"I can't believe you two."

Professor Peterson crossed her arms under her chest, glaring at me and Aaron. The latter giggled quietly as I tried to hold in my laughter.

"You lost fair and square, mom." Aaron shrugged his shoulder, continuing his artwork on his mom's face.

I bit my lip in an effort to stop myself from laughing, especially when Professor Peterson is giving me a nasty glare. But the drawings on her face did not give her any favor and only made me want to laugh more.

"Don't you dare laugh or I'm giving you a 2 in your grades."

I gasped. "That's way out of line, Miss. You're such a sore loser."

Her glare hardened. "That's a 3."

I squinted my eyes. "I'm going to tell the dean you're threatening me just because you lost at chess."

"Tell him, I'll even accompany you."

"Children." Aaron muttered, shaking his head at the both of us.

Professor Peterson and I both turned our heads abruptly to look at the kid with raised brows. Aaron only shrugged his shoulder, stood up and went to the kitchen all the while shaking his head as if disappointed with us.

Did he really just call us 'children'? This kid?

I couldn't help but chuckle. "Kid thinks he's 30 or something."

"Yeah," Professor Peterson smiled. "I sometimes wonder if his maturity is a good thing or not."

"Why do you think it's not?" Being matured enough, specially at a young age is a good thing.

"Because he felt like he needed to." She answered with a sad smile. "Tristan and I... haven't been good parents to him lately. And experiencing that may have pushed him to mature and be independent."

What exactly is their problem to begin with?

Professor Peterson must've noticed the curiosity all over my face because she spoke before I could. "Divorce. Tristan... he wants to have a divorce."

Before I even had the opportunity to ask or even react, Aaron came back from the kitchen with the big box of pizza. Professor Peterson's face went from looking defeated to smiling instantly. I frowned at that.

Sir Tristan wants to have a divorce? Him? Does that mean she doesn't want to?

I internally groaned, hating myself for feeling hurt despite not having the right to.

"Why are you frowning, Aide?" Aaron asked curiously, making his mom also turn to look at me.

Instantly, I let out a smile. "Because you're taking too long to serve me my pizza."

"Oh, right! Sorry. Here you go."

I playfully messed his hair. "Thanks, bud. Now go serve your mom."

I busied myself with eating and watching the film currently playing when Professor Peterson suddenly stood up, now with a wet patch on her pajama pants. Aaron bit his lip, still holding the glass of juice and kept saying sorry.

"It's okay, baby. It was an accident." She leaned down to give him a kiss on the forehead. "Why don't you go sit with Aiden while I go change?"

"Okay, sorry again, mom."

"I know, you don't have to say sorry."

Professor Peterson then went up stairs, presumably to their room. I placed my arm around the kid and pulled him to me. Aaron's body relaxed, leaning on my shoulders as we watched.

"This movie kind of sucks," I whispered to Aaron who agreed.

"Very cliche, I don't know why we're watching this."

"Your mom wanted to."

He shrugged nonchalantly. "She does have low standards when it comes to movies."

"Who has low standards?" Aaron and I jumped in surprise at the voice. We turned around to see Professor Peterson with her arms crossed, fresh out of the shower.

My eyes wandered down to the silk night pajama she's wearing, but unlike earlier, she's now in pajama shorts. Her long legs exposed and thick thighs not doing me any favor. I quickly looked away when I noticed she isn't wearing a bra inside her shirt. Feeling my face heat up, I used my hand to fan myself.

Stop fucking staring at her, Aiden! It's inappropriate and rude!

I scolded myself for basically objectifying Professor Peterson.

"You okay, Aide?" Aaron asked.

"Yup." I squeaked out. "Just hot."

"The AC is on?" He said in confusion.

"Just..." I didn't get to finish when I noticed Professor Peterson looking at me. When I turned to glance at her, she looked away immediately.

Of course she saw me staring! Now she must think I'm some kind of pervert.

I'm so fucking stupid. G-d, I hate myself.

————— - ————— - ——————

The game night ended with Aaron falling asleep on the couch, leaving me and Professor Peterson behind. Sitting properly, I watched as she swirled the wine around in the glass she's holding.

"I didn't get to finish what I was saying earlier," she cleared her throat. "About the divorce."

"Oh, yeah... You don't have to tell me if you're not comfortable, you know."

I know she's been confiding in me lately, but the memory of her telling me that this thing going on between us is inappropriate kept on flashing in my mind. I don't really understand why she feels the need to tell me her problems despite telling me that, but I figured she doesn't really know who to talk to. And I did offer myself.

"Y-You're right." She said with a slight chuckle, but I could tell it was forced.

Without so much as a thought, I slowly reached for her hand and intertwined it with mine. Loving how small her hand seems compared to mine.

"I'm here though, i-if you need another hug." I offered, looking down at her hands and avoiding her eyes.

She didn't try to pry her hand away, instead her grip tightened as she whispered a genuine 'thank you'.

With my thumb, I caressed the back of her soft hand as we basked in the silence between us.

—

I glanced down at our intertwined hands, warmth spreading throughout my body. Aiden's eyes are closed and I get to freely stare at her beauty, wondering what the hell am I doing.

Why I'm letting this happen and why I'm craving her presence.

Is this really something that I should be doing?

My conversation with Tristan then flashed to my mind. Remembering what he said that until now has been bothering me.

"Where were you, Tristan? Aaron kept on asking when you'll get home for hours."

"You know where I was, Amayah." He answered briefly as he takes his tie off.

"Is it still that same woman?" I asked although I already knew the answer.

"You know the answer to that."

"Why do you keep dodging my questions? Is it hard to answer them or are you just guilty?"

He let out a sarcastic laugh before facing me. "Guilty? The only thing I'm guilty about is my son seeing us pretending to be happy in this fucking marriage."

"Because you're not trying to make it work!"

"There's nothing to work, Amayah! When will you get that? We've tried everything for years but nothing is ever going to work because we're not in love with each other anymore. We've been unhappy for years and it's also affecting our son!"

"You think I don't know that? I'm trying to make this work because I want us to go back to the way we were before. I love you, Tristan. I want us to try this again."

"And I love you too, Amayah. But the love we have for each other are different now," He stepped towards me, cradling my face. "I know it's hard to end this because we were each other's rock for years. But you have to let it go. I still want you in my life but not as my wife anymore."

"I-I can't, Tristan, please..." I pleaded, my hands grabbing his shirt.

"I'm in love with Bianca," he whispered. "And she's waiting patiently for me to end whatever we have."

"You're really in love with her?" I bit my lip to stop the trembling.

"Yes," Tristan nodded. "And I think you are, too."

That caught me off guard. I pushed him off, confused. "W-What? What do you mean?"

"You think I didn't noticed how happy you seem lately? It's been years but I clearly remember the smile I saw yesterday as the same smile you wore when we did our vows."

"I-I'm not in love with anyone."

"But you will, eventually." He smiled. "Please, let yourself be happy. This, us, is slowly breaking you apart and I don't want that for you."

"But Aaron–"

"Aaron is a smart kid, he'll understand. I'm certain he already knows. So please, do me a favor and stop hurting yourself."

Is this what he meant when he told me to be happy?

Am I really letting myself get involved with someone so young, more so my student?

As much as I try to avoid it and the fact that nothing haven't really happened yet, feelings are present and that's something I can't deny.

I know Aiden likes me.

Do I really feel the same way?