Love Exchanged In Secrecy

The desk chair creaked as he moved to sit down. The rustling of notebook papers and textbooks sounded in the quiet room, the lights flashed for a brief moment, a solid second of darkness as the radiator hummed taking the chill of fall out of the air and his bones. As the books were set down with a soft thud and the pencil began to scratch out notes already prepared on the board, he looked around glancing at how empty the room truly was. Checking his watch, he noticed the time and saw he only had a few extra moments before class was to begin. He leaned back and sighed. Nothing like another day in boring old Salem Mass.

Closing his eyes and willing the time to go faster, heels clicked on the marble flooring alerting him that first period was about to begin.

“Good morning Ms. Adams” he said voice dripping with lust and seduction.

The teacher glanced up from laying out her papers for the day and smirked behind her red square framed glasses, her hair high in a tight bun, lipstick so red it could rival a fire engine.

“Good morning Nathan, have a good weekend?” She smirked back and winked quickly as students began to fill the room like soldiers lining up for their orders.

“Better than good. Almost perfect.” He says back. She nods and the day begins.

Taking notes about World War II bores him quickly not because he finds it uninteresting but because his mind is still deeply rooted in his weekend. Her smile, the fireplace bathing her body in red and orange glows, the wood cracking and popping as they laid on a sea of blankets and pillows on the floor. The way she shivered when he left the cave of blankets or when he ran his fingers along her spine as she pretended to sleep. The kisses and touches shared into the early hours of the mornings. Making breakfast and coffee and serving her like the queen she is. Laying together and forgetting the world outside of the apartment. They could focus on one another and forget reality and enjoy and focus solely on each other. No one else mattered, until now.

Now they had to pretend nothing happened, something they’ve been doing for months and it becomes more tiresome with each passing day. Pretending they didn’t love each other had become second nature to them. Hiding text messages, using code names on phone calls, and late night rendezvous. He had his reservations about keeping this secret for this long, but ultimately he would give his life for her.

When the bell rang signaling the end of class, he gathered his things and winked as he walked out of the room and headed to his next class. She bit her lip as she attended to her papers that were in dire need of grading. Remembering how he makes her feel her resolve was slowly dwindling. She knew this feeling and their emotions and time together had an expiration date. Graduation. The only question in her mind was if he knew this too? Or was he this too deep?

Shaking those thoughts away and locking them up for another time, she went back to grading and he went about his school day. Hours later he found himself climbing the stairs of her home, her sleeping peacefully in his arms.

Laying her in bed and pulling the covers over her, he placed the gentlest of kisses upon her head and whispered as to not wake her from her slumber "I'm here for the long haul and I'll get you to change your mind and see things my way." Letting himself out and locking up after himself he started the walk home, his mind wandering as to how he can get her to see that what they have doesn't have to end. Or does it is? Is this destined to be a love only exchanged in secrecy or will their love bloom as new flowers do in spring? So many uncertainties, so many questions, and so few time. He has to hurry and get the girl before his time runs out and he is left heartbroken and alone.