Hearts On Campus: An Instalove Possessive Age Gap Romance by Flora Ferrari (top reads txt) 📕

both and I trust him more than my own situation and way more than any security guard.

Wes encourages me to take everything I think I’ll need, like he doesn’t plan on seeing me back here to stay, ever.

I pack some clothes and a few papers, telling myself I can always send for or come back for anything else. Clothes and stuffed animals mostly, everything I need for my work is on my laptop and phone, which I also take with me.

“Are you gonna move out too?” I joke to Wes, wondering if we’re going back to his place or just straight off campus.

His look is serious, and I know he’s weighing up things that don’t involve me, but they do involve me.

Everything involves me now.

His job for starters.

I feel mild panic rising, threatening to become something more sinister, but something as simple as Wes’s hand on my back as he guides me out the door is enough to make me feel okay again.

“It’ll work out, you’ll see,” he says with a confidence I hope I can develop someday.

We walk back to his apartment, which seems further away because I’m carrying a backpack and a suitcase.

Wes offers to carry it but I refuse, until about halfway when he just takes it from me like it weighs nothing. Saying nothing about it either,

My burden is his burden.

But that’s not what we are to each other.

Maybe it would be a different story if I was in my freshman year, but with only weeks out until the end of term and the end of college for me, it’s perfect timing.

The campus is still empty, maybe even more so than yesterday. Not a soul appears until we’re right at Wes’s building and a cab pulls up.

He groans to himself and then I gasp when I see who it is getting out.

“Professor Bernstein,” Wes calls out to greet him. “I thought you were gone for the whole weekend, everything alright?”

My professor blinks as he focuses, looking from Wes to me, down to my bags, and then back to Wes and then settling on me again.

“Ms. Webster,” he says curtly.

“Everything alright, Bernie?” Wes asks again, trying to keep it light but there’s a pretty tense vibe coming from the Professor.

I’m his number one student and Wes is his friend and neighbor.

“I had a date lined up,” he huffs, lifting his nose in the air a little.

I try not to smile and so does Wes. “A date? Well, that sounds special. How’d it go?” he asks innocently.

“She had a heart attack if you must know. Stupid I know, messing around with older women,” he snorts to himself.

“Oh my god, Professor Bernstein,” I gasp. “Is she okay, are you okay?” I ask, genuinely concerned.

He humphs again, not wanting to make eye contact.

“She’ll be fine. I’m fine. I should never have… Well. It looks like you’ve been busy while I was gone, Wes?” he adds, plenty of acid in his tone.

“I’m just helping Mr. Heart with his computer,” I say innocently, watching his eyes dart to my bags again.

“I’ll be gone a few days, Bernie,” Wes says, lowering his voice and stepping closer.

I take my cue and scoot up the stairs while Wes has a word with him, man to man, I guess.

I can overhear them both though, even waiting on the landing out the front of Wes’s place.

“This is outrageous... A man of your standing in the college… I’ll have to report it… I know it’s not technically against the faculty codes of conduct… but, really.”

And so on he goes.

The professor can get pretty fired up when he wants, and I’m grateful when Wes comes up the stairs without him and lets us both in.

“Is he gonna be alright?” I ask, grimacing as Wes sighs quietly.

“He’ll be alright, just had to have his two cents worth,” he adds.

“He’ll be alright, just letting off steam.”

I have to ask Wes, I need to know now.

“Wes? Is what we’re doing against the rules? I mean, could all this get you fired?” I ask.

He’s shaking his head.

“No, Katelyn. Like I said unless I was your teacher in any class you take, and unless you were underage of course, it’s nobody’s business what we do.”

He seems annoyed when he says it, but I know it’s because he’s only just had to defend himself against the Professor.

And I know we’ll both have to defend ourselves if word gets out.

“I don’t want to cause any trouble for you, Wes,” I tell him because I don’t.

“You haven’t and you won’t,” he assures me, moving over to embrace me, and I notice I’m trembling.

“I guess I have a fear of authority,” I admit, making him frown.

“People should mind their own business,” he says comforting me.

“I won’t lie. This is gonna make waves if it gets to the ears of certain people, Katelyn. But I don’t have any regrets, and I’ll do whatever it takes to keep things all about us, alright?” he asks.

I nod firmly, but I can’t help feel a knot in my stomach.

Just a few weeks, and you’re not even a student anymore. The end of the year will overshadow everything…

It should make me feel better, but it doesn’t.

Something about the way Professor Bernstein reacted disturbs me, same as that security guy.

Overreacting more like it.

But like Wes says, it’s nobody’s business but ours.

He holds me against him and kisses me, making me forget about everything that isn’t about us for now.

“I should grab a quick shower, shave,” he says. “Maybe pack a few things myself.”

I feel my heart leap at the thought of him in the shower and chew my lip as I feel my eyes go wide.

“Best if I do this one alone,” he says, reading my mind.

“We’ll be here all day otherwise and I really wanna get off campus,” he adds.

I have to agree and offer to make us some coffee while he does what I know I’d rather be helping with.

While Wes showers, I set about finding and making coffee before I just