His Eyes, His Smile.

Part 7

"Shit Alice! We slept in!" I heard James say, pulling me out of my dreams.

"What.." I asked still groggy with sleep and daftly confused.

"We have school today remember. And you have a physics lecture with that creepy, old professor."

After everything the weekend had entailed, going to a huge college full of hundreds of students was the last thing I wanted to do. I stuffed my head back into my pillow, dozing back to sleep.

"Babe, you've already missed your first lecture so you might want to start getting ready if you don't want to be late for the next one." James advised me, pulling me up out of bed into a big sleepy hug, me being still half asleep.

"But I know something I'd much rather do." I whispered into James' ear with a yawn.

"What's that love?"

"Oh I'll show you, I think you'll catch on pretty quick." I said smiling back with a twinkle in my eye and tiredly tried to pull James into bed.

"Alice stop, we have to go to school." James cut in with slight irritation in his voice.

My smile faded quickly.

"Oh, you don't want to.. I thought.. Don't you always say, 'morning sex is almost better than makeup sex' and we haven't had either of those in so looooong?'" I questioned, confused again and looking into his deep green eyes that are always so hard to read.

"Alice, I got a letter this morning. My dad has leukaemia and they didn't find in time to help him. He hasn't got much time left.." James said, sitting up and looking away from me.

I could tell by the quaking in his voice he was near tears. James didn't cry often but when he did, it made anyone watching feel the same pain.

"What?! James baby, I'm so sorry" I consoled. Putting my hand on his, I tried to be of comfort even though I had no idea what to do in this kind of situation.

I had never met his dad but from what I had heard from James, I figured they were alike. Hard working, loving and kind men who wouldn't let anyone down. After his parents got divorced, that's when James and his mum moved to Canada from Ireland. If James had had it his way, he could've been with both of them but his mum wanted it her way and the court ruled in her favour.

"It's fine. Lets go to school." James said sternly.

The coldness in his voice struck me like cold water. James had never talked to me in that kind of tone before and it frightened me. I got dressed quickly, not even doing a thing to my hair, grabbed my books and got in the car. James was waiting, tapping his fingers impatiently on the steering wheel and staring blankly out the window. The car ride was long and unnervingly quiet. All you could hear was the faint sound of the guy talking on the car radio. James parked next to the door closest to the chemistry lab, where my next class was.

Just before I was about to get out of the car James turned to me, his eyes exhausted. "Alice, I'm going back to Ireland to see my dad..," He informed me in a shaky voice. "Alone. I'm leaving tomorrow."

"Alone?"

"Yes, I want to see him for as much time as I can before..." His eyes glued to the floor. "I-I booked the flight already." He added more sturdy, opening his car door and getting out.

After that he just left and disappeared into the schools doors, didn't even kiss me like he usually does when we leave each other. I was so blown away by his news I hadn't realized that if I didn't go soon I'd miss my Chem lab. Rushing into the lab, I hurriedly put on my lab coat, threw my hair up and put on safety glasses, my mind lost in thought.

"Hi Alice.." Cody greeted me waveringly.

"Hi Cody." I replied.

I had forgotten that we were lab partners and was almost happy strangely that we were when I remembered. We started our experiment and I went and got the chemical materials we needed.

"Is something wrong Alice?" Cody asked when I returned, talking to me as if the weekend hadn't happened.

"Well.. Yes actually. James found out his father has leukaemia this morning and he's going back to Ireland to see him." I replied feeling a lump come up into the pit of my throat.

"Damn Alice, I'm so sorry to hear that.. That's terrible.. I wish I could do something."

"Well if we get back to our lab , maybe you'll find the cure to cancer" I mused dryly.

I earned a laugh from Cody but not soon after the awkward tension set in as I remembered our last conversation. I wasn't in the mood for any more humor or conversation. We stayed quiet for the rest of the class and time seemed to fly by fast. I couldn't concentrate at all during any of my remaining lectures. James and Cody filled my thoughts.

When James and I got home, he still wasn't talkative. He went to pack and I made us some food. We ate dinner together but neither of us said a word. Before bed, the only thing James said was goodnight, clicking the light off. The whole night I lay awake, dreading for morning to come.

"Goodbye Alice." James said giving me a hug and a kiss.

Finally I could taste his sweet lips again before he left. I let my lips linger as long as I could on James'.

"I'm going to miss you so much. Don't forget to call everyday okay?" I asked squeezing his hand and intently looking him in the eyes.

"I promise." James assured, giving me a last kiss on the forehead and walking towards his gate in the airport.

"I love you." He called back at me before I lost sight of him.

"I love you too!" I said in a loud voice, hoping he'd hear.

Tears tumbled down my cheeks as I drove away from the airport. I felt sick just thinking about how terrible the next couple of weeks without him would be. Turning on the stereo, I mindlessly drove home feeling already lost without James. I threw the keys onto the counter as I walked in the door and hopped back into bed.

"Oh James, I going to miss you so very much." I said to myself and fell back into a peaceful slumber.