Under Chateau Lights | Complete

19 | To Stop Dreaming Of

We sit, staring out at the hill for a few more hours, offering fresh mittens to everyone who comes back to the bench looking like me, whether we know them or not. Some time in there, Dad tells me all about the woman whose rent he waived for December without telling Mom, insisting he would tell her eventually, once it wouldn't ruin the holidays.

Once the sun gets too low in the sky, the streetlights begin to pop on and Diwata ushers the kids inside the hotel, inadvertently moving the whole party inside for appetizers and drinks. Given that I don't remember the last time I ate, I probably eat more than my fair share of the snacks.

By the time we get to the drinks, the only parents in the room are my own. Dad and I are in the middle of a discussion of the local hockey teams when Christian materializes at my side and offers me his hand. "What do you say to another walk?"

Saying yes is impossible with everything that happened today, but saying no will raise suspicion. He's here as my boyfriend. I look to my dad to spare me. "Dad? Is that okay?"

"Oh, you don't need to stay here on my account. It's past my bedtime anyway. I'll go square up this dangerous bill and then get myself to bed. You kids go have fun." And then he winks at me. So he does think it was Christian I was talking about earlier. But there's no point correcting it, so I just hug him and kiss his cheek.

"Goodnight, then." I kiss Mother's cheek before allowing Christian to escort me out of the dining room.

"Make sure you are back in time to get a good night's sleep, dear," Mother says as we leave. I pretend not to hear.

The bitter air is much cooler now that it's dark, and a shiver runs down my arm, despite the heat radiating off Christian. But the whole sky is illuminated by the lights and sounds of the Christmas market in the distance.

"Pity the Christmas market is so far away," I sigh, allowing Christian to drape his coat over my shoulders.

"You know, I don't think it's actually that far. We could just leave and go down there. Who's going to stop us?" His face is stern, twinkle lights casting shadows into his furrowed brow.

I can't place the expression, so I'm forced to guess. "You're serious."

"Why wouldn't I be serious?"

"Because I'm not used to people being more rebellious than me when it comes to my mother."

"What can I say? I'm a bad boy heartbreaker, right? If she reads the news that's probably what she's thinking. You can blame me. Everyone wins."

"You know as well as I do that isn't who you are."

"I do." He pulls me into his side and gently brushes his lips to the top of my head. "But your mother doesn't, does she?"

"If I blame you, she'll hate you forever."

"Does that matter?" His question carries on the breeze and floats into the trees, catching there until I acknowledge it.

"Yes," I whisper so softly it barely leaves my lips before it dissolves into mist. I shouldn't admit it matters. I've no idea why it does. Probably I'm just spiralling after hearing from Ronan today.

Shit. Ronan.

Forcing myself back into the moment is harder than it usually is and the tears at the edge of my eyes threaten to fall a frozen line down my cheeks. I need to stay focused and get out of here, so I agree to Christian's proposition, even though I know it's one of the stupidest things I've done recently.

"You know what? Let's do it. Let's get out of here."

He doesn't miss a beat, grabbing my hand in his and pulling me around the side of the building and down the street toward the market.