Seeking Salvation in His Eyes

Elena sat in her dimly lit dorm room, staring blankly at the report card on her laptop screen. The numbers hadn't changed. The grades hadn't magically improved. She had failed. The weight of that realization pressed against her chest, making it harder to breathe. She had always been the kind of person who pushed through, who refused to let setbacks define her. But this... this was different. She wasn't sure how to recover from this.

Her fingers hovered over her phone, hesitating as she considered calling her mother. But what would she say? That she had let her down? That all the sacrifices made for her to attend this university had gone to waste? The shame was suffocating. Instead, she shut the laptop and buried her face in her hands, trying to hold back the frustration threatening to spill over.

A soft knock at her door made her jolt. She wiped her face quickly before standing up, taking a deep breath before opening it. Sophie stood there, arms crossed, a knowing look in her eyes.

"You've been in here all day," Sophie said, stepping inside without waiting for an invitation. "Let me guess—you're still staring at those grades, hoping they'll magically change?"

Elena sighed, collapsing onto her bed. "I don't know what to do, Soph. I failed Pharmacology. I failed Microbiology. How am I supposed to catch up?"

Sophie leaned against the desk, twirling a strand of her blonde hair. "Well, you did ace Chemistry. And we both know why."

Elena shot her a sharp look. "Don't start."

Sophie smirked, undeterred. "Oh, come on. It's obvious. You do better when you're around him."

Elena bit her lip. It was true—her only good grade had come from Nathaniel Pierce's class. And she knew why. The nights spent studying, the way his intense gaze forced her to focus, the way she had wanted so badly to impress him. He had made her want to be better, to push harder, even when she had felt like giving up.

Sophie nudged her. "You need his help, Elena. Go to him. Ask for tutoring or something. If anyone can help you turn this around, it's him."

Elena shook her head. "He's already done enough."

"Has he?" Sophie tilted her head. "Or are you just scared of getting too close?"

Elena swallowed, unable to meet her friend's gaze. Sophie always saw too much.

"Look, I get it," Sophie continued. "Pierce is... different. But you need help, and you have a connection with him. Use it."

Elena exhaled slowly. Maybe Sophie was right. Maybe she didn't have a choice.

An hour later, Elena found herself standing outside Nathaniel's office, her heart pounding. The door was slightly ajar, the glow of his desk lamp casting long shadows on the floor. She hesitated for a moment, then knocked softly.

"Come in," his deep voice called.

She stepped inside, suddenly feeling small in the presence of his sharp, unwavering gaze. He looked up from his papers, his dark eyes scanning her face.

"Elena." His voice was calm, but there was something else beneath it—something unreadable.

"I... I need your help," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.

Nathaniel leaned back in his chair, studying her for a long moment. "With what?"

She swallowed hard. "I failed most of my courses. Except for yours."

His brow furrowed. He didn't speak right away, just kept looking at her, as if searching for something. "Sit," he finally said, gesturing to the chair across from him.

Elena did as he asked, clasping her hands together to keep them from trembling.

Nathaniel sighed, setting his pen down. "Elena, I knew you were struggling, but I didn't realize it was this bad."

She nodded, feeling the weight of it all crash down on her again. "I tried. I really did. But it wasn't enough."

For the first time, something in his expression softened. "Why do you think you did well in my class?"

She hesitated, then said the truth before she could stop herself. "Because you made me want to try harder."

The words hung between them, charged and undeniable. Nathaniel's gaze darkened slightly, but he didn't look away.

"I don't tutor my students," he said after a pause.

"I'm not asking for tutoring," Elena said quickly. "I just... I need guidance. I need to know how to fix this."

Nathaniel was silent for a long moment before finally nodding. "Alright. We'll figure something out."

Relief flooded her. She hadn't realized how much she had been holding her breath.

As she stood to leave, Nathaniel's voice stopped her. "Elena."

She turned back, her pulse racing.

"You're capable of more than you think," he said quietly. "Don't let this define you."

She nodded, her throat tightening. "Thank you, Professor."

And as she walked away, she realized that Sophie had been right. Nathaniel Pierce was different. And maybe, just maybe, he was the only one who could pull her back from the edge.