Ivy Cordelia Boarding School

Chapter Twenty-Nine

skylar.

I've been holed up in my room for the entire day, scrambling to finish an essay that was due the next morning. I hadn't gone on the slopes, or interacted with any human being since I saw Elliana and Damien together. Instead, I walked past him, found a room with no one in it, and put all of my focus into homework.

"Shit, I'm sorry" a male voice says, startling me with his large shadow cast by the hallways light. I was in pitch black darkness, the perfect setting for my mood, so it was a shock to my system when it all pours in so late at night. 

"It's okay? Did you need something?" I ask, clearing my throat several times throughout the sentence. My throat was scratchy and hoarse from crying, and my eyes burned from the tears and the harsh light of my laptop.

"A room, actually. I didn't realize anyone else was here. It's Skylar, right? I'm Armani". I knew that. He was hard to miss on campus, with his imposing stature and overall beautiful exterior. And, without my Damien goggles on, he was even more sexy than I once thought.

"You and Selah aren't rooming together?" I ask, and even in the low light, I see him wince. "No, not anymore". His voice was even more hoarse than I'd once heard it, which I first decided was from yelling in excitement on the slopes. But no, he had been crying. 

"Come in. I'm not going to jump your bones or anything. And besides, there's room enough for the both of us in this bed. In fact, I'm sure another two of you could fit in it with us as well".

He doesn't respond, but he does enter the room, closing the door behind himself after his luggage is in far enough.

"I have the hardest math homework that's ever existed. Can you help me with it? It's extremely boring and tedious, but I'm sure you'd rather be THAT than sad. I know I would" I say, turning on the lamp beside the bed. 

He looked as if it was taking everything in him to not cry, and it broke my heart. "I'd like that" he says wearily, letting go of his things and making his was over to the bed. "I forgot to mention that you'll be a lit bit angry, too. I'm extremely bad at math, and after a while, you're going to either choke me or give up on me".

He grins, although it doesn't reach his eyes. "Well, I hope you like it a little rough. I never, ever give up". I can't help but blush at that, quickly turning away so that he doesn't see. 

"Come" I tell him, patting the bed beside me. 

I realize my super power a moment later when he removes his shirt. Apparently, my eyes have a built in slow-mo cam. I suck in a breath, wiggling excitedly as I watch him, hoping against all hope that his pants come next. Damien, who? 

Unfortunately, only a pair of shoes and socks leave his body, the nude jogging pants still hanging low on his hips. He climbs into bed next to me, his muscular arm bumping lightly against mine. "I'm actually a math genius, so hit me with your best shot. I'll have you solving optimization problems in no time".

"Whatever that is".

***

"Ready to choke me yet?" I ask after he spends over thirty minutes trying to explain the first question to me. Still, I sensed no frustration in him. He was too sad to be angry, or to focus on anything I was doing.

"I knew that she wasn't ready. She came to me with all of that hope in her eyes, wanting so badly to let herself be happy. And she wasn't ready". 

He rolls over onto his back, studying the ceiling as if there were constellations there. "How about some fresh air? We can do something that I haven't done in years, but dearly miss".

"What's that, Skylar?".

"Building a snowman. Let's make the tallest snowman that has ever existed, and dress him in the coolest clothes. I have the hottest cashmere scarf for him. What do you think?".

"That would require me to put clothes back on and I dread that action".

I sit up, grabbing onto his arm and pulling as hard as I can, to no avail. "Come on! I'll help you. Sit up on the side of the bed and I'll put on your shoes. We can do it together". 

I don't know why I cared so much, but for some reason I hated to see him upset. It wasn't because I wanted to date him, because although he was hot, his heart belonged to someone else. In fact, I was rooting for them. They were always the cutest couple, walking around campus with their fingers entwined and lovey-dovey looks in their eyes. Although he said out loud that he loved her, I saw that she loved him, too. Whatever she was going through, I hoped she figured it out soon.

What I really wanted from him was to be my friend. I was in an extreme deficit of them, and right now it's all that I wanted. So, I'd start off by being there for him, with no expectations for him to do anything for me in return. 

He refuses my help with the shoes, but gets up to do it for himself, while I do the same for me. Since it was around two in the morning, the house was dead silent, and we encounter no one on our way to the backyard. 

"Ready?" I ask excitedly, stomping around in the thick snow just to hear the satisfying crunching sound that it makes. 

"So ready!" he yells in a high pitched tone, bending down to grab a handful of snow. I laugh, doing the same. 

"It's going to be fun, Armani, trust me. At least try to enjoy yourself".

He looks up at me and flashes the first genuine smile I'd seen tonight. "Thank you, for this. I appreciate it more than you know. You're exactly what I need right now".

I smile back, tossing the snowball I'd formed at him and he returns the favor with one hitting me directly in the face. 

"You're going to regret that!" I yell, running away to find a tree to use as cover.

"Frosty can wait. I'm about to kill you at this and bury you in the snow" he promises, forming an impossibly huge snow ball.

Oh, God. I was NOT prepared for this.