I left the ice cream shop feeling more motivated than ever. I was told by Ophelia that there was a way to keep Felix from entering my thoughts, and if I could do that, I might be able to avoid the outcome he had planned for me. Pierre looked abnormally dejected as we made our way back to my dorm hall. He didn't talk much about the trip to Porto Cypress we were planning in secret and told me to keep my thoughts to myself until Ophelia had taught me the mind block.
I questioned him, "Why are you so against this Pierre?" because I was discouraged by his lack of excitement.
Pierre said slowly, "I just believe that this is a horrible idea." "Will you let Felix know?" I inquired.
"No- when I said that I would be your buddy, I meant it... even if it means going against His Royal Pain-in-the-Ass," Pierre stated with a lowered head.
I gave him a gentle shoulder bump and grinned as I added, "Thank you."
"For that grin, maybe the torment that would definitely follow will be worth it," Pierre remarked as he stared down at me.
We got to my dorm hall just as the sun was setting. The sun setting was now a bittersweet blessing. While I appreciated not having to endure the harsh glare of direct sunlight, I did not appreciate the headache-inducing brightness of the fluorescent strip lights that lit up the school buildings after hours.
I felt nauseous as I turned to face the structure. I was aware that getting to my bedroom would require me to travel through the common area and ascend several flights of stairs. I felt a sharp uneasiness at the prospect of having to stand in front of the students who had heard James label me a "dirty whore."
Pierre stood a few steps from the hallway's entrance with his back to the glass doors and the glaring lights shining through them. " Do you need me to escort you to your room," he inquired as he cast a glance my way.
I instantly shook my head and answered, "No, I got this."
Pierre leading me to my bedroom was not what I wanted. If anyone saw me with a man other than James or Felix, goodness knows what they would say.
"I'll assure you, Mia, things will get better," Jacques leaned in and gave me a short hug as he spoke softly in my ear. I thanked him and entered the lobby of my residence hall. Students were trickling back into the dorms from their lectures at early in the evening. I tried my best to keep my head down and keep moving after today's dramatic occurrences. Something happened as I was running up several flights of stairs—a voice shouted out to me.
Sarah Tuner voice resounded up the stairway, "So is it true?"
I came to a complete halt and turned to look at Sarah and her companions who were peering up at me from the stairwell below. They must have been waiting for me to add salt to the wound on this level. When I understood that I would have to deal with them, my heart sank.
I half-shrugged and said, "I don't know what you are talking about," hoping they would change the subject.
"James has been telling everyone about your little academic success secret," Laura added with a sneer.
"James is crazy," I said firmly. "Oh, I wouldn't describe James as insane. We've all observed the way the substitute teacher is looking at you " She answered.
"Then you're just making stuff up," I said.
"So, the whole college campus is experiencing a mass delusion?" Laura asked with skepticism.
I countered, "Small minds have a predisposition to believe in tittle tattle and fabricate drama."
Sarah's expression grew sour, and her eyes darkened. Sarah sprung a bombshell on me as her companions stood behind her and started enthusiastically whispering.
"Did you know that having an affair with a staff member in our college will get you kicked out?" Laura asked sarcastically. "What?" Dryly, I muttered.
She stated with a smile, "The college rules prevent staff employees from having any kind of intimate relationship with a student since the student might be given an unfair edge over their colleagues, such performing sexual favors for a male faculty member in exchange for higher grades. So what would happen if someone anonymously informed the college board of your actions? "
I spat, feeling my stomach plummet, "You wouldn't dare! I may lose my degree over unfounded rumors!"
We all understand that this is not idle chitchat," Laura shrugged, "But Madison, we all know that Felix has taken a special interest in you, and I'm going to find out why."
After that, Sarah nodded to her followers as they withdrew into their hall. Nothing else could be said because the harm had already been done. I was in awe when I stood at the top of the stairs. Sarah was out to undermine my degree, and if she found even the slightest hint that Felix and I had a relationship that went beyond that of student and teacher, my academic career would be over.
My flat mates were playing poker in the common room, so I crept down to the floor where I lived. My eyes caught the typical college clutter of dirty pots, empty alcohol bottles, and red cups in the kitchen. Normally, I would have joined them as they were putting their bets, but tonight, after everything that had happened, I just wanted to be alone myself. I then made my way to my bedroom door and crept silently inside the dark space. After letting my book bag fall to the floor with a loud crash, I fumbled around until I found the light switch and turned on the lights. When I looked over and found Felix sitting still on the side of my bed, I almost passed out.
I exhaled, "Good God, you almost caused me a heart attack."
He said anxiously, "Where were you today?"
Felix appeared a little less put together than usual. He appeared to have nervously raked his fingers through his slightly disheveled black hair. The two top shirt buttons were casually undone, and the suit jacket and tie he usually wore were removed and neatly hung over the back of my work chair. I was taken aback by his intense gaze and struggled to find the right words to say.
"Well, Pierre and I went for ice cream, but wait, how long have you been waiting here?" I inquired as it suddenly occurred to me that the professor, I had been accused of having an affair with was lounging in my dorm room and appeared to be quite at home.
Before Felix could respond, I approached the bed and firmly told him, "You cannot stay here," yanking his arm in an effort to get him to stand up. My chances of earning a degree would be destroyed if someone happened to walk in on us. Felix pushed off the covers of my bed and stood up straight. As I looked down at myself, I could feel him rummaging around in my mind in quest of explanations. "That Sarah girl has threatened you," he remarked after pausing for a time.
I pushed him in the direction of my bedroom door and replied, "Yes she has, but it is none of your business."
"What threats has she made against you," Felix questioned as he backed away from me.
I gave up in frustration and yelled, "Look, it doesn't matter. I just need you to leave here before someone discovers you in my room." Felix demanded, "Why?"
"Because it could be used against me as proof if someone sees you in my room," I explained.
Felix questioned, "What do you mean by proof?
I responded, "Students are not meant to date professors; if a student is discovered dating a member of the faculty or staff inappropriately, they are expelled from the university. If I'm not careful, I might lose my degree."
You won't ever need your degree, so who cares about it," Luc added. "I care about my degree! l am the one who worked painstakingly for it for three years, before you came along and ruined everything with your dumb vampire nonsense!" I yelled.
"Don't you dare talk to me like that," Felix murmured, his expression becoming stern.
"Why not? It's true", I choked back tears as I said. "Before you arrived and transformed me into this monster, my entire life was wonderful."
Even though I was being too dramatic, I just couldn't help it. I had nowhere to flee from the falling pieces of my reality's broken shards as my entire universe began to collapse in on itself. Before Felix saw the first tear fall, I shoved past him and raced into the restroom as I felt the emotions starting to well up inside of me. I broke down and slammed the door while twisting the lock and gasped for air.
Now, everything I valued was in ruins. I completely lose it and fall to the floor of the bathroom. My imagination was overrun with visions of Sarah Turner and James telling the College Board about my relationship with Felix. My studies at the college had been interrupted, and the college dean could be seen shaking his head as he told me I had to look for a transfer to another institution.
Felix replied reassuringly from behind the door, "Jessica, calm down." I cried out, "You don't understand."
How could he? Felix was a Prince, a vampire Prince with no experience of being a human. Felix was raised in a peculiar society where it was legal to kidnap a woman from a cemetery because she was standing under a certain tree and force her to become his wife. Felix had no idea about love or romance; he didn't even know how to treat me with respect.
As he intensified the shaking of the door, I said, "Go away." Felix said, "Open the door, Jess, come on."
Felix calmly proclaimed in a deep voice, "Jess, open the goddamn door before I break it down," when I refused.
I yelled, "Fine, break it down—I'm not opening it." Felix's fist pounded on the bathroom door, which jumped on its hinges. I jumped uncomfortably and started to move my body away from the door.
Felix hissed, "Jess, I'm going to count to three, then I will come in." I sobbed, "Please just leave me alone."
"One." Felix's tone was ominous.
I looked at the locked bathroom door and understood that Felix had been sincere when he stated he would actually smash down the door. Oh no, I thought, I'll lose my deposit if he breaks my door.
Felix kept counting, "Two."
Felix exclaims, "Three!" and I leap to my feet to dash over to the door, but I quickly come to the conclusion that I am too late.
I stutter away from the door to keep from getting trapped in the broken wood fragments. The restroom light abruptly goes out as I take a step back, leaving me in the dark. I close my eyes and listen for the door to slam, but all I hear is pure quiet.
I eagerly wait in the pitch-blackness for a short while, but when nothing happens, I call Felix.
I softly called, "Felix, are you there?"
I took a few steps forward and reached for the restroom door, but I was only able to grab at air. My bathroom door was only a foot in front of me; it couldn't have vanished like this.
In order to feel the bathroom, sink or counter, I turned to the side. When I extended my hands, I felt nothing. It appeared as though I had left the restroom.
I shouted again, "Felix!"
Still, all that could be heard was a strange silence.
"Felix, God damn it," l whispered, taking a few uneasy steps forward. My breath caught in my throat, and I could literally hear my own heart hammering in my chest. Where the hell was I? What had happened?
I moved forward and stopped suddenly. Behind me I could hear something like a shuffling sound. Turning slowly around I muttered, "Felix?"
A long-drawn-out rattling breath suddenly cut through the silence. Fear paralyzed me and stood frozen to the spot. There was someone else in this place with me. I stood completely still and listened carefully.
Somewhere in the distance was a sound I couldn't quite make out. It was high pitched and muffled, and radiated a kind of terrible sadness. I walked forward straining to hear better. There was a woman, and she was sobbing. "Hello" l called out to her, "Are you okay?"
It seemed like a redundant question to ask a crying woman but it was the only way to start a dialogue.
The crying stopped and then I heard a feminine voice whisper, "Jess, is that you?"
I opened my mouth to speak but sound and light exploded through my head, and in that split second I had gone from being a place of endless darkness to being back in the familiar surroundings of my bathroom. I collapsed over the bathroom sink with half my toiletries Scattered across the bathroom floor. The bathroom door was hanging off of its hinges and Felix was standing in the doorway, his eyes wide with fear and worry.
Shakily I tried to push myself up from the bathroom sink, but ended up falling down onto the bathroom floor. I could not explain it but I felt physically drained, like something or someone had sucked all the energy out of me.
Felix swore under his breath and rushed to my side, "Jess, what is the matter?" He asked. His voice was full of concern and worry.
I Looked up at him and felt very sleepy and registered that my brain no longer wanted to work. With a tired yawn I replied, "l don't know." Felix pulled out his cell phone and rang somebody. I watched him talking to the person but I could not make sense of what he was saying. He then finished the conversation and snapped his phone shut, placing it in his back pocket. Disappearing into my bedroom, Felix returned later with a blanket from my bed.
Carefully he wrapped me up in the blanket and gathered me up in his arms. The heat from his chest radiated through the blankets soothing me. I snuggled against his chest and asked sleepily, "Where are you taking me?"
"Somewhere safe" He replied.
"l am safe here" I said.
Felix made a gentle shushing sound and pressed a kiss against my forehead, "Go to sleep Jess. I will take care of you now."
"You can't ... if we get caught-" I mumbled into his chest.
"We won't get caught, I promise you," He reassured me.
I wanted to argue the case further but felt my conscience slipping away from me. Rubbing my cheek against Felix's shirt I began to fall into a dark dreamless sleep.