Chapter 305: a confession III

Chapter 305: Chapter 305: a confession III

Christopher slipped his phone into his pocket.

For a moment, he stood outside the restaurant, a small smile still lingering on his face.

Then he shook his head and headed back inside.

His friends looked up as he approached the table.

"I have to go."

"Already?"

Christopher reached for his coat.

"I’ve got somewhere else to be."

"Right now?"

"With who?"

Christopher slipped on his coat and glanced at them.

"Well..."

He gave them a small smile.

There was a beat of silence.

Then—

"Wait."

"That smile."

"Are you going to see a girl?"

"At this time?"

"Are you dating someone?"

Christopher couldn’t help smiling.

"Sort of."

The table erupted.

"Sort of?"

"Who is she?"

"Give us a name."

"We never even knew you were seeing anyone."

Christopher picked up his things.

"I’ll tell you later."

"Christopher—"

"I’ve got to go."

And with that, he headed for the door, leaving the others still calling after him.

Outside, the cool evening air met his face.

Christopher buttoned his coat and started toward the residence hall.

He was in a hurry.

But he was smiling again.

Vivienne.

The way she’d stumbled through her confession.

The way she’d tried to explain herself.

The way she’d somehow ended up listing all the reasons she was a good person.

Christopher shook his head, amused.

She had been so nervous.

He hadn’t expected her to say any of it quite like that.

They still didn’t know each other all that well.

A few weeks of texts and calls.

A handful of meetings in person.

There was still plenty about her he didn’t know.

And now, he was going to have the chance to find out.

Christopher smiled to himself.

A beautiful girl had just asked him to date her.

And she’d done it because she genuinely wanted him.

He’d had girls like him before.

He wasn’t unfamiliar with attention.

But this felt different.

Because he actually liked her.

And now—

she was his girlfriend.

The thought was still new enough to make him smile.

He quickened his pace.

He was going to see her.

--

The call ended.

Vivienne stared at her phone.

For several seconds, she didn’t move.

Then—

"Oh my God."

She covered her mouth.

"He’s coming."

Her heart immediately started pounding again.

Christopher was coming here.

To see her.

Her boyfriend.

Vivienne’s eyes widened.

Oh my God.

Her boyfriend.

She had actually called him that.

And he hadn’t objected.

Well.

He had called her a scammer.

But he had agreed to the label.

That counted.

Didn’t it?

Then another thought struck her.

Kissing.

Vivienne froze.

He had said she could kiss him.

"Definitely."

Her face immediately went hot.

"Oh my God."

She hurried toward the bathroom.

She looked at herself in the mirror.

She had just taken a shower, so her face was completely bare and her hair was still slightly damp.

She looked fine.

Actually...

She looked pretty good.

But Christopher was coming.

And they were going to kiss.

Maybe.

Probably.

Oh my God.

They were going to kiss.

Vivienne grabbed her toothbrush.

She brushed her teeth again.

Thoroughly.

Then she rinsed.

She stared at herself in the mirror.

That should be enough.

She reached for the mouthwash.

She poured some into the cap.

Swished.

Rinsed.

Then she stared at her reflection again.

Okay.

Much better.

She suddenly felt ridiculous.

She had literally brushed her teeth twice and used mouthwash because her new boyfriend was coming to see her.

Her face heated again.

"Okay."

She took a breath.

"Calm down."

She looked at her hair.

It was still damp.

She quickly grabbed the hair dryer and started drying it, running her fingers through it as she went.

There was no time to curl it.

No time to do anything elaborate.

At least it was clean.

And dry.

That was enough.

Probably.

Vivienne switched off the dryer and looked at herself again.

Her hair fell naturally around her face.

She tilted her head.

Fine.

She looked fine.

Actually, she looked pretty.

She reached for her makeup.

Maybe she could at least put on a little base.

Just enough to make her skin look—

She glanced at the clock.

No.

She didn’t have time for a whole makeup routine.

She quickly applied a little makeup base instead.

Vivienne looked at herself one last time.

"Okay."

She nodded.

"Good enough."

Then her eyes dropped to what she was wearing.

Pajamas.

Vivienne froze.

"Oh, no."

She hurried back into the bedroom and opened her wardrobe.

What was she supposed to wear?

Something pretty?

Something casual?

Something that looked like she hadn’t been waiting for him?

She pulled out one outfit.

Too much.

Another.

Too casual.

She looked at the clock again.

"Oh my God."

She didn’t have time.

She quickly changed.

Then she looked at herself again.

Fine.

This was fine.

She wasn’t trying too hard.

She had only changed because she couldn’t exactly greet her new boyfriend in pajamas.

That was reasonable.

Completely reasonable.

Vivienne reached for her phone.

She wondered how far Deluna’s was.

Ten minutes?

Maybe fifteen?

She had no idea.

She looked at herself in the mirror again.

Her mind immediately returned to one thing.

Kissing.

Her cheeks warmed.

She covered her face.

"Oh my God."

She dropped her hands.

What was she supposed to do when he got here?

She had imagined running to him.

Hugging him.

Kissing him.

Holding his hand.

Now that he was actually coming—

She suddenly had no idea how to behave.

Before she could think about it any longer, her phone rang.

Vivienne nearly jumped.

She looked at the screen.

Christopher.

Her eyes widened.

She answered immediately.

"Hello?"

"I’m here."

Vivienne’s mouth fell open.

"What?"

"I’m outside the residence hall."

Her heart leapt.

"Already?"

Christopher chuckled softly.

"It wasn’t that far."

"Oh."

Vivienne looked down at herself.

Then toward the mirror.

Then back at the phone.

"Okay."

"You can come down."

"Right."

She ended the call.

Then stood there.

Oh my God.

He was downstairs.

Vivienne took one last look at herself.

Hair.

Fine.

Face.

Fine.

Clothes.

Fine.

Teeth.

Very fine.

She nodded.

Okay.

She could do this.

She opened the door.

She took a breath.

Then hurried downstairs.

--

Tbc