Author's Note- Edited.

Enjoy!

Forbidden

Mistaken

Before I could say anything to him, Professor Souza's phone went off. He looked between it and me before resolving to answer it and exiting the diner.

"What the hell was that all about?" Nate questioned, staring after Professor Souza with a confused and somewhat irked look. I only wished that I wasn't asking the same question myself.

Later that evening, the police came in and asked to speak with everyone who had last seen Rae Sunday evening before she had gotten off of work. That only left them to interview Marcus and myself. Marcus claimed that he had left early and I allowed the police to see his punch card for verification. Then I told them that the two of us had left the diner together and that I had driven away before she had gotten into her car.

I escorted them to the parking lot where all the employees parked and even allowed them to search my Honda. I knew they needed a warrant or something along that nature for that, but I was far too concerned and shocked about the turn of events to argue that against them. Besides, I had nothing to hide.

The rest of the week followed a similar pattern. The police only came back twice to ask any additional questions they could come up with and even the local news reporters came by to get in their interview. I had to call up Michael and inform him that I refused to be on TV. He came and did the interview for me.

Everything that I was able to gather about the situation was that Rae had driven off in her own car before she had gone missing. She never showed up to the apartment she was sharing with her roommate, meaning she had disappeared somewhere between her commute from the diner to her place.

Only, Rae's vehicle was missing as well.

By the time classes resumed the following Monday, the situation had died down. Of course the police were still searching, but the news had found newer and better stories to report, so the publicity of the event dwindled significantly. And there was nothing I could do about it myself. All I could do was hope that Rae was okay.

However, being the movie lover that I was, I had seen enough abduction stories to know that, after 72 hours, it was nearly impossible to track someone who had been kidnapped.

Had Rae been kidnapped? Was she held prisoner somewhere against her will? Was she hurt? Was she even-

I used my return to school as a distraction to keep me from thinking so negatively about the status on Rae's whereabouts. Again, all I could do was hope that she was okay and that the police would find her soon.


Monday morning after break found Nate and I treading carefully across the icy parking lot of the math and sciences campus, making our way to calculus. There hadn't been much snow fall since winter had started, but, what little we had had solidified into a good sheet of ice and the city was cautioned to be mindful of it.

For someone with a klutz record like my own, it was easier said than done.

As we slowly approached Professor Souza's lecture hall, Nate was teasing and poking fun at me as I shuffled inch after inch across the slick asphalt. Annoyed, I attempted a swing at him which, really, wasn't my best idea as he was clearly out of my reach. Too late, however, I lost my balance and my left heel slipped out from underneath me. Nate stopped laughing for a mere second to lunge and grab for my arm. When his hand gripped around my wrist, he pulled, tugging me swiftly back up and into his form.

Nate's arms wrapped around me and the two of us took a second to steady ourselves before my ginger friend burst out into another round of boisterous laughter. I glared at him.

"Yeah. Keep laughing, jackass. Next time, I'm taking you down with me."

"I-I'm sorry," He chortled. "It's just that, you're almost as prone to landing on your face on the ice as you are with perfectly dry and straight ground."

"I could seriously hurt myself, you know? Then you'll feel like a real dick for laughing at me."

"Oh come on, Chloe." Nate mumbled, finally calming down as he rolled his eyes. "I'm just messing with you. Besides," He added, dark blue orbs locking with mine as he took a sudden serious demeanor. "I'll always be there to catch you when you fall."

I would have made a jab at the cheesiness of his statement, if not for the fact that his arms seemingly tightened just a fraction, his fingers lingering there against the small of my back and the sincere way he was holding my gaze. I swallowed anxiously, uncomfortable.

It hadn't always been like this between us. If I claimed that I hadn't noticed the way Nate had been acting differently around me over the last couple of years, I would have been lying. That didn't mean that I didn't cover it up with, what I deemed to be, logical explanations. Nate was my best friend and I knew that, no matter what, he was always going to be there to take care of me. Somehow, though, the thought that it all meant more to Nate than it did to me always crept up and nagged at the back of my mind before I shoved the ridiculous idea away.

Was I in denial? Probably, but, I liked to think that I wasn't. At least for the time being. Nate had never really acted out towards me in more ways than just friendship, so I often told myself that I was imagining things whether, deep down, I knew I was deluding myself or not.

"Um, w-we should get to class." I muttered quietly, tenderly pushing away from him afraid that- afraid of what? That I would hurt his feelings?

Nate's intense gaze broke as fast as it came on as he released a mock, deflated sigh, returning back to the friend that I knew and loved.

"Man, I wish it was still break. I really don't want to start classes again. All these general courses are going to bore me to death before I can even get to the fun stuff at Juilliard." He whined, releasing his hold on my waist. However, he didn't break full contact, as his hand slipped into mine.

I blushed, glancing down at his large hand enveloping my own, telling myself over and over that it was nothing. He was just doing it so that he could help me make it through the rest of the parking lot without falling on my ass, and that was it.

We walked into our calculus class with a few minutes to spare. As a habit, I glanced over towards Professor Souza's desk and found him standing over it, one hand shuffling through his lesson plan, the other holding his daily green apple up to his lips as he took a bite out of it. Upon our entrance, he glanced in our direction, his jade eyes meeting mine for just a brief second before they lowered and fogged with question. I took a minute to search for what he was looking at and found my hand still clasped against Nate's.

I quickly peeled my hand away and shrugged when Nate gave me a questioning look. I glanced back in Professor Souza's direction but found his attention glued to the stack of paperwork upon his desk again. I felt slightly deflated at the idea of what he thought by what he had just seen. However, just as I was about to mumble to Nate that we should find our seats, Professor Souza took a final bite of his apple, discarded it into the wastebin beside his desk, then motioned a beckoning gesture with his now free hand.

"Hey, save me a seat alright?" I mumbled to Nate, then sauntered my way towards Professor Souza's desk before Nate could reply or protest.

As I approached, I instantly noticed the dark rings beneath my mentor's eyes as he continued to skim through the paperwork that littered his otherwise organized desk. The last time I had seen him, he had been fleeing the diner after the news announced of Rae's disappearance. To say this was the first time that I wondered why he had been there in the first place- and have not resurfaced the entire week since then- would be complete and utter bull. I'm surprised that I was able to think of other such things. Like Rae actually missing for instance.

There was a part of me that had been suffocated since that day that wistfully wondered what had taken place the night Professor Souza had come to my rescue during Liam's New Year's party. What happened after I had gotten into his car and closed the door, throwing all caution I'd otherwise have, despite the circumstances, out the window?

But then more important matters had me reeling from such wonders, where I told myself that I was being foolish and should have worried more about Rae's wellbeing and Professor Souza's odd behavior that evening at the diner. If I asked him, would he tell me? I liked to think that all that time spent with him wasn't of him humoring my ideals of us being more than just a teacher and his student in order for me to actually study and pass his finals.

Only one way to find out, I suppose.

Professor Souza finally met my gaze again as I approached and instantly jumped into his business with my summons.

"What do you think about adding Monday afternoons to our study schedule?"

I blinked. I didn't know exactly what I expected when he had called me over. I honestly conjured up three liable options:

'Plan on pleading your case towards your decisions New Year's Eve?'

'How are you dealing? You know, with your friend missing and all?'

'Looks like you and Nate are more than friends to me.'

I'll admit, the last one was quite a stretch and didn't seem a part of Professor Souza's character if he cared about what he had just seen between Nate and I or not. Still, I would have liked to jump for the opportunity to explain to him that it wasn't what it looked like.

It wasn't.

However, I wasn't at all expecting him to bring up our study sessions, let alone add another day to our schedule. Not that I was complaining, but I felt a slight stab as if he was saying, You're not doing good enough, Chloe. You're going to need this extra day, if not the whole week.

Why did I have to be so bad at math?

As if he could read my mind through my deflated expression, he replied with a shake of his head.

"I'm asking, Chloe. Not demanding. The final is next Friday, giving the class roughly two weeks to study the last lesson I'm introducing this week and to review. I thought you might appreciate an extra day if you had any questions on previous lessons."

"R-right. No, that's fine. I'm okay with Mondays. I have to work most Fridays so…" I trailed off, blushing furiously as I realized that I was babbling frantically.

Professor Souza's lip quirked faintly, flashing that small crooked smile of his that I doubted more than few were ever graced to see. My heart leapt.

"That's why I suggested Monday, Chloe."

"Right." I muttered again, smiling back.

So, I started studying with Professor Souza on Mondays, in addition to the Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday study sessions. It wasn't that much of a change, really, considering it was only two extra days before the end of the term. But, it did give me a little extra time to spend with my calculus Professor with at least a reason to. It wasn't until the second Monday that I spent at the opposite end of Professor Souza's desk, bent studiously over my review packet, that something about all this final talk and end of the term preparation hit me in a devastating realization.

This was my last week in Professor Souza's class. Sure, we would all return the following Monday for our final scores, and of course Tuesday was a free day for anyone who needed a make-up. But, come Wednesday, NYU's student body would be switching to their second term choices.

How had this not occurred to me before? I mean, sure, I knew the final was fast approaching, but I had been so busy studying- both math and my math Professor- that it never really clicked that final also meant the end of my time in Professor Souza's course. The end of my time with Professor Souza, period.

Would he still come by the diner on Saturdays to visit? What would he say if we ever saw each other around campus after all this? Would I even be around the math and science campus once this term was over? What if Professor Souza and I hadn't connected enough to merit some sort of relationship after this was all over?

Was this really the end?

By the time Thursday came- the day before the final- I found myself so swamped in last minute cramming that I couldn't even afford to think of what would happen once I received my score on Monday. I was so stressed, though I knew that I was more than ready for the test, that anything I directed towards Professor Souza wasn't anything more than a question over previous lessons or a request for him to check my work.

I think he could tell how stressed I was. Feel it washing off of me in waves even. For he grabbed my hand, as I was once again falling into that habit of aimlessly twirling my pencil in between my fingers, and caught my attention. I met his jade eyes and my mind blanked. All of it. Gone. Every equation and algorithm that I had been drilling into my brain, branding it there in hopes that it would stick and be there for me the following morning, vanished, all by his gaze. At any other moment, I probably would have marveled at how he was capable of doing that to me, just with his eyes.

Now, however, I panicked.

"Chloe, breathe. You're going to do fine." He rumbled lowly, tone calm yet void of reassurance.

With Professor Souza, he didn't sugar coat. He spoke the blunt truth. And, when he was trying to get a point across, he used that tone. I knew he was right. I knew. But I couldn't fight my ever growing anxiety.

Professor Souza's gaze held mine, his hold on my hand tightening. My heart shuddered and I could feel the fear of failing ebb. He opened his mouth to say more when the sound of his classroom door crashing open had us starting and jumping apart.

The two of us cast our gaze towards the entrance of Professor Souza's lecture hall, part of me fearing that it was Professor Banks paying another unexpected visit. Only, this was not Professor Banks.

Standing in the doorway was a tall, slender woman. Maybe almost Professor Souza's height with the two and a half inch pumps she donned in collaboration with her designer clothing. A green sweater that reached to her mid-thigh, doubling even as a dress as her legs were covered in dull black leggings. She had shoulder length, vibrant black hair, a disarray of curls framing her high cheek bones, fair skin and deep brown eyes.

She was gorgeous.

I glanced over when I heard Professor Souza sigh, an exasperated sound, and caught his expression in time to see him rolling his eyes.

He knew this woman?

"Hey." The woman murmured, tone bored as if she wished to be anywhere but here.

"Can I help you with something?" Professor Souza rumbled, annoyed. The woman snorted.

"Gosh, Der, it's so great to see you too." She said, making her way into the classroom and over towards Professor Souza's desk. "No, Oh, Tori, I've missed you so much. I-"

"What do you want Tori? Aren't you supposed to be crashing my apartment?"

"You mean crashing at your apartment." The woman- Tori- corrected, rolling her eyes.

"I know what I said."

Tori grimaced while I reeled in confusion. Beautiful woman waltzing into Professor Souza's classroom, addressing him as Der, implying that he should miss her, then the mention of her staying at his apartment? By their annoyed tones, as if they rather be doing anything other than associating with each other at the current moment, I'd assume that the two had had a recent fight.

But, if all of this pointed to anything, as far as the connection between the two, I'd draw up the conclusion that they were-

I swallowed the rising ache at the thought and nearly smacked my head against the desk for having been so naively stupid all this time.

What- what the hell had I been thinking?

I clutched my hands together to keep me from going back into my fit of nervous hysterics before Tori had entered the room as question after painfully What-have-you-been-doing-all-this-time question bombarded my brain like an army of kamikaze aircrafts.

My initial goal had been to discover whether I meant more to Professor Souza than any of his other students, finding the way that he treated and addressed me unlike that of which he did to anyone else. After Thanksgiving break, I had really thought that there was something there. What though? Did I honestly think that Professor Souza got the same strange, yet elated feeling of butterflies squirming throughout his stomach whenever I met his gaze? Did I truly believe that, whenever he smiled, he was showing a part of himself that he only felt comfortable with showing me?

Had I been reading into everything far too much since my first meeting alone with Professor Souza? I liked to think that I saw all the signs in the right light, that I caught all the hints that he didn't express himself the way that he did to anyone other than myself. But, in the end, I guess that this crushing feeling, as I caught Professor Souza throwing a teasing smirk- one that I was so used to thinking was no one else's but mine- Tori's way, was reality shattering the inane fantasy I have been living in for the last month and a half.

Professor Souza, being the kind of guy that he was- smart, straightforward, successful, handsome- of course he would have a-

"Whatever," Tori muttered distastefully, then reached her hand out towards Professor Souza, palm facing up.

"Just hand over your keys. I lost my spare."

Professor Souza scowled.

"So the key to my apartment is out there in the world for some random stranger to pick up, giving them access to my home?"

Tori fixed him a look, leaving me slightly curious- shamefully more than I should have been- as too how bad it must have been if they did, in fact, have a recent disagreement.

As if reluctantly, Professor Souza reached into the messenger bag that held his work and plucked a keychain from its depths. He dropped it into Tori's outstretched hand and she snatched them up, closing her fist around them before turning her gaze in my direction.

"You must be Chloe Saunders."

I blinked.

Tori frowned, giving me a once over as if I were slow since I didn't reply. Really, I was too surprised to.

"That is who you are, isn't it? Based on what Derek's told me, you do seem to fit the part."

I blinked again, slower, even more perplexed. Professor Souza talked about me?

Running interference, Professor Souza stood and cleared his throat. My brain was still under critical reconstruction, trying desperately to process what this all meant.

"Right. Tori, this is the student I've been tutoring, Chloe Saunders. Chloe, this is Tori Bae, my-"

Suddenly, my brain clicked. Maybe because Professor Souza's voice snapped me back into the present situation and I realized bashfully that I was gawking strangely at Tori. Determined to do some damage control, maybe even just take the introduction, then make a quick excuse to flee the classroom so that I could wallow in self-pity due to my disappointment and stupidity, I jumped up and reached out my hand in greeting towards Tori.

I was going for courtesy and just a little fake pleasure, but I wouldn't be surprised if I sounded more forced and spastic than anything else. It didn't matter. Anything just to get out of here.

"R-right, I-I'm sorry. I was just s-surprised that you knew who I was. I wish I had been able to recognize you. P-Professor Souza never mentioned having a girlfriend."

As I spoke, Tori had eyed my hand wearily. When I finished, her dark eyes snapped to mine, weirdly surprised, but sharp and suddenly filled with disgust.

"Excuse me?"

I glanced over at Professor Souza, wondering if I had said the wrong thing. Maybe even gotten him into trouble for not really talking about her considering how peeved she looked. However, when I caught his eye, I found that he had almost the same look as Tori's with the addition of his furrowed, confused brows.

A sudden boisterous sound erupted from the doorway, the intruding noise once again startling the occupants of the classroom and pulling at our attention.

There, doubled over against the door frame, a slender man stood shaking in a fit of uncontrollable laughter. I couldn't see much of his face, but I could see that he was tall, if not the same as Tori's regular height minus the heals, with tan skin and a mess of spiky, dark blonde hair.

"And what are you laughing at," Tori sneered.

The man tried to speak between gulps of air and laughter.

"I-I don't know-" A gasp for air. "-what's funnier-" Another chortle. "-the idea of you and Derek dating, Tori-" An explosion of giggles. "-or the idea of Derek having a girlfriend."

This time, Tori and Professor Souza rolled their eyes in unison.

What was going on here? First Tori walks in, demanding Professor Souza's key to his apartment while insinuating that she was his girlfriend. When I had pointed it out, they both looked at me as if I had grown a second head before this newcomer- who clearly knew the two other adults in the room- guffawed at the very thought. If Tori wasn't Professor Souza's girlfriend, then who was she?

And if the man found the idea of Professor Souza even having a girlfriend comical, did that mean that he didn't have one?

No. Focus.

Right, I was still entirely too jarred by these events to even try and think along those lines and how elated it almost made me feel.

"Um," I mumbled, looking for something a little more polite to say than Hey, what the hell is going on here? Professor Souza was the first to speak.

"Chloe, Tori isn't my girlfriend. She's my sister."

Once again, as I couldn't seem to break the stupid habit, I blinked, dumbfounded. Then my cheeks reddened.

"Oh."

"Yeah," Derek mumbled, rolling his shoulders impatiently as he seemed more than finished with what was currently happening, maybe just as aggravated by it as I was confused by it.

"And chuckles over this is-"

As Professor Souza gestured towards the man who had calmed down enough to look our way, I was finally able to depict his facial features. I gasped, finding that I recognized his chiseled cheek bones and almond shaped eyes, matched with his messy blonde hair.

"Simon Bae," I breathed, just as Professor Souza said, "-my brother."