Chasing You

Chapter 22

ADDIE

"So, truth or drink, your turn to ask me", Yvonne tells me as we've ordered the what must have been five round of tequila shots. I don't remember for how long we've been here. On the way, we stopped at a small diner to get some food before we drink ourselves into oblivion, and after both of us swallowed down a burger, we headed towards one of the new openings in town.

I heard one has to make reservations in advance to be able to enter this bar, yet as Yvonne took out her pass, we've been let inside without any further comment. I guess the benefits of being the face of Chanel at this year's Fashion Week.

"Most embarrassing childhood memory?", I ask her. We've cleared out all the safe questions like favourite colour and so on at the beginning. As my brain starts thinking less of what happened today and being more present in the moment, I don't actually mind spilling some naked truths to her. Or it might just be the alcohol.

Yvonne's face flushes red, as she thinks about it. I see her reach her hand towards the small coloured glass, then drink the shot of tequila. Nevertheless, she still turns to me and begins to tell the story. I guess the tequila was more to give her guts. "When I was five, my parents had been invited at this gala organised by the Royal Family of Cordelia. I have always been close with Olivia, since we are both the same age and we instantly clicked the first time we met. Anyway, at that gala, Liv and I got bored, so we thought it would be a good idea to go around the kitchen. We tried to bake some cookies, yet it didn't work out so well, so we got covered in flour. Our gowns were white, so with the flour on, we thought we kinda looked like ghosts. And, as I said, both of us were bored, so we went through the castle and pretend we were haunting people."

I can't help the fit of laughter. "Didn't your parents notice you?"

"We didn't get caught. The king at the time, Liv's uncle, was furious. He didn't know it was us, so he sent a security team to look for the ones disrupting his party. Only Liv's parents found us first. Well, her Dad did. And you see, Olivia's parents are really sweet. As the security team passed by us, her Dad simply hid us behind his back and glared at the bodyguards to get lost. Alec Dunn can be pretty scary at times."

"Well, that's a heck of a story", I reply, still grinning at what she said. "Your turn."

"Okay." Yvonne tilts her head as if it would help her think better. As an idea comes to her, she almost jumps up excited, making the table shake for a bit. She's had as many drinks as I've had. "Worst hookup?"

I give her a glare as if to say that of course she'd have to go with that one, yet she only shrugs, as if to say she's not changing the question. I shrug and give up. "My first kiss, I was in tenth grade. This guy asked me out on a first date. We had maths together, he was cute. I said yes. At the end of the date, he wants to kiss me. Only he had bubblegum in his mouth. He must have thought it would be cool, but the bubblegum got stuck between his teeth and it inevitably got stuck between my teeth, until we both ended up glued together by the bubblegum."

Yvonne has to laugh so hard, she spills the drink she had in her mouth. "With the bubblegum?!"

I only nod. She keeps laughing as if she's never laughed before in her entire life, and adds: "Better tell Chrissy to steer clear from bubblegum then."

And it might be my drunkenness, but I ask: "Why would you tell Chris that?"

"Because that guy has been dying to kiss you ever since you two first met, and has denied any other girl ever since." It's then she processes what she just said, hand going on her mouth, cheeks flushed again from guilt. "Fuck. I shouldn't have said that. I thought Chris told you, you know, since he's in love with you." Her cheeks blush redder as my eyebrows shoot up in disbelief. "Fuck. I shouldn't have said that either."

"Chris is in love with me?", I ask her.

Her hand wonders off her mouth, and she gives me a look as if to ask if I was born yesterday. "Have you not noticed the way he looks at you?" As I make no sign to answer, she rolls her eyes faking being annoyed. "Look, Addie. I've lived in a house with this guy for almost half a season now. Not to mention the off-season. He disappears every night after dinner to go look at the stars. Why do you think that is?"

I refuse to tell her that I did the same the first night we met. Refuse to tell her that Chris made his first wish upon the stars with me. Even through my hazy brain, I remember him telling me that the stars are always pretty, on the night I came to congratulate him. I thought it would be just a statement. I didn't think he would say it out of experience, for he goes wish upon a star every night.

What does he wish for?

And a small voice inside tells me I might even know the answer to that.

"So he really had no girl ever since we met?", I ask Yvonne. She acts as if Chris had told them about that night, so what point in hiding it?

"Nope", she shakes her head. "Nada. Girls have tried to make advances on him, some even went so far as to ask him to bed, yet he refused every single time." Yvonne chuckles to herself again. "Levi and Fabio almost put him on Tinder once, you know, given his looks, they were sure he would make a killing, but he found out and blocked the account. We realised it must be because he's already found somebody else. We laid low on him ever since."

"You laid low?", I raise an eyebrow. I might have not spent much time with them, but I can hardly picture them laying low as they got their hands on drama.

"I knew you would catch up quickly", Yvonne answers proud. "By we laid low I meant that we teased him even more."

Poor Chrissy

A smirk blooms on my lips at the image of Yvonne, Levi, Fabio, Aria and Lewis, all scooched in close together to look at a phone, trying to decide which picture of Chris they want to choose as his profile picture. And for some reason, my next thought is that I might have even wanted to use that picture as wallpaper.

Since I can't find any water to clear my mind, I go for another shot of tequila instead.

"You do realise your next question will be payback for all this?", I keep my smirk on as I look at Yvonne.

She does a tsk-tsk sound, shaking her head in amusement. "Look at you already taking Chrissy's side." She shakes a hand in the air, as if to tell me to bring it on.

I don't chicken out with my question as I ask. "Best sex you've ever had?"

Yvonne's eyebrow lifts for a second, before her mouth settles into a grin. "Two things, babe. Levi. And a hot tub."

Yeah, I don't want to know how that went.