Listening to Augustine speak with such passion was an amazing thing.

I couldn't help but sit amongst his student and be completely drawn in by him and his teaching style. So when class ended the room cleared out and I lingered.

"So what'd you think?" He asked as he collected his notes from his desk.

"I think it's a lot more intricate than I originally thought...but something I could see myself getting into."

He smiled, "I'm glad to hear it Grace."

"Hey about that that...should I call you Professor, Mister Andolini?"

"You can call me Augustine." He said cooly.

"How about Auggie."

He let a small chuckle fall from his lips now as he nodded, "Auggie is fine if thats' what you're comfortable with."

I nodded now, that moment of silence started to fill us. "I-I should get out of your hair...let you prepare for your next class."

He shook his head now, "That was my last class for the day."

"Oh."

"Uh...so can we talk a little bit more or do you have to get to class now?" He asked.

"I'm free...should we talk here or should we go somewhere?"

"Here's probably more convenient, and if no one walks in, it's private enough." He offered.

I swallowed hard at his mentioning we were in fact alone...a teacher and a student...two mates.

"Don't worry Grace...I told you, no rushing." He quickly calmed me down. "Plus I have a pretty hard truth to lay out before we go any further."

I instantly picked up on his unsure state now. "Okay." I said taking a seat in the front row now. 

He sighed and took the seat next to mine, "So earlier I spoke about being open and all of that, but I want us to be honest with one another as well...and that's why I have to tell you that...well, I'm currently contracted to marry someone."

His words hit my ears but I couldn't believe what I was hearing, more so I couldn't understand my reaction to hearing this news.

I wanted to cry.

Was this the Fate's way of getting back at me?

All these years I'd rebelled against tradition and always openly said I didn't want a mate, and now that I was giving into it, I couldn't even be with him.

"Grace." He sounded sadly. "This isn't something that I asked for, this was something done without my knowledge by my Alpha..."

"So...is that why you are so fine with us only being friends...because that's all we will ever be?" I asked angrily now.

He hung his head before peeking up at me, "I'm trying to find a way out of this marriage Grace, please believe me...I don't know this woman, but I'm sure she doesn't want this just as much as I don't."

"M-Maybe I could talk to my Dad...Maybe he has some answers?" I offered.

He smirked a little, "Does that mean you're ready to tell your Dad about me...and ultimately Us."

I laughed a little, of course as I was having a small mental breakdown at potentially never being with my mate, Auggie would see the romantic side. "Well we have do something before there isn't an US to tell anyone about."

He made a face.

"What?" I asked.

"There's more..."

"Of course there is." I said as I rolled my eyes.

"My Alpha has ordered me to not seek you out, so I can't call or text you, I can't take you out, I can't really do anything like a guy normally would...so all of this is up to you."

"So if I want to talk to you...-" I said as his earlier words echoed through my head, 'You take the lead on this.'

"You have to call or text me, you have to ask me out...again, this is all up to you, so we can only do as much as you want." He finished for me.

I sighed and pulled my phone out, "What's your number?"

I put in his number as he told it to me and text him so he'd get my number in return.

"Save it...I really do want us to sit down with my Dad and try to figure all of this out." I said honestly now. "I might not be ready to be with you fully right now but that doesn't mean I won't want us to have a 'normal' relationship later on down the road."

"And what if your parents don't want you talking to me, since I'm contracted to marry someone else?" He asked, I could see the genuine worry fill his eyes. "They could say it's useless and order you to leave me alone, or even rejec-"

"I won't." I said not want to even hear that as an option so I cut him off completely.

He looked at me and I looked at him, his warm dark eyes drew me in and if I didn't look away I felt like I'd drown in his stare.

I tore my gaze away from his hypnotic eyes and took in a deep breath to steady myself. 

"At the end of the day this is my life and my Parents know and respect that." I said with certainty, but in all honesty I was only hopping they'd see it that way as well.

He nodded, "thank you Grace."

I smirked, "You can call me Gracie...it's what (the most important) people call me."

He simply smiled and nodded.

"Well I wish you would just so happen to show up to Hamlot's tonight at 7, and maybe we could bump into each other there." He said cooly.

I laughed, "I like your loopholed attempts...but I genuinely can't, I have to have dinner with my parents...and if I'm going to tell them about you then I really can't miss it, but...Maybe you can come to dinner at my parent's house tonight at 6."

He looked down at his watch "Of course I'll come, but that's only a couple of hours from now."

"You got other plans?" I asked.

He shook his head.

"Good then you're free to come to Harmond with me to kill some time."

"I'd like nothing more Gracie." He said as he stood up now. "Now if you'd please officially invite me so I'm not going against my Alpha's orders."

"Oh, sorry...Auggie, would you please join me for the duration of the day?" I asked. "I would like to show you my hometown and introduce you to my parents."

"It would be my Honor."

After that we left his classroom together. He walked us out to the parking garage and I saw his car, goddess was it gorgeous.

"As amazing as your car looks, I don't think we can take it." I said.

His face fell, "Why not?"

"Well because your Alpha ordered you not to seek me out...so just to be on the safe side, we should probably take my car." I said as I held my keys up and clicked my alarm off, which sounded out in the open student parking lot.

"That's your car?" He asked more than a little let down as we walked over to it.

"Hey...My baby is a classic." I said of my car, I really did love that car and I got it from my grandpa.

He shook his head, "Gracie...my car is a classic...yours is..."

"Vintage." I said cooly.

"Hipster at best."

I rolled my eyes, "Say what you want but I love my car and she is perfect for me."

Just then it started to drizzle and I rushed to my car now, he was right behind me.

He got himself in my car and buckled up, "Let's hope this tin can can make it back to your parents place without getting struck by lightning."

"Shut up." I laughed as I started my car and took off.

__________

A/N:

Auggie's Car: 1969 Chevy Camaro, a green so dark it bordered black, 2 cream colored vertical stripes down the center of the hood.

Gracie's Car: 1968 BMW, dusty robin's egg blue. Wipers that don't work, passenger door that get's stuck every so often and a cracked drivers side mirror