Starr Academy: College Life {Part One}

Starr Academy: College Life- Chapter Twenty

Twenty

~~Hope's Point Of View~~

I stared across the room at Ian. He was asleep curled up on one of the chairs. One of his legs hooked over an armrest. An arm hanging over the other armrest with his head hanging that way too. The blanket that had been on him had mostly fallen away.

Stroking Nageria, I just watched him sleep. Even though I maybe weak still being as sick as I am, but seeing him like that lifted my spirits. He must have slept there all night. Watching over me. Worrying about me in an uncomfortable position.

Nageria yawned in her way and stretched up. After giving me a rub, she glided over to Ian and landed on his knee. Ian didn't even move as she tilted her head to the side. Studying him as he continued to sleep. It oddly looked normal to see her do that with him.

She made the softest of chirps and Ian jumped. Nageria stayed right where she was as he yawned and stretched. When he relaxed again, he smiled down at her and scratched under her beak. "Hello my sweet. Waking me up again?"

I could hear her kind of purr from here as he pet her and she placed her cheek on his chest. "Does she wake you often?"

Ian's eyes snapped to mine. "You're awake." Wrapping one of his arms around Nageria, he rose and came over to sit on the edge of the couch. "How you feeling?" Placing his free hand over my forehead with the back of it checking my temperature.

"Still terrible."

Nodding, he stroked away the mess that was my hair. "At least you don't had such a high temperature anymore."

Looking up at him as Nageria slipped onto his shoulder so he could fuss with my blanket and the pillow I had, I watched him and felt warmth. He had watched over me. Now he's tending to me. "You'll make someone very happy someday." My big mouth just had to blurt out.

His hands stilled as his eyes came to mine. A soft smile on his face. "You think so?"

My own smile appearing just as soft as his. "You looked after me so well that I know you will."

His fingertips touched my forehead and a sigh slipped out of my throat before I could stop it. "Is there anything I can get you?" My heart beat quickened with how sweet and intimate this felt. Odd feelings twisting about even if I felt like crap. "Maybe a little water?" I nodded into his palm as he cupped my cheek.

Rising, I watched Ian leave the room with Nageria still on his shoulder. My mind wondering how often she has been around him. Whether it has been to be near him for her absence so much as of late. She seems to care about him just as she cares about me.

I turned my head at a sigh from the doorway. Zander leaned against the doorframe to the living room with his head hung. "Now I know why."

"Why what?"

He looked over at me and gave me a pained smile. "I'm not the one you wish to date. Your heart isn't for me." Walking over to me, he placed his finger over my lips when I was about to speak. "I think it's time I come back to reality." His hand fell as I felt my heart constrict. "I loved the fantasy that we were creating, but I would be a fool to let us continue now that I've seen reality."

I placed my hand over his heart. "But I don't want to break your heart."

His hand rested over mine and he smiled at me with a little more joy. "You never could and that's why you get to keep it. With you, it will always be safe."

Leaning forward, Zander kissed me before pulling away and grazing his lips against my ear. "When he asks for a date, just say yes." He kissed my cheek before he rose and walked out of the room. My mind going blank as I felt out of place.