Academic Seduction [profxstudent][wlw]

Chapter Thirty Two

Saturday;

I woke up with the most gruesome headache of my entire life. The curtains were mostly shut, but one rebellious strip of sunlight managed to slip through and aim directly at my face. I groaned and rolled onto my back, dragging a pillow over my head while I tried to convince my brain to stop pulsing.

The pillow smelled unfamiliar for a second, then it hit me. Victoria. The scent was absolutely her.

I froze and slowly peered out from under the pillow. I was in her room. Her bed. Her sheets. My eyes immediately dropped to my body and I almost sagged with relief when I realised I still had clothes on. Good. I didn't sleep with her. That would have been a disaster, and the fact that I even had to check said enough about the state I must have been in last night.

I rubbed my temples, trying to scrape together even one memory, but my mind felt hollow. I had no idea how I got here. No idea what I said. No idea if she dragged me out of a gutter or if I simply teleported. Honestly, the effort of remembering felt like torture, so I gave up before I even started.

When I sat up, a glass of water and two pills on the bedside table caught my attention like some blessed miracle. I actually smiled. Thank you, Tori, I whispered in my head as if she could hear me. I swallowed both pills at once and finished the entire glass because hydration was my only hope of survival.

"I'm glad to see you're finally awake."

The voice made me flinch. I turned toward the bedroom door and nearly choked on my own tongue.

Victoria stood there with her arms crossed, leaning on the frame like she owned the structure. My eyes betrayed me the second it landed on her. They went straight to her and stayed there, taking in the sweat on her neck, the loose strands of hair that stuck to her forehead, and the way her chest rose and fell. Her sports bra and leggings were clinging to her, and I tried to pretend I was in control of myself, but my face decided to heat up at the worst possible moment.

"How're you feeling?" she asked. A small smirk pulled at her mouth as if she had caught me staring, and she probably had.

"Did you just go for a run?" I asked. I ignored her question entirely, which felt easier than admitting that I felt like I had been hit by a small bus.

"No," she said, shaking her head as she pushed her hair back. "I was practicing."

"Practicing what? And where?" I tried to sit up, but my body protested in about six different places. She noticed and pushed herself off the doorframe. Her whole posture changed. Less teasing, more concern. She crossed the room and crouched beside me.

"Some punches and stuff in my gym," she said. Before I could ask what punches and what stuff, she took my elbow and helped me stand. Her hands were warm. I was convinced she noticed how unsteady I was, because she didn't let go as she guided me toward the bathroom.

"My father signed me up for self defence classes when I was younger," she said while opening the bathroom door for me. "My mother made me stop because she said it wasn't ladylike."

"That's dumb," I said, rolling my eyes. My head felt heavy, but not heavy enough to stop me from giving my opinion. "Every woman should learn self defence if they can."

Victoria hummed at that, a thoughtful sound. "Do your business. I'll go start breakfast for both of us." She gave me a small tap on the arm as if to guide me inside. Once I stepped in, she pulled the door closed.

The moment it clicked shut, I let out a long breath. My body ached. My stomach churned. Breakfast sounded like a terrible idea, unless Victoria planned to serve plain air on a plate. I leaned my hands on the sink and studied my reflection. My hair looked tragic. My face looked exhausted. The only good thing was that she had seen me looking worse before, so this was probably fine.