Monday’s lecture had left Estelle rattled. The cool dismissal from Professor Celeste Thorne had echoed in her head for hours after she left the lecture hall. The way Celeste had looked at her—the way she had spoken to her—it was all too much. Too layered. Too confusing. She had spent the entire evening trying to figure out what that flicker in Celeste’s eyes had been, and why it had felt like a quiet storm waiting to explode.
Now, sitting in the café with Mia, she was once again trying to push thoughts of Celeste out of her head. Unfortunately, Mia seemed to be doing everything she could to drag those thoughts right back.
“So,” Mia began, biting into her sandwich with a mischievous grin, “tell me, how was your little chat with Professor Thorne after class?”
Estelle groaned, sinking lower into her chair. “It was fine.”
Mia leaned forward, narrowing her eyes. “Fine? You got up, all dramatic, after class and practically ran over to talk to her. I saw the look on your face when you came back out. That wasn’t ‘fine.’ That was ‘I’m spiraling, help me, Mia.'”
Estelle rolled her eyes, pushing her coffee cup around the table. “I just apologized for talking during class. She gave me the usual ‘be more focused’ lecture.”
“Uh-huh.” Mia raised an eyebrow. “And was she still looking at you like you’re her personal project? Or, you know, something more fun?”
“Mia!” Estelle hissed, glancing around the café to make sure no one overheard them. “She’s not—she doesn’t see me like that. She’s my professor. I’m her student.”
Mia took a sip of her drink, unfazed. “Sure, sure. But I’m telling you, the way she looks at you? That’s not just professor vibes. That’s something else.”
Estelle frowned, fiddling with the sleeve of her coffee cup. “Even if it were—which it’s not—it wouldn’t matter. It’s completely inappropriate.”
Mia snorted. “Inappropriate is only a problem if you let it be. Besides, what’s wrong with a little tension between you and the Ice Queen? I’d say it’s good for the soul. Gets the blood pumping.”
Estelle shot Mia a glare, but couldn’t stop the small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. “You’re ridiculous.”
“Am I?” Mia leaned back, stretching her arms over her head. “Maybe. But I’m also right. I’m telling you, Estelle, something’s brewing with Thorne. It’s just a matter of time before things boil over.”
Estelle didn’t respond, mostly because she was afraid Mia might be right. She had spent so much time convincing herself that whatever strange tension was happening between her and Celeste was just in her head, that it wasn’t real. But the longer it went on, the harder it was to ignore the way Celeste’s gaze lingered a second too long or the subtle undercurrent in her words.
Before Estelle could drown further in her thoughts, the door to the café swung open, and the last person she wanted to see stepped inside.
It was Victoria.
The same Victoria who had been with Celeste at the bar. The same woman who had taken a sudden interest in Estelle during their awkward encounter. Estelle’s stomach clenched as she watched Victoria scan the room, her sharp eyes landing on her almost immediately.
“Oh, for the love of—” Estelle muttered, sinking lower into her seat.
Mia raised an eyebrow. “What’s with you?”
“Victoria,” Estelle hissed, jerking her head toward the entrance.
Mia turned, and when she saw Victoria making her way toward their table, her eyes widened in amusement. “Well, well, well. Look who’s back. Guess someone couldn’t stay away.”
“Mia, please,” Estelle whispered, her face heating up.
But Mia, as usual, was enjoying this far too much to show any sympathy. “Relax. Let’s see what she wants.”
Victoria stopped at their table, a small, calculated smile curving her lips. “Well, if it isn’t Estelle Brooks,” she said smoothly, her eyes flickering to Mia for only a brief moment before settling back on Estelle. “Do you mind if I join you?”
Estelle opened her mouth to protest, but Mia was quicker.
“Of course not!” Mia said brightly, gesturing to the seat across from them. “Have a seat.”
Estelle shot Mia a death glare, but it was too late. Victoria was already sitting, her presence filling the space with a quiet intensity. Up close, she was even more striking than Estelle remembered—sharp features, poised, and clearly confident in every movement she made.
“I wasn’t expecting to run into you,” Victoria said, her eyes locking onto Estelle’s, as though they were sharing a private joke. “I hope you’ve been well since our… conversation the other night.”
Estelle felt a knot of discomfort twist in her stomach. “Uh, yeah. I’ve been fine. Just busy with school, you know.”
Victoria’s smile widened slightly. “Of course. School can be… consuming. Especially with Professor Thorne’s high expectations.”
Estelle’s stomach flipped at the mention of Celeste’s name, but she forced herself to remain calm. “Yeah, she’s tough.”
“Tough,” Victoria repeated softly, her eyes narrowing ever so slightly. “Yes, that’s one word for her. But she seems to have taken a special interest in you, hasn’t she?”
The question caught Estelle off guard, and for a moment, she didn’t know how to respond. “I don’t know about that,” she mumbled, feeling her face heat up.
Mia, never one to shy away from stirring the pot, jumped in. “Oh, she definitely has. Thorne’s got her eye on Estelle. She practically lit up when she saw her the other night.”
Estelle kicked Mia under the table, but Mia just grinned, clearly enjoying the spectacle.
Victoria leaned back in her chair, her smile never faltering. “Is that so?” Her eyes flickered between Estelle and Mia, as if weighing something in her mind. “Interesting.”
Estelle’s pulse quickened, unsure where this conversation was headed. Victoria had this unnerving ability to make everything feel like a game—one where Estelle wasn’t quite sure of the rules. And the fact that Celeste seemed to be at the center of this game only made her more anxious.
Victoria tilted her head slightly, her gaze once again locking onto Estelle’s. “So, tell me, Estelle. What exactly is it about Professor Thorne that fascinates you so much?”
The question was a trap. Estelle could feel it. But she had no idea how to navigate around it. “I don’t… I don’t think I’m fascinated by her,” she stammered, though the words felt false even as she said them.
Victoria’s smile didn’t reach her eyes. “No? Because from what I’ve seen, it seems like there’s something more between you two. Something… unspoken.”
Mia’s eyebrows shot up in amusement, but Estelle could only sit there, frozen, unsure of what to say.
Before she could respond, however, another voice broke through the tension.
“I hope I’m not interrupting.”
Estelle’s heart nearly stopped as she turned to see Celeste Thorne standing behind Victoria, her expression calm but her eyes cold as ice. The atmosphere in the café shifted immediately, the tension between Celeste and Victoria palpable.
Victoria didn’t even flinch. She simply smiled up at Celeste, her tone dripping with faux politeness. “Of course not, Celeste. I was just getting to know Estelle a little better.”
Celeste’s eyes flicked to Estelle for the briefest moment, and in that look, Estelle saw something—something fierce and protective. “I’m sure you were,” Celeste said coolly, her gaze shifting back to Victoria. “But Miss Brooks has a lot of work to do. She doesn’t need any… distractions.”
The word hung in the air, and Estelle felt her breath catch. There was no mistaking the edge in Celeste’s voice—jealousy, perhaps? Or maybe something more primal.
Victoria, for her part, didn’t seem fazed. She stood slowly, smoothing down her skirt with deliberate care. “Well, I wouldn’t want to distract her, of course,” she said, her smile never fading. “I’ll see you around, Estelle.”
With that, Victoria gave a small, almost mocking nod to Celeste before sauntering out of the café.
The silence that followed was thick and uncomfortable. Estelle’s heart pounded in her chest, unsure of what to say or do. Mia, sensing the tension, quickly made an excuse to grab another coffee and left the two of them alone.
Celeste’s gaze finally softened as she turned to Estelle, her voice lowering. “I hope she didn’t bother you too much.”
Estelle shook her head quickly. “No, it was fine. She was just… curious, I guess.”
Celeste’s jaw tightened slightly, and for a moment, something like frustration flashed in her eyes. “Victoria… tends to be too curious for her own good.”
Estelle didn’t know what to say. She had never seen this side of Celeste before—this almost protective side—and it made her heart race in a way she couldn’t control. There was something unspoken between them, something neither of them seemed willing to address directly, but it lingered in the air,
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