

"I don't know, we lost touch." He falls silent for a moment as he continues to look at me, my gaze floating through the space between the door handle, the room and my shoes. I hate that I'm scared to look people in the eye. What the fuck is wrong with me.

"But the best thing is to just breathe." He continues.
He sucks his bottom lip into his mouth like he's thinking about something. "I'll make sure you can get in unseen." He eventually says.

He doesn't give me the chance to answer and puts his hand on the handle and opens the door. Our fingers accidentally brush past each other, leaving a tingling sensation on my skin that makes me pull my hand away quickly.

Did he feel that too?

I step aside so the students in the classroom won't see me. He walks in, immediately to the front of the classroom and takes a seat there. Not understanding, I look at what he is doing, until I see that all eyes are on him.

"Are you lost? The last-year students are in the other wing." The professor states, and I hear people giggling. He looks around like he just realised something. Is he pretending to have entered the wrong classroom?

"Fuck, you're right." He answers with a surprised look on his face.

"I don't want to hear this kind of language in my classroom." The professor says sternly.

"Fuck, no, you're absolutely right." He looks shocked at the professor, pretending he accidentally swears again.

Is he trying to piss off the professor or is he always like that towards others? I don't know him well enough to determine whether he's acting or not. I really wouldn't dare to speak like that, but the professor's face shows that he has known him for a while.

"Ah fuck, now I'm saying it again. My apologies, Sir."
By now, the laughter in the class has become a little more than giggles.

His gaze goes to me and he nods inconspicuously to a table at the back of the class. I follow his gaze, finally understanding his plan. He's distracting everyone so I can take a seat without anyone noticing.

"Leave the room, now." I hear the professor say when I sneak into the classroom. It's working! Nobody pays attention to me. It's like I've been here since the beginning of class.

"It was my pleasure, Professor Weston." On the way out, the few girls in my class look after him.

"That's the guy from Killer Parcours." I hear someone whisper to someone else. I knit my eyebrows together, is he from Killer Parcours? I've always wanted to see a race there but Vincent doesn't like it. Maybe he works there in the bar or something.

"Ladies." The guy nods to a group of girls that immediately start giggling. Just before he closes the door behind him, he winks at me and then disappears.