**Nina’s POV**
“Favorite color?”
“Pink,” I answer. The brown-haired boy nods and writes it down in his notebook.
“Blood type?”
“O negative,” I answer. He nods again. I sigh and glance at the clock. There’s still time-damn it.
“Allergies?” Mr. Winston asks. I snort, and he gives me a sideways glance.
“Is this how you gather truthful information about your friends? By giving them a questionnaire about their lives?” I ask. He raises his eyebrows, sets the notebook and pen down on the desk, and looks directly at me.
“How would you do it?” he asks. I shrug.
“I’d invite them for coffee, a walk in the park or on a pier, or maybe to a party. What do I know!” I say simply. He crosses his arms.
“Would you go with me to do any of those things?” he asks. I look at him for a few seconds, lost in my thoughts.
I can imagine thousands of scenarios where Alex sees me with Professor Winston anywhere, and they all end badly. I shake my head.
“Maybe just a normal chat,” I whisper. He sighs. I glance at the clock again.
Holy crap, time is so slow!
“Well, um…” he starts, trying to think of something to say. I really want to yell at him to let me out of this place. I sigh.
“Miss Louisa is pretty, don’t you think?” I ask. He opens his eyes in surprise. “Maybe you could take her out to dinner or something. I heard you caught her eye, and she’s a nice woman,” I add. He shakes his head.
“I’m not interested, actually…”
“Oh, come on! She’s quite pretty and has a good personality,” I comment. Professor Winston sighs. “Besides, you’re perfect for each other. You have so much in common,” I shrug. He raises his eyebrows, and I nod.
“Like what?” he asks. I stammer.
“You both have brown eyes, you’re serious, dedicated, responsible… uh, yeah,” I say simply. He pouts and nods.
“Fine, but I’m not going out with her anyway,” he says simply. I snort and roll my eyes.
“Have they told you it’s rude to roll your eyes?”
“Depends on the situation,” I reply with a nod. He wrinkles his nose.
“In what situation is it not rude?” he asks, confused. I click my tongue.
“When my eyes roll back because Alex is…” I cut myself off, a blush creeping up my face. “I don’t know. I guess it depends on the person you roll them at,” I shrug and glance at my watch. “But look, I’m out now!” I exclaim happily, grabbing my things. Professor Winston sighs, looking at his wristwatch.
“See you on Monday! Oh, and think about Louisa,” I wink at him and run out.
Outside, I look around, searching for Alex.
“But look at that beauty!” Alex exclaims. I spot him standing there in his fancy suit, hat, and sunglasses. He looks so damn hot.
I run toward him, jumping into his arms and wrapping my legs around his waist, causing him to take a few steps back. He laughs, and I start kissing him, cupping his face.
I hadn’t touched him for almost a month, and it was driving me crazy.
“I missed you so much, God,” I say. Alex smiles ear to ear. “Please don’t ever go away again.”
He gently lowers me to the ground and hugs me back.
“I missed you too, baby,” he whispers, kissing my cheek. “Come on, I want us to enjoy the afternoon,” he adds softly. I nod.
He links his hand with mine and leads me to his car. He opens the passenger door with chivalry. I thank him quietly and get in.
As Alex closes the door, he starts to walk away but stops abruptly. He frowns and turns around. I notice his jaw tense.
Professor Winston comes into view. He greets Alex formally, and they exchange a few words. Winston hands Alex something.
Alex presses his lips together in a firm line, says a few last words to him, and slams the door loudly as he gets into the car.
“What’s wrong?” I ask, scared.
Alex starts the car, driving at a speed that terrifies me.
“Put your seatbelt on,” he growls, glancing at me out of the corner of his eye.
“Alex…”
“Put your fucking seatbelt on!” he exclaims. Nervously, I do as he says.
My hands tremble, fumbling with the buckle. Finally, I manage it and sigh in relief. I glance at the speedometer.
“Alex, you’re going too fast,” I whisper.
He grips the steering wheel tighter, his knuckles turning white.
“If you don’t tell me what’s happening, I-”
“Just shut your mouth!” he shouts. I gulp, my eyes burning with unshed tears.
I look out the window, biting my inner cheek to stop the tears.
What could have happened with Mr. Winston to make Alex like this? He was so happy when he arrived. It scares me. He’s almost never angry-at least, not with me.
When we reach Alex’s garage, I quickly unbuckle my seatbelt and dash into the house, slamming the front door behind me. I race upstairs, locking myself in the guest room.
“Nina, open the fucking door!” Alex yells, pounding on it.
I sob, trembling-not from fear of Alex, but fear of fighting with him. I hate fighting with him.
“I swear, if you don’t open the door, I’ll break it down!” he growls.
“Not until you calm down!” I shout back. His pounding grows louder.
“I’m calm! Now open the fucking door!” he yells.
“You’re pissed!” I scream. A loud bang echoes as the wood cracks slightly. “You’re so pissed that you’re kicking down a door when you have a key! This is your house, Alex!”
The knocking stops. Silence fills the air. The doorknob turns, and Alex walks in, his face filled with embarrassment.
I roll my eyes and lie back on the bed, hugging a pillow.
“Baby…” he calls softly. I shake my head.
“No, Alex,” I growl. “You can’t throw a tantrum out of nowhere. You’re not ten years old,” I scold. He looks down, ashamed. “I don’t know what made you so angry, but your reaction wasn’t right. You need more self-control,” I whisper.
He looks away, clenching his jaw.
“I can’t,” he whispers, exhaling harshly.
“That’s ridiculous.”
“I can’t,” he repeats, louder this time. “Not when it comes to you. Not when you’ve been seeing Professor Winston for a month without telling me. And especially not when he has your fucking ring,” he growls.