CAVING IN TO HIS SEDUCTION

Chapter Eleven

SUSAN

Aaron's confession hung in the air, the heavy weight settling on my chest.

“I really like you, Susan and I want to take care of you,” he said once more.

“Aaron… I…” I mumbled. I was dumbfounded with my mind racing with a whirlwind of emotions. I didn't know what to say or how to respond to him. The words I had rehearsed in my head had all vanished into thin air.

Gathering the little strength I had, I stood up, my legs wobbling. “I….I…uhm..I need to go now,” I managed to say, my voice almost a whisper.

Surprise and confusion were written all over Aaron’s face. “But…Susan, please don't leave yet. Please stay,” he pleaded.

I ignored his plea, my mind set on getting away from him. I grabbed my bag immediately and rushed out of the door, the morning cool air a stark contrast to the warmth of Aarons apartment.

Now outside, I burst into tears, the dam of emotions I had been holding back finally breaking. Henry, my boyfriend had done it again. He had made me feel vulnerable and exposed. Right then and there, I swore to myself that I would never let him hurt me like this again.

As I quietly walked home, lost in my thoughts, I couldn't shake off the image of Aaron's kind face. His confession, his genuine show of concern, was so hard to ignore. I began to see the kind, good and gentle side of him that I had always thought was hiding somewhere. The way he cared for me when I was at my lowest made me long for a man like him. But a part of me hesitated. He was younger than me, and my student as well. Could we really be more than that?

It was against the school rules to have any form of affair with any student. Hence it was impossible for anything to happen between us. The doubt gnawed at me. As I unlocked my apartment door, I knew that my heart was torn. A piece of me yearned for Aaron, for the comfort and security he offered. But another part was terrified of getting hurt again, of opening myself up to the possibility of heartbreak.

There was no way I could return to work looking very unprofessional and heartbroken, neither could I face Aaron and his confession. I needed a break from the world, a break from my charade at work. I needed a place to heal, to mend my broken heart and the confidence to face Aaron again.

I packed a small suitcase and headed to my secluded beach house, a place I had always found solace in. The crash of waves against the shore and the salty sea breeze was everything to me; it promised a sense of calm I desperately needed.

Henry, oblivious to the fact that I needed space from him, bombarded me with calls and messages. His voicemails were a desperate plea for forgiveness, filled with promises and apologies. He started by expressing his deep regret for his actions.

*Susan, I'm sorry for what I did. I know I hurt you, and I can't apologise enough. Please forgive me. I love you.”

Then he went on to explain his reasons for his absence. “I know it's no excuse, but I had to be with my business partners. This deal was really important, I had to be there with them.”

I remained resolute. I ignored all his calls and voicemails and deleted his messages without reading them. I wasn't ready to listen to his excuses, not when my heart was still raw from his betrayal.

My days at the beach house were filled with solitude and reflection. I spent hours walking along the shore, the sand crunching beneath my feet. I read books, my mind lost in the fictional worlds of others. I journaled, pouring out my thoughts and feelings onto the page. And I swam, the cool ocean water washing away my sorrows.

At night, I would sit on the porch, watching the stars twinkle above. The vastness of the universe placed my problems into perspective, making me feel small and insignificant. Yet, it also filled me with hope, a belief that things would be better.

Henry's persistence continued. He sent flowers to my home, chocolate and even a handwritten letter. But I remained unmoved, I had heard these promises before and I knew that words alone were not enough. True apologies were more than just words; they were actions. And until Henry showed me that he was truly sorry, I would not forgive him.

The week began to draw to a close and I began to feel a sense of peace. The ache in my heart had eased, replaced by a newfound determination. I had faced my pain and my disappointment and came out stronger on the other side. I was ready to move forward, to embrace the future without the baggage of the past.

For Aaron, I still couldn't get him off my mind. In a few more hours, I would have to face him again, but it wasn't something I was looking forward to.

The next morning, as I walked into the lecture hall, my heart pounded in my chest. I scanned the room, my eyes searching for a familiar face. There he was, sitting in his usual seat, his gaze fixed on me. I tried my best to ignore him, to focus on the lecture, but it was impossible.

Every time I glanced at him, I felt a flutter in my stomach. The memory of his confession, his kindness, his u wavering support, it all swirled around in my mind. I fought the urge to smile, to reach out to him.

After the lecture, I approached him, my voice barely a whisper. “Aaron, can I talk to you for a moment?”

Aaron nodded, hisndxpressiom a mix of surprise and curiosity.

We walked into my office, away from the bustling crowd.

“Aaron,” I began, my voice trembling slightly. “About what happened……”

He nodded, his eyes filled with understanding. “Nothing has happened yet, Professor Campbell, not until you give me the signal.”

“Your words,” I said, my voice quivering. “I just…. I don't know what to do. We can't be more than what you want us to be. Can we forget that something like that ever happened? I know you've seen me at my most vulnerable moments twice, but that doesn't mean we're compatible.”

He stood there, tall, unyielding, his eyes blazing with determination as I tried to reason with him. How could one young man be so stubborn? I had been clear, painfully clear that nothing could happen between us. Yet Aaron didn't just hear my words, he challenged them.

As if to prove a point, he pulled me into a soft passionate kiss. I could've fought harder to stop him. But I froze, caught off guard by the electricity that coursed through me. The moment his lips touched mine, my resolve crumbled like sand beneath a crashing wave.

I didn't just kiss him back, I moaned. The sound escaped before I could stop it, a raw and unguarded betrayal of the feelings I had tried to suppress. That sound, that small, vulnerable noise, had undone me more than the kiss itself. The moment I realized what I had done, I pushed him away.

“What the hell do you think you're doing?” I snapped, my voice sharper than I intended, more out of embarrassment than anger.

Aaron smiled, the infuriating cocky tilt of his lips burned into my mind as he sauntered out of my office. He didn't say a word, he didn't need to. His silence was louder than anything he could've said.

I had barely sat back down at my desk when the heat in my cheeks became unbearable. My lips tangled, still warm from Aaron's kiss. It wasn't supposed to happen. None of this was supposed to happen.

I tried to gather the shattered pieces of my composure. My hands trembled as I pressed my fingertips to my lips, the memory of his kiss replaying in my mind like a forbidden movie reel.

Why did he have this effect on me? I had been so careful, so guarded, and yet one kiss from Aaron had undone years of discipline. He wasn’t just persistent, he was relentless too.

“He doesn't make you tick,” I mumbled to myself, but my words sounded hollow.

The truth was, Aaron didn't just make me tick, he set me in fire. And that terrified me.

I glanced at the clock. There was still a full day of work ahead, but I knew I wouldn't get anything done. Not with the memory of him lingering like an intoxicating scent, niy with the way my body betrayed me, craving more of what it couldn’t have.

This was far from over. Aaron wasn't the type to give up and I wasn't sure I had the strength to keep resisting him.