Starbird

Chapter 37

Important Author's Note at the end.

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Two weeks later, we were on a plane towards Italy and I was assigned a tutor until I returned to LA come late October. Italy was beautiful and it made my heart ache. I didn’t want to spend all my time in my hotel room with Signora Cazziolato, learning about physics. However, what I wanted clearly didn’t matter. Going to set was no longer an option for me. Not only was school sucking away my life, but I did not feel like putting up with Liam or Gemma or anyone for that matter. So I delved into my Senior year studies, trying to remain ahead of the curve so when I returned to school in a month and a half, I wouldn’t feel lost. I’ve been in contact with teachers and they’ve informed me what they would be studying so I wouldn’t fall behind

The month flew by in Italy and I didn’t realize how quickly time had passed until we were on a plane back to London. I didn’t see anyone in Italy. I didn’t go adventuring. My life had reached an ultimate moot point where I had to focus on two things: current classes and college. Not celebrities, not travels, and most definitely not stupid boys with stupid pretty eyes who had to so stupidly kiss me and ruin my life.

London was pouring rain upon arrival. It didn’t stop raining the entire month we were there. Rain while I was at school, rain while I sulked in my room, rain when I went to coffee shops to work on college applications (purposefully avoiding the one Liam took me to). The clouds hung low over the white crowning of the buildings and the tips of trees were covered. Mom and Dad were happy to see their two children again, although I couldn’t say the feelings were reciprocated at the time. James had the weight of finishing a movie on his shoulders and I was trying to avoid ever telling my parents about what happened between Liam and I. The situation was important to me, but they’d probably freak out – more than James ever did – and I didn’t need that in my life right now.

 

About a week before we went home, James came into my room and was laying on my bed. It was nearly two in the morning on a Thursday so I wasn’t quite sure why either one of us was awake. However, there he was, the faint traces of leftover makeup on his forehead from filming, his phone sitting on his chest, and eyes wide open.

“What are you doing up?” I asked him.

“I don’t know,” was his response.

“Are you okay?” I prodded.

“Yeah. It’s just weird, y’know?”

“What is?”

“I’m done filming in four days. It’s weird to think about it.”

I got up from my desk chair and pushed James so I could lay on the bed too. “Yeah, I guess it is, a bit.”

“I met my girlfriend on set. What if we can’t keep it up with both of us across the world?”

“Well, you’re both rich, so I’m sure if you both want to keep it up, you can fly back and forth.”

“I do want to keep it up.”

“Good, then it shouldn’t be a problem unless Ava doesn’t want to.”

“Cam, can I tell you something?”

“Shoot.”

“I think I love her.”

It took me a moment to process what he said and when I did, I sat straight up and looked down at him with wide, excited eyes.

“You do?” My voice went up several octaves which made James groan. I forgot how late it was and how quiet we were talking before.

“Yeah, I… I do. Everytime I think about being away from her, I get this sick, twisting feeling in the pit of my stomach and the thought of not getting to hang out with her anymore is enough to make me just want to move here.”