Midnight, The Stars & You

10.

Present Day
Monaco

The room filled with laughter. The hotel was bathed in hues of nature, a story told in strong browns and forest green, however the sunlight trickled in freely from the open windows. A cool draft of air whipped over the shore down below, bringing a taste of the salty water with it. The wind howled in a low whistle behind the girls chatter. Ginny's bags were untouched by the door as she was too engrossed in her catch-up time with Chloe.

There was too much to tell and not enough hours in the day- especially with the fact they were due for breakfast in about fifteen minutes. The only upside was that Ginny knew they'd have more time throughout the weekend to talk. She'd kept things pretty basic with her summary of the last five years, and although Chloe talked shit about Pierre as usual, she hesitated to mention the phone call to her friend.

Because even Chloe was lightning up on the french man.

And Pierre's words lingered in her ear, 'What are you going to do Genevieve? Snitch on me to your brother? Be the annoying little sister you are? Run to mommy and daddy'

"I can't believe you're a teacher! I mean... I can... but that's just so fun!" Chloe sat on the edge of the bed, with her feet dangling over as she sat criss crossed. Her face was bright with enthusiasm. Ginny felt relieved her friend hadn't judged her career choice.

"And I can't believe how much stuff you've starred in! I had no idea! You can tell how much I get out when school is in session." Ginny deadpanned at the end of her sentence, causing Chloe to let out a fit of giggles. "That's so cute you met Henry on set, though. A true actor's love story."

Chloe blushed in the cheeks, whilst running a hand over her slicked-back bun. Some strands had gotten loose in the chaos of their tea-time, which she had informed Ginny usually came with crumpets and scones in England, instead of gossip. "The Witcher was such an exciting set to be on, especially working with Henry. You know I've had a crush on him since his superman era."

"Trust me, I remember." Ginny giggled, sitting up against the bedpost. "You slept with a poster of him beside you at night, so it was like he was really there."

"Now I get the real thing." Chloe stuck her tongue out playfully, slapping a hand against her thigh. "I'd call that an upgrade."

Ginny nodded in agreement, feeling her cheeks clench from all the smiling. "I would have to agree."

"You never mentioned a man in your life." Chloe raised one of her thinly pricked brows. Her yellowish-green eyes that were so similar to her twin's, danced with mischief. She awaited an answer with an unfaltering grin.

Ginny took her turn to blush crimson in the cheeks. She rubbed her chest with her right hand, feeling a nervous heartbeat underneath. She chewed on her lip and shrugged, "I don't have one. I never really did. It just... never felt right."

Chloe wiggled her eyebrows like they did in the movies, which was fitting. "Because of Charles?"

"No." Ginny wasn't even sure herself. Anytime she tried to date guys back in New York, she always got this guilty feeling in her stomach. It's not like the guys were great or anything, but she couldn't understand why none of them left her wanting more. Maybe it was because of Charles and how at such a young age, she'd felt like she was floating on a cloud around him... or could it have been- no. Absolutely not. "I don't know, really."

Chloe fidgeted with the end of her shirt, which probably felt like silk against her fingers. She dropped her voice to a whisper, "He oh-so misses you."

"Charles?" Ginny couldn't help but smile, feeling a swarm of butterflies erupt in her gut. "I find that a little hard to believe... I mean... we stopped talking."