lover boy

Chapter 49

Cecilia Anderson

The energy in Berlin was electric. Everywhere you turned, the city buzzed with excitement. Fashion Week had officially taken over, and the air was thick with creativity and anticipation. I had been to many fashion events before, but this time, it felt different. Bigger. More important. Maybe it was the fact that I was actually walking the runway this year, not just attending as a guest.

When the invitation came in, I was ecstatic. Being booked for Fashion Week was a dream come true, and to share the experience with Aurelia and Lisa made it even better. We were all scheduled to walk in one of the most talked-about shows of the season, and the pressure was on.

As we arrived at the venue for rehearsals, the vastness of it all hit me. The lights, the cameras, the fashion elite—it was overwhelming, but in the best possible way. Lisa, always the confident one, grabbed my arm and squeezed.

"This is it, Ceci. We're about to walk for one of the biggest designers in the world. Can you believe it?" she beamed.

I smiled back, trying to match her energy, but my mind was elsewhere. Even as I stood in the middle of my dream, I couldn't stop thinking about the coffee date with Gavi that was happening later today. My emotions were tangled in a way I couldn't quite describe. The excitement of Fashion Week mixed with the confusion of where my heart stood. Jude's message still lingered in my mind, but I had pushed it aside for now, focusing on what was in front of me.

Aurelia caught the slight tension in my face. "Ceci, you okay?" she asked, her voice gentle but knowing.

I nodded quickly. "Yeah, just a bit nervous, I guess. It's a lot to take in."

Aurelia wasn't buying it, though. She gave me a look that said she knew exactly what was really on my mind. "Is this about Jude? Or... Gavi?"

Lisa's eyes widened, her playful grin returning. "Oh, right! The infamous coffee date with Gavi! Spill, Ceci, what's going on with you two?"

I sighed, glancing between my two best friends. There was no use in hiding it anymore. "I don't know, honestly. Gavi... he's great. He's charming, easy to talk to, and I actually enjoy spending time with him. But Jude—" I stopped, searching for the right words. "Jude's always there, in the back of my mind. Even when I don't want him to be."

Aurelia placed a hand on my shoulder, her expression softening. "It makes sense, Ceci. Jude was a big part of your life for a long time. You can't just erase that overnight."

Lisa, on the other hand, was less sympathetic. "But Jude hurt you, remember? Gavi's a fresh start, a clean slate. Why not explore that? See where it goes?"

I appreciated both of their perspectives, but it didn't make my decision any easier. "I just don't want to mess things up, with either of them."

Aurelia smiled. "You won't. Just be honest with yourself, and with them. The rest will figure itself out."

I took a deep breath, nodding. "You're right. I need to stop overthinking."

As we continued prepping for the show, I tried to push the impending coffee date to the back of my mind. But as the hours passed and the rehearsal wrapped up, it became impossible to ignore. The date was looming, and I couldn't escape the mix of excitement and anxiety bubbling inside me.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Later that afternoon, I found myself sitting in a quaint café in the heart of Berlin, waiting for Gavi. The atmosphere was cozy, with warm lighting and the rich aroma of freshly brewed coffee filling the air. I fidgeted with my cup, my nerves getting the best of me. This wasn't just a casual coffee—at least, not for me. It felt like a crossroads. A moment that could change everything.