Chapter 349: the walk back II

Chapter 349: Chapter 349: the walk back II

For a while, they simply walked.

Vivienne was still holding onto Christopher’s waist.

Christopher had one arm around her shoulders.

Neither seemed in any hurry to change that.

The streets were quiet.

The night air was cool.

Vivienne looked up at him.

Then she smiled.

"So..."

Christopher glanced down.

"So?"

Vivienne hesitated.

Then she asked,

"When we were texting..."

She paused.

"Were you texting with someone else?"

Christopher raised an eyebrow.

He looked at her as though the question were almost ridiculous.

Vivienne immediately looked away.

She suddenly remembered that she had been sleeping with Damian during that time.

And now she was asking Christopher if he had been talking to other women.

She felt a little guilty.

Christopher shook his head.

"No."

Vivienne looked back at him.

"No?"

"I’m very selective."

He paused.

"And I’m not exactly easy to please."

Vivienne stared at him.

Then she smiled.

"Oh."

She thought about that for a moment.

"Then..."

She looked up at him again.

"What did you see in me to even consider me?"

Christopher chuckled.

His free hand rose and, using his index finger, he gently tapped the tip of her nose.

"You were very persistent."

Vivienne blinked.

"That’s it?"

Christopher smiled.

"You’ve been texting me three times a day on most days."

She frowned playfully.

"And you never even texted me first."

She looked up at him.

"Thankfully, I persisted."

Christopher chuckled.

"Yes, thankfully."

He was quiet for a moment.

Then he added,

"And some days, you just suddenly appeared in front of me."

He glanced down at her.

"As if it was..."

He paused.

"Fate."

Vivienne blushed.

She knew exactly how she had engineered most of those encounters.

And Christopher obviously knew it too.

She pressed her lips together, trying not to laugh.

"But that still doesn’t answer the question."

She looked up at him again.

"Besides, I thought you weren’t easy to please."

"I’m not."

"Then?"

Christopher looked down at her.

There was a small smile on his lips.

Now he understood what she was getting at.

She was fishing.

Quite shamelessly.

For a compliment.

"Well..."

He paused.

"Apparently, you suit my aesthetics just fine."

Vivienne froze.

Then her face turned pink.

Did he catch her?

She felt embarrassed.

She immediately pressed her face against his side.

Christopher laughed.

He had caught her.

After a moment, he looked down at her.

"How about you?"

Vivienne lifted her head.

"Me?"

"You asked me."

He smiled.

"So let me ask you."

He paused.

"What did you see in me?"

Vivienne stared at him.

She suddenly felt very embarrassed.

"Well..."

She looked away.

Then back at him.

"I..."

She hesitated.

Christopher waited.

Vivienne’s mind immediately filled with answers.

His face.

His build.

How handsome he was.

That mature aura he carried.

The way he always seemed so composed and confident.

Like some impossibly handsome CEO who had walked straight out of a business magazine.

And, after getting to know him...

How understanding he actually was.

How kind.

But there was no way she could say all of that with a straight face.

So she simply smiled.

"Apparently, you also suit my aesthetics just fine."

Christopher laughed.

Vivienne immediately looked away.

Then, shyly, she added,

"Okay..."

She paused.

"More than fine."

Christopher laughed again.

"So that’s it?"

Vivienne felt embarrassed.

She sounded so shallow.

She looked down for a moment.

"There’s more."

Christopher waited.

Vivienne glanced up at him.

"I also like that you’re patient."

She paused.

"And understanding."

A small smile appeared on her lips.

"And you always reply to my texts."

She looked away again.

"And answer my calls."

Christopher smiled.

"Well..."

He looked down at her.

"I suppose you gave me plenty of opportunities to practice."

Vivienne laughed.

"That’s because you always answered."

Christopher smiled.

"Exactly."

For a moment, they simply smiled at each other.

Then Vivienne rested her cheek against his chest again.

She was happy.

She liked this.

She liked being able to talk to him like this, to tease him and be teased back.

After everything that had happened that night, she hadn’t expected to end up feeling this light.

But she did.

And she liked the feeling very much.

A few minutes later, the lights of the women’s residence hall came into view.

Vivienne slowed down.

"Oh."

Christopher looked ahead.

"We’re here."

She nodded.

But she still didn’t let go of him.

Christopher looked down at her arms around his waist.

"Are you going to let me go now?"

Vivienne thought about it.

"No."

He laughed.

Vivienne finally loosened her arms.

Then she looked up at him.

"I guess I have to."

"Unfortunately."

She smiled.

They stopped outside the residence hall.

Vivienne turned toward him.

For a moment, neither of them said anything.

Then she stepped closer.

She rose onto her toes and kissed his lips.

"Goodnight."

Christopher smiled.

"Goodnight."

Vivienne turned toward the entrance.

She took a few steps.

Then she stopped.

She looked back.

Christopher was still standing there.

Watching her.

She smiled.

Then, because she couldn’t help herself, she quickly walked back to him and wrapped her arms around his waist.

Christopher laughed softly.

Vivienne looked up at him.

Then she rose onto her toes and kissed him again.

When she pulled back, she was smiling.

"I love you!"

The words came more easily this time.

The first time, she had been nervous, afraid of how he would react and whether he would say it back.

Now, she simply wanted to tell him again.

Christopher smiled.

He leaned down and kissed her forehead.

"I love you too."

Vivienne felt warmth spread through her chest.

Happiness seemed to bubble up inside her.

Honestly, she just wanted to stay with him a little longer.

She didn’t want to part ways yet.

But it had been a long day.

She had been awake since eight that morning.

And now it was nearly midnight.

She finally gave a small sigh.

"I should head inside now."

"Mm."

Christopher hummed.

But he didn’t sound particularly eager to say goodbye either.

Neither of them moved for another moment.

Then Vivienne slowly loosened her arms.

Christopher let his hands fall away from her.

She smiled at him one last time.

Then she finally turned toward the entrance.

This time, she walked inside.

Christopher waited until the doors closed behind her.

Only then did he turn around.

And begin walking back toward his own dorm.

Tbc