Chapter 5

I couldn't feel worse at the moment. My memory was so jumbled up and I hardly had any recollection of that situation. I closed my eyes for a second and focused. It took only that millisecond for a couple of memories to flood through. He had saved me from the desperate guy hitting on me. He had sat beside me and started talking to me, drawing my attention away from the man who was harassing me.

I could feel my face flush when I remembered the rest. I was all over my professor, hugging him, kissing his cheek, placing my hand on his thigh—something the real me would never do. He picked up my check and walked me to a booth while I waited for my friends to return to me. I didn't remember much more than that, let alone any words that might have been exchanged. It was clear enough that I had embarrassed myself and now had to deal with the fact that I hit on my professor at a bar while drunk.

When my eyes met his again his smirk was obvious and his hazel eyes teasing. "I warned you wouldn't like what I had to say."

I turned around and noticed the button to the first floor wasn't pressed yet. His fingers had uncovered it giving me time to hit the button myself. "Professor Wyatt, I am extremely sorry for what happened. I usually hold my liquor pretty well—but I had skipped all my meals that day—I just—I'm sorry." I had to bite my tongue from saying anything else.

He chuckled lightly and placed his hand on my shoulder, sending a chill down my back. "There's nothing to be ashamed about. I'm grateful I was there and able to intervene at the right time."

I nodded politely and bit my lip. I couldn't turn around to look at him. My face was burning and I just wanted the elevator to reach the first floor.

Once the doors opened I grabbed my backpack straps and walked away towards the exit of the building, Wyatt's footsteps close behind me. I thought I had heard thunder outside and I hoped more than anything that there was no rain waiting for me. Though I lived close to campus, our campus was enormous. I refused to walk in the rain for fifteen or so minutes to reach home.

"Damn it," I whispered to myself once I reached the glass doors. Everything was blurry outside. The rain was pouring to the point where the visibility was at its worst.

"Don't tell me you didn't bring an umbrella."

I shook my head at the voice that came from behind me. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Well, I have to head to the parking garage. If you'd like, you can go with me and I can give you a ride home? I wouldn't want you getting caught in this. At least I have an umbrella we can share until we get to the safety of my car."

I rolled my eyes before turning around. I knew better than to decline. Elise would never walk this far in a rainstorm to give me an umbrella. I felt so awkward though, having to accept, having to share an umbrella with him. "I don't have a choice..." I murmured to myself knowing he could very well hear me.

"How about you take the umbrella then?"

I shook my head immediately feeling bad about what I had said. "No! I didn't mean that in a bad way—I just—look, I feel awkward okay. I don't remember half of last night and being told by my college professor that I hit on him is really embarrassing."

I was caught off guard when he smirked and wrapped his arm around my shoulders, pulling me into the rain and immediately opening the umbrella so that no more than a couple of drops could touch us. "Relax, let's just get to my car. It's late and you can't see a thing in this."

He was right. You couldn't see a thing in this rain, and thank god he was right. My face had flushed such a deep shade of red I didn't even have to look at my reflection. His arm around my shoulders was putting me on edge and his scent was intoxicating. Though it was raining hard, smelling his woodsy and warm scent mixed with the rain, made it incredibly difficult not to bury my face into his shirt. There was a strange sense of familiarity and comfort that was so different from the fear I had felt the moment I first saw him.

Walking in the rain wasn't fun to say the least. My shoes were already soaked in water, thankfully I had worn shorts so only my bare legs were wet. My upper body was pretty well-protected thanks to the giant umbrella that Wyatt had with him. His arm around my shoulders also protected me from the cold droplets that would occasionally hit the back of my neck.

At this point, the rain was coming down so hard and the thunder was so loud, I pushed myself into the side of Wyatt's body and clung onto him, hoping that the closer we were the less water would get all over me.

"Afraid of the rain?" He interrupted the silence.

I shook my head. "No. I hate the rain. I'm sorry I'm being clingy, I just really don't want to get poured on."

"I understand, it's fine."

I stayed silent the rest of the way, hoping that there were no more awkward moments between us. I wanted to ask him if there were any other things I might have said or done the previous night but was terrified to do so. I wanted to pretend nothing ever happened.

"Okay, we're almost there," he murmured.

I held my breath as I whispered, "Thank you."

"Ms. Noelle, there's nothing to thank me for..." he paused for a second, "you've already provided me your thanks last night." Though the last part was whispered, I heard it clear.

I pushed him away from me and let myself get caught in the rain. We were only a few feet from the door to the entrance of the parking garage and I didn't care at this point.

"You know, for a smart one you really don't know how to take a joke."

I rolled my eyes and felt his arm around me in an instant, the safety of the umbrella and his body around me and keeping me warm.