My College Professor (R.S.L)

Chapter 10

Getting back into routine proved to be more difficult than expected. I knew I wouldn't be able to just jump back into the swing of things, but I didn't expect it to be this hard. I tried to go to my classes, but then I would have this trigger and start crying, forcing me to run out of the classroom and back to my dorm. 

Sleep deprivation was becoming an issue as well. The bags under my eyes were becoming more prominent, and the worry lines on Ross' forehead were as well. Whenever we crossed paths on campus, he would shoot me a worried look, his eyes showing nothing but pain. 

I couldn't even offer him a small smile to show him that I was okay. 

I wasn't. 

My health was declining as days went on, my appetite becoming practically extinct. This only resulted in my weight drastically dropping. 

I felt my arm being tugged on as I was walking towards my dorm, pulling me into a small area that was hidden behind some trees. I came face to face with Ross, who was wearing a pair of sunglasses and a beanie. I never would've known it was him if it weren't for his jaw line. He even had a backpack over his shoulder, making him look like a regular college student. 

He pushed his sunglasses onto his head, his pained eyes staring right into my tired ones. He gently cupped my cheek, tracing his thumb against my under eye bags. The feeling was soothing. "Erin,"

"I'm fine." I rasped out, my voice sounding so foreign from lack of use. All I had been doing was crying, leaving my throat feeling raw. 

He shook his head. "You're nowhere near fine. You look like a walking skeleton."

I was too weak and exhausted to make a snarky remark. 

"Which is why I'm brining you to my place," he continued. "You're gonna eat and sleep, because you look like you're about to collapse."

"You have class." I protested weakly. 

"I got someone to cover for me. Told them I had an emergency. Don't worry about anything, okay? I'm gonna take care of you." He laced our fingers together, giving them a quick squeeze before gently pulling me out of the enclosed space. With his "disguise", we were able to walk off campus fairly easy, no one even bothering to glance our way. 

Silence encompassed us as we made our way to his apartment, though his grip on my hand never wavered. Even as he led me inside he was reluctant to let go. Though it was hard to voice my appreciation, I truly was. I never had someone like Ross in my life who cared for me like he did, and I believed wholeheartedly that his kind was rare. 

He brought me into his bedroom, tucking me in like a child before sitting at the edge of the bed. My eyes were becoming heavier by the second. "I want you to sleep while I make you something to eat. If you need me, just yell."

As he went to stand, I grabbed his wrist, using whatever strength I had to pull him back down. I shook my head, tears filling my eyes. "Don't leave me." My voice was a mere whisper. "Please."

He leaned down to kiss my forehead, nodding against my skin. "Okay." He maneuvered under the covers pulling my body closer to his as he wrapped his arm around my waist. I automatically rested my head on his chest, grasping the fabric of his shirt. He slipped his hand under my shirt, his warm hand comforting against my skin. 

I let my eye slip closed as I listened to his steady heartbeat, hoping it would lull me to sleep. He whispered soothing words in my ear as I slowly fell asleep, no flashes of my dying mother plaguing my mind for the first time in two weeks. 

~*~

By the time I woke up, the moon was up and I was feeling more refreshed than ever. I rubbed my eyes, slowly sitting up to stretch my muscles. Ross was no longer in bed, but the scent of something delicious filled my nostrils, making me believe he was in the kitchen cooking.