"Uh, this is so boring. Can you just tell me what happens?"
Killian peered over his battered and worn copy of "Catcher and the Rye" to see her piercing blue eyes pleading at him from across the room where she was laying on her dorm room bed, stomach down, feet crossed in the air, and one arm thrown over the bed dangling "Sense and Sensibility" just above the ground. The sight made his heart quicken. He had only known her for two months, but he was pretty sure he was falling madly in love with Milah Stoll.
"I wouldn't be a good tutor if I did." He said masking her effect on him with a small smirk and a raised eyebrow. "Besides it's Jane Austen, most girls eat her writing right up."
"Well, I'm not most girls." She smiled at him before pushing herself up so she was sitting on her heels and throwing the book carelessly on her pillow. Raising her arms, she began to gather her long dark hair behind her head. "Seriously, I can't read any more of this. These 18th century novels make me sick. I'm so glad I was born in this day and age, where I can have more purpose in my life than finding a husband. Honestly I don't understand how women put up with it for so long. Love is great but it's nothing without adventure."
As she spoke he couldn't help but stare at the bit of skin exposed just above the top of her jean shorts from her black tank top riding up. His eyes shifted up to hers as she turned to face him, all her hair now pulled back into a ponytail except for one lock framed the side of her face. How badly he want to walk over there and tuck it behind her ear. But he didn't, instead he just unloaded more information about the author in discussion.
"You do know there is a reason Jane Austen is considered an important literary figure. Her ability to make a living as a woman writer in her day and age was quite the accomplishment and top of that she even gave up love to do it, which is quite interesting given the romance of her novels."
"She made the wrong choice, in my opinion." She said flatly. "Writing about love isn't nearly as fun as experiencing it. And how many girls actually the chance to run away with somebody? I wouldn't think twice about running away with a lover, especially one offering me a chance to go and see the world together." She was laying on her back now, staring at the ceiling.
There was a short moment of silence where her words sunk in. What he would give to spend his life seeing the world with her. Oh god, seriously, he needed to stop. Then he smiled, realizing she had said something he had to point out.
"Wait, what is this I hear, you know something about an author. Well lass, I'm impressed."
"Shut up." she threw a pillow at him, which he blocked with his book. "Ugh, you shouldn't be impressed, instead thank my girlfriends for forcing me to watch that movie. I forget the name of it but it starred Anne Hathaway."
"Becoming Jane." He recalled the name from one of his courses, a bunch of girls had been whispering about it when they were reading "Pride and Prejudice."
"Yeah that one. Goodness, you're such a know-it-all." She turned her head to look at him with a disapproving stare.
"Ah but you love it." He smirked.
She rolled her eyes at him. "Enough about Jane Austen. Let's talk about something I am interested in. You're birthday! I can't believe it's tomorrow. I'm so excited."
He chuckled. "I think you're more excited than me."
"Ah that's right you haven't experienced a birthday party thrown by me before. You don't know what you're in for." She hid a smile behind her hand. "But aren't you curious to know what I got you?"
"Oh I don't need to be curious, lass. I can see my eloquently wrapped present in your closet. You're not very good at hiding." He shifted his eyes to her open closet where sparkling paper could be seen amongst the clothes on the floor.
"Can you now?" Her smile grew playful. "How do you know it's for you? Maybe I have another friend with a birthday coming up." He had to stop himself at cringing at the word 'friend.' Who was he kidding? His feelings for her were a lost cause. She was essentially two grades ahead of him and she had just gotten out of a long relationship. There was no way she was inserted in him.
"I highly doubt that considering you spend most of your time with this," he said gliding his hand down the length of his body.
She suppressed a smile and shrugged her shoulders. "I guess you'll just have to wait and see." Laying back down on her stomach, she picked up the book again flipping through the pages to find where she had left off.