TWENTY-TWO

                                    

                                          



A L Y S S A
"I like to fuck with you, just to make up with you, 'cause the way you be screaming my name make me wanna make love to you."
. . . 
During one of my breaks, Zainab and I manage to properly sit down and talk to each other, catching up about everything that's happened during the holidays.
"Honestly, he was one of the sweetest guys, so humble and thoughtful," she sighs, telling me everything about the guy she met while she visited her family.
She shows me his Instagram, and I take it with raised eyebrows. 
"You guys would be so cute together! And he matches your style perfectly," I squeal, and scroll through more pictures. 
"We've been texting and calling a lot the past few weeks, I like him so far," she blushes, and I'm so happy for my best friend.
Hopefully, this guy proves himself to be one of the good guys. Because Zai doesn't have the best history with guys who have been interested in her. 
"Inshallah, he's a good guy and you'll end up together," I tell her, and she grins. 
"Inshallah," she repeats. 
"Anyway, I've ranted enough. How's your guy?" she asks and wiggles her eyebrows. 
"How is your guy?" a new voice joins us, and Zoe takes a seat with us on the bench outside the cafeteria. 
"Hey you," I greet her. "It's been a while since we last talked."
"Yeah, I've been busy with school," she says and flashes us a smile. "I've been meaning to text you two to meet up," she continues. "But you were about to spill everything, I want to hear it too."
I tell them about the trip that I went on with Matteo and his family, and that I couldn't let the opportunity slide because his brother would be there too.
Then, I tell them about the kiss and what happened at the dinner table. 
"And nothing else happened?" Zoe asks. "You were there for a whole week with them and nothing happened? How?"
I can't tell her that Roman remained professional – or tried to – with me due to him being my professor, because I left that part out when I first told Zoe about my revenge plan. 
A plan I find myself not thinking about when I'm with Roman. Because he intrigues me, and I want to be in his presence just because. 
He hasn't let me get to know him, and I want to. 
Hurting Matteo is a tiny bonus, now. 
I ask Zoe about her break, and she rants about her hot trip to Bora Bora. I quickly tune her out when I realize she's just going on about the trip until it's time for me to leave for me to leave. 
I get up and start heading for my class. I'm wearing another skirt, seeing as Roman couldn't take his eyes off it the last time I wore one. 
The skirt is black and tight-fitting around my hips. My top is white, with a deep neckline. Underneath my skirt, I'm wearing black tights. My black boots hit the pavement as I make my way to his class.
He doesn't look at me when I enter his class, not a single glance when I sit down either or when he starts his lesson.
The whole time during his lecture, I keep my eyes on him while he does everything except make eye contact with me.
I wonder if he missed me entering his class and couldn't be bothered to look for me now that his class is started, but I know that's not the case.
He usually glances over at me once or twice.