Chapter 128: tomorrow

Chapter 128: Chapter 128: tomorrow

The dormitory was unusually quiet.

Claire had gone to meet with her group for tomorrow’s community outreach, leaving the room to herself for the evening.

Vivienne lay on her bed, one arm draped over her eyes.

Silence.

She had hoped sleep would come quickly.

Instead...

Her thoughts wandered back to the afternoon.

"...Seriously."

The complaint slipped out before she could stop it.

"He couldn’t have waited another thirty seconds?"

She frowned.

The image replayed effortlessly.

Anthony.

Evelyn.

The two of them walking away together.

Laughing.

"..."

She sighed.

"...No."

"What was he supposed to do?"

Send Evelyn ahead?

Walk back with me?

Pretend Monday never happened?

She let out a quiet, helpless laugh.

"...That’s ridiculous."

Of course he couldn’t.

Anthony had done nothing unreasonable.

Nothing cruel.

Nothing dishonest.

That was precisely why it hurt.

There was nothing she could blame.

Not Anthony.

Not Evelyn.

Not fate.

Just...

Reality.

The room fell silent once more.

"..."

Then another thought quietly surfaced.

"...Still."

"My fiancé walked away with another woman."

She immediately groaned into her pillow.

"...Listen to yourself."

It sounded dramatic.

Unfair.

Anthony had never hidden Evelyn from her.

He had never lied.

He had looked her in the eye and told her plainly that he didn’t have feelings for Evelyn.

Vivienne believed him.

She truly did.

But...

She also knew where their story eventually led.

She knew how ordinary conversations became familiar ones.

How familiar faces slowly became comforting.

How comfort quietly became affection.

Neither Anthony nor Evelyn had planned for it.

It simply...

Happened.

She hugged her pillow tighter.

"...Seriously."

She stared at the ceiling.

Then, almost defensively—

"I’m beautiful."

Silence.

"My family’s respectable."

"I’m kind."

"I’m thoughtful."

"I’m not unreasonable."

She folded her arms across her chest.

"I’m a perfectly good catch."

"...Your loss."

The words echoed through the empty room.

For a heartbeat...

She simply stared.

Then laughter escaped her.

A genuine laugh.

"...Listen to me."

She sounded ridiculous.

Like a child trying to soothe her own wounded pride.

Maybe she was.

Being understanding didn’t mean rejection stopped hurting.

Being mature didn’t mean her ego was immune.

She wiped at the corner of one eye, still smiling faintly.

The laughter gradually faded.

Her gaze drifted back toward the ceiling.

"..."

"I’m being unfair."

The words came softly.

Anthony had already answered her.

Honestly.

Kindly.

Clearly.

He had never asked her to wait.

Never given her false hope.

Never led her on.

If anything...

He had tried to spare her from exactly this.

She closed her eyes.

"...I should end the engagement."

The realization settled quietly inside her.

It hurt.

More than she expected.

Because despite everything...

She still liked him.

Perhaps she would for quite some time.

Feelings didn’t disappear simply because they were inconvenient.

"...But that’s my problem."

Not his.

Anthony had respected her enough to tell her the truth.

Now...

She wanted to respect that truth too.

"...I’ll let you go."

Her voice was barely above a whisper.

"So you can have your freedom."

A faint smile tugged at her lips.

"..."

"And maybe..."

"I should have mine too."

The thought surprised her.

Her freedom.

A future that didn’t revolve around Anthony Ashford.

A future where she didn’t spend every Friday arriving early in hopes of a chance encounter.

A future where she could simply...

Live.

Maybe she’d meet new people.

Maybe she’d laugh again.

Maybe...

One day...

She would fall in love again.

"..."

"There are plenty of handsome men at Saint Albion."

The words left her mouth before she could stop them.

She immediately buried her face in her pillow.

"...That sounded desperate."

Another laugh escaped.

Small.

Embarrassed.

But lighter than before.

The ache remained.

It probably would for a long while.

But somehow...

Breathing felt easier.

She reached toward the bedside table.

Her fingers found her phone.

Anthony Ashford.

His name remained on the screen for several long seconds.

This wasn’t something she wanted to say over the phone.

No.

She wanted to tell him herself.

Properly.

Face to face.

She took a slow breath.

Then pressed the call button.

--

Anthony was alone in his dormitory.

Nathaniel, his roommate, hadn’t returned yet.

An open textbook rested on his desk.

He had been staring at the same page for several minutes without realizing it.

His thoughts drifted elsewhere.

Monday.

The Founders’ Ball.

He remembered the fleeting brush of fingertips against the side of his neck. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

So brief it should have been meaningless.

Yet...

It had unsettled him enough that he’d quietly excused himself from the ballroom.

"..."

Then...

The light kiss she’d placed against his cheek.

After that...

Alone in the balcony.

Vivienne had smiled.

Taken one small step closer.

Then another.

Closing the distance between them little by little.

Anthony lowered his gaze.

At the time...

He had understood.

Lady Beaumont was truly pursuing him.

And for reasons he still couldn’t explain...

His body had reacted before his thoughts had.

The realization had been unsettling.

He had dismissed it immediately.

It had been nothing more than an instinctive reaction.

A passing moment.

Nothing more.

That was all.

It had to be.

So...

He had ended it.

He had been direct.

His feelings hadn’t changed.

It wouldn’t have been fair to allow things to continue when he already knew his answer.

"..."

He still believed he had done the right thing.

Then why...

Why did the memory refuse to leave him?

Wednesday.

She had hidden behind the pillar the moment she saw him.

...

Earlier that afternoon...

Their unexpected meeting outside the club grounds.

The polite smile she had offered him.

The quiet,

"Of course."

When he had excused himself.

And before all of that...

One final memory lingered.

The balcony.

She had looked at him with glistening eyes.

Then smiled.

A small.

Quiet.

Sad smile.

"I understand."

Anthony closed his eyes.

For some reason...

That expression refused to leave him.

A ringtone shattered the silence.

Anthony opened his eyes.

His phone vibrated softly across the desk.

He glanced down.

Lady Beaumont.

His hand didn’t move.

For the briefest moment...

He simply looked at the name on the screen.

"..."

Why would she—

The thought stopped there.

The phone continued to ring.

Once.

...

Twice.

...

Three times.

Only then did he quietly reach for it.

"...Lady Beaumont."

For a heartbeat...

Neither of them spoke.

Then—

"Good evening."

Vivienne’s voice was calm.

Steady.

"...Good evening."

"I hope I’m not disturbing you."

"Not at all."

Another pause settled between them.

Anthony waited.

"...There’s something I’d like to discuss with you."

His fingers unconsciously tightened around the phone.

Discuss.

Not ask.

Not explain.

Discuss.

"...Would you have some time tomorrow?"

He looked toward the dark window.

Tomorrow.

After everything that had happened this week...

What could she possibly wish to discuss?

"After community outreach."

"If you’re available."

Anthony was quiet.

Not because he intended to refuse.

But because...

After everything that had happened this week...

He found himself wondering what Lady Beaumont wished to discuss.

The thought stirred another memory.

A much younger Lady Beaumont.

Bright-eyed.

Determined.

Stubborn in the way only children could be.

Once she decided upon something...

She rarely gave up easily.

Anthony lowered his gaze.

For some reason...

The thought no longer left him feeling exasperated.

Instead...

Monday returned to him once more.

He had been the one who hurt her.

If there was still something she wished to say...

Then she deserved the chance to say it.

Properly.

"...Lord Ashford?"

Her voice gently pulled him from his thoughts.

Anthony blinked.

"...My apologies."

"Yes."

"I’ll be available."

A faint pause.

"Then..."

"May we meet afterward?"

"That would be fine."

"...Thank you."

"...Until tomorrow."

"Until tomorrow."

The line fell silent.

Anthony lowered the phone slowly.

His gaze lingered on the darkened screen.

"..."

Tomorrow.

Whatever Lady Beaumont wished to say...

He would listen.

He had the quiet feeling...

That it would matter.

--

To be continued