Page 18 of Burdens
That wasn’t what I was here for.
Even if he was the best sex I’d ever had.
Even if I could still feel him between my legs even after I’d showered and washed myself of him when I came back to the dorms well after curfew. Even if I could still feel the way his lips left mine bruised and how my scalp still tingled from how hard he gripped the back of my skull as he kissed and fucked me.
The urge to touch myself to the memory had been strong, but I didn’t want to face a lawsuit from my colleague sleeping right above me on my first day here.
I’d tossed and turned until the early morning light filtered in through the curtains. I looked over at the clock on my small bedside table and noticed I had about two hours before we had to show up for our first class.
Hoping a run would help clear my mind before the day ahead, I quietly rolled out of bed and walked over to the small dresser where I had to make all my clothes fit. I grabbed a deep brown workout set and slipped into the bathroom, carefully closing the door behind me so as not to wake Stella—my roommate for the next year.
She’d been sleeping when I came back last night, which was a relief. I’d only briefly spoken to her when I’d arrived two days ago and she’d seemed cordial enough, but I’d rather avoid any questions about my whereabouts. Judging by her quiet nature, I didn’t think she would have questioned me, but one could never be too careful here.
One thing I’d learned early on in this journey was that appearances were almost always deceptive.
I quickly changed into the matching set I’d picked—a long-sleeved top and high-rise biker shorts—and threw my hair into a ponytail. After splashing my face with some water, I slathered moisturizer and sunscreen on my face before tiptoeing toward the door, making sure to avoid the one creaky floorboard.
I fastened my shoes on, grabbed my headphones from my duffel bag near the entrance, and slid out of the room, heading for the field at the back of the facility. Once outside, a gust of cold wind rolled over my body. I brushed my hands over my arms a few times to warm me up a little as I glanced around to see if anyone else was out here.
Relieved no one else was in sight, I put my headphones over my ears and took off, the music slowly pumping to match the rhythm of my beating heart.
As I jogged, I realized I hadn’t had a chance to explore the premises since my arrival. So I took a left turn into an unbeaten pathway that eventually led into a forest behind the Academy.
Down the track, the path opened up onto a road that curved alongside the ocean. Echoes of waves crashing against the shore beneath filtered through the music. The soothing sounds acted as a balm and all my worries and uncertainties of what was ahead faded away.
I’d spent the last few weeks training and studying the material in advance for this year since I knew I’d need any extra advantage I could get. I’d always been a good student, but it hadn’t been easy. Especially when it came to memorizing documents and a lot of this job required it.
Deciding not to dwell on the fact, I pushed myself harder as I looped around and back into the forest to head back before everyone woke up. Once I got closer and saw the Academy on the horizon, I slowed to a stop, chest heaving.
I turned off the beat drumming in my ears and wiped the sweat beading across my forehead with the end of my sleeve as I walked toward the back doors.
Once inside, I turned right and headed down the hallway toward my room, listing what I had to do in my head before going to class. I was so lost in the task that I hadn’t noticed the man in front of me until I slammed into the hard body.
Fingers wrapped around my upper arms to steady me. A groan left my lips when I looked up and I realized who it was.
Just what I needed.
Asher Williams, the twenty-five-year-old son of the Academy’s director and the most annoying person I’d ever met.
We had attended the same international school in Bemes and I had the unfortunate luck of having a few classes with him despite him being three years older since he’d dropped out for a few years for reasons that were still unknown.
I’d done my best to limit my interactions with him since he was well-known for his promiscuous reputation, but unfortunately for me, one drunken night after our high school graduation and a bad decision later, I’d found myself stuck with his constant flirtatious nature asking for round two.
I thought I’d rid myself of him after graduating and moving back home for university, but much to my dismay, he’d decided to follow in his family’s footsteps and join the Academy despite most thinking he’d keep spending his father’s money on a beach somewhere.
I’d known I might eventually run into him, but our class was big enough that I could have avoided him. To think I was almost to my room.
Guess my bad luck strikes again.
His eyes trailed down my body and he let out an appreciative hum. “Look who we have here,” he said, gracing me with his signature smirk. “The one and only, Amalia Abara.”
“Williams,” I said in a clipped tone, shrugging him off me.
He shoved his hands into his pockets and stood to his full height. “What’s a man have to do to get a text back from you?” he asked as he trailed his eyes down my body.
Asher had been trying to ask me out since that night, but I’d decided it would be simpler to just ignore him.
Out of sight, out of mind.
