Page 20 of Muse (The Forbidden Hearts #1)

THEO

H er dark eyes pull me under, and I drown willingly. My hands stay locked around her waist, reluctant to let go, as if releasing her will shatter the fragile moment we found ourselves in. How the hell did I end up here? How did this crazy twist of fate lead me to this?

Here, to her. A student. Forbidden in every possible way. And yet, I wouldn’t take it back. Not for anything.

Her lips move against mine, soft and warm, tasting of the sweetest berries.

I could devour her. I deepen the kiss, a groan catching low in my throat as heat coils low in my stomach.

My hands skate down the curve of her spine, memorizing the feel of her, yet my brain knows I shouldn’t.

This moment is fleeting, it cannot last.

The thoughts running through my mind are anything but pure, and the hardness aching between my legs betrays the direction they're taking. I can’t help it. Her body under my hands, warm and soft, may just be my undoing.

I haven’t felt this alive in so long. Haven’t laughed like I did tonight in longer than I can remember. Our night together in the bar is a close second. She isn’t just beautiful… She's sharp, witty, and impossible to ignore.

Perfect.

And I want nothing more than to lose myself in her. To take her home, strip off her silky dress, and worship her the way she deserves.

But I need to stop. I need a cold shower and a harsh dose of reality. I need to remind myself that a kiss is one thing, but crossing that final line is another. And as much as I want her, as much as I wish our circumstances were different, I know damn well this can never work.

The thought is a punch to my gut. I force myself to pull back, space opening up between us like a chasm. My heart tears into pieces at the look in her eyes. She can already tell that I’m pulling away, attempting to build back the wall between us.

“I’ll walk you to your car… it’s getting late.” My voice comes out hoarse, almost painful. The words like knives scraping up my throat.

She nods, staying silent. I stand, offering my hand, and she takes it. I don’t let go. If this is all I get… if this ends here, tonight… I will savor it while it lasts. Her small hand fits perfectly in mine, her skin soft and warm.

We descend the fire escape, the city buzzing softly around us, but my focus stays on her. The way her fingers fit perfectly between mine, the way her steps match my own. We walk in silence, each other's company is all we need in this moment.

Our steps are slow and lazy, dragging this out as long as possible. My mind stays sharp, however, ensuring her safety. It’s a nice area, but you never know who or what you’ll find in the dark city streets.

When we reach her car, I hesitate. She turns towards me, biting down on that perfect lower lip, and something inside me snaps.

Fuck it.

I lose all restraint. I grab her hips, press her back against the cool metal of her car, and crash my mouth against hers. Nothing soft about it this time. It’s desperate and frenzied. Our hands are ravenous, roaming each other’s bodies. We’re feral for each other, unable to get close enough.

She is intoxicating and addictive. Our teeth clash, our tongues tangling in an intimate dance. Her hands pull at the back of my shirt, finding purchase on my bare skin.

I groan, the sound guttural. I’m putty in her hands.

“Theo…” she breathes against my lips.

“Soph,” I take her chin up, forcing her to meet my gaze. “I knew you were trouble from the moment I met you.”

She smirks, “I could say the same to you.” A smirk pulls at the corner of her lips, and I want to kiss it away.

I tip my head to the sky, exhaling sharply. The weight of reality crashes in once again.

“Look, Sophie,” my voice is low, careful. “Tonight—tonight was amazing. But…”

I take a step back, putting enough space between us to make my intentions clear.

“I can’t do this. My job, my life… if anyone finds out, everything will fall apart. You’re incredible, Sophie. But this… us… the timing is all wrong.”

Her expression falters, and the crack in her composure guts me.

I feel my heart crumple under the weight of her disappointment.

I hate this. I swear I’m destined to never find happiness.

Every relationship I’ve ever had has gone to shit.

And yet, in front of me is an incredible woman, someone I’d give everything in me to spend more time with.

But I can’t. Because she’s my student.

And I know she can never be mine.

“I understand,” she murmurs, but the hurt in her voice is unmistakable. “But… maybe one day we can try? After gr aduation?”

A soft smile tugs at my lips. “Yeah, Trouble. Maybe one day.”

Three beers deep already, and it still isn’t enough. The ache in my chest won’t fade, and I know damn well why.

Her.

How the hell did this happen? There must be something fundamentally wrong with me to feel this way for a student. But she’s different. I know how fucking cliché that sounds, but it’s the truth.

I felt alive tonight. I felt my soul reach for hers. For the first time in a long damn time, I didn’t dwell on the past or let the tragedy of my life play movies in my head, distracting me from the world right in front of my eyes. She silenced the ghosts of my past.

If only she were older and had already left high school in the rear-view mirror. I mean fuck , she could’ve been at least college age. Not that we wouldn’t still get side-eyed glances, but at least it wouldn’t be forbidden. We wouldn’t be forbidden.

I run a hand down my face, groaning deeply. Another swig. Another sigh. I eye the bottle of Jack in my liquor cabinet. The beer isn’t doing it, I need something stronger.

The whiskey burns on its way down, and I savor the feeling. It’s fitting. A physical pain to match the emotional torment.

When I’m well and sloshed, my fingers have a mind of their own, navigating to Facebook and typing in her name. Sophie Wilson. A small part of me knows I’ll regret this tomorrow, in the morning light, but fuck the responsible me. Tonight, I’m drunk.

Her profile appears instantly, as if the damn app knew I’d come looking. I stare for a moment, taking in her feminine features. Those lips I’d been kissing with abandon just hours ago. I hesitate, a long moment where I could still make the right choice. But I don’t.

Theo: Hello, Troublemaker.

I watch as the message is marked read almost immediately. My pulse kicks up, my stomach tightening as I watch the three dots appear.

Sophie: Hi, Theo. I guess I need a nickname for you now.

Theo: And what would that be? I’d love to hear it.

Sophie: Let me sleep on it. I’ll get back to you.

Sophie: Did you make it home safely?

Theo: I did. Did you?

Sophie: I did. But… I wish I was still with you.

The phone nearly slips from my hand. My lungs seize up, body going taut. What the fuck am I doing? I shouldn’t have messaged her. She’s a magnet, pulling me back into her orbit no matter how hard I try to pull away.

This is wrong on every level. I can’t even begin to grapple with the storm of emotions wrecking my insides. I hate myself for wanting her, for kissing her. She is my student. Regardless of her age, I have a responsibility to guide and teach her. Not take advantage of her or give in to temptation.

I feel like she deserves better than me. I’m in a position of power, and I’m willing to give into the chemistry we both feel, crossing the line into the forbidden. If I’m being honest with myself, I should turn in my notice on Monday. I suddenly don’t feel fit to be teaching.

If it were any other teacher in this situation, I would condemn the behavior. I would report them to their superiors without hesitation. She may legally be an adult, but that doesn’t make this okay.

I should block her. I should transfer schools. I should do something, anything, to change the course of my future and hers. But the worst part is that I know I won’t. Because the truth is, I don’t want to let her go. And that might just be my downfall .

I don’t message her again, knowing the drunker I get, the riskier those messages become. Instead, I drink until I can no longer keep my eyes open, falling into a restless sleep.