"And what’s so interesting up there?"

"Huh, what?" Simone asked, totally lost as she didn’t even realize what she was doing.

"Well, I was hoping I was more interesting to watch than a ceiling. My bad."

Simone laughed."I’m sorry. I was, well I don’t know where, but somewhere."

Smiling, Annabelle asked "Were you serious about that thing with Collins?"

Not supposed to tell."

"Why? I mean, you already told me too much."

"’Cause I said I wouldn’t. And I didn’t say anything."

"Why would she talk to you about it anyway?"

"’Cause I’m her favourite teacher."

"And you’re mine. And I remain your favourite student, and so, you’re gonna tell me." As Simone shook her head smilingly telling her she wouldn’t tell, Annabelle added "Oh c’mon. You don’t want it to be secrets between us, do you?"

"Speaking of which, you never said what you did to get your mom to give us the loft back."

Annabelle felt guilt clutched at her heart. "Point taken. But we’re talking about Collins here."

Simone gently detangled herself from Annabelle to face her, which made her growl in disapproval again. "Why won’t you tell me?"

Lowering her eyelids and pleading guilty, Annabelle didn’t respond.

"Baby. What is it?"

Gathering her thoughts, Annabelle simply said "Well. I told her to leave us the fuck alone. To call and cancel for the loft to let us have it."

"And I don’t suppose she said ‘yes, of course, whatever you and your perverted girlfriend want’, did she?" Simone was now being serious, her face aggrieved as she saw Annabelle reluctant to tell her everything.

"No. Not really." Looking up at Simone, she tried to anticipate what was going to be her response to the rest of the story. "She knew I was coming. And so she had prepared herself." Pausing a moment, she replaced a strand of golden hair behind Simone’s attentive ear "She told me she couldn’t let us be together ’cause she loved me and hated you. And so she tried to talk to me about how you had done that before with many students and that she had proofs of it. I think it was a desperate attempt, but, don’t worry, I didn’t believe her. And it magically turned out that she didn’t have anything. Then she offered me a deal." Pausing again, she shook her head, biting her lip "She said she knew where was my dad and she’d tell me. Only if I promised to never see or talk to you again. I didn’t believe her. And so she showed me a picture of him now. I was angry, I told her I didn’t care, that I just wanted you. So she offered me a choice, if you can call it that."