Yesterday's You |18+|

Chapter 24

Chris rolled out the mat on the grass for us to stargaze. He laid on his back and I put my head on his opened arm. He patted my hair a few times before kissing my temple. Technically, we were not really doing the stargazing because we didn't have a telescope so we just laying ourselves on the mat and watch the stars shining brightly on the sky.

"Have you ever dreamed to achieve something, others than Duke University?" I asked as I wrapped my left arm across his chest, and looked at him from the corner of my eyes.

"It's kinda weird but I really do want to have a cat," he said. Softly, I chuckled. "Are you judging me?" He laughed along.

"No, I wasn't. It's cute, to be honest," I said and I exhaled a deep breath before putting my eyes on the dark sky. "It's astonishing," I exclaimed.

"It's beautiful. One of the things that we took for granted," he said.

"Yeah. The tranquillity," I breathed.

"You really don't want to go to Durham with me?" He whispered while playing with my hair.

Not this again. "I can't go there. I mean, you're one of my priorities but I have to really set them right, you know?" I put my chin on his chest to look at him.

"I respect that, honestly. I got it," he smiled.

"You achieve what you want and I will achieve mine too," I kissed the tip of his nose before putting my head on his arm again.

A moment later, I heard Chris humming a song, Yesterday by the Beatles.

"Now it looks as though they're here to stay," I sang and Chris put his head up. "Oh, I believe in yesterday," we sang together.

-

CHRIS

The night was so silent and I didn't even remember when I felt asleep. I opened my eyes and Grace was putting his head on my arm so I could barely move. Our faces were just a few inches away because we were facing each other when we slept. When I tried to pull my arm a little, Grace frowned like something was bothering her but her eyes remained closed. In reality, it was me who bothered her.

So, I laid my head down again on the mat and I looked at her. I stared at her like I didn't get the chance to see her the next day. She was really in a deep sleep. Involuntarily, I smiled as I tried to remember every inch and detail on her face. She had a pair of beautiful eyes, how pleasant to see her mouth moved when she was talking. I knew this was not going to last. Someday, this would come to an end, and we were going to be strangers but none of us was ready to start the conversation on that.

I played with her hair, I caressed her cheek gently so she would not be awaken by the touch. I stared at her silently and I enjoyed the peace of the night. A few minutes later, I realized that it was 10.45 p.m. I had to send her home before her curfew. I pat her gently on her arm and she opened her eyes slowly.

"Hi," she smiled but her eyes were half-opened.

"It's 10.45," I whispered.

"Really?" She rubbed her eyes a few times before fixing her position and sat in front of me.

"I will send you home," I said and she nodded. Then, she stood up and I rolled up the mat before putting it at the store behind my house. I drove her home and she never let go of my hand along the way. I felt wrong for giving her hope. I'm sorry, Grace.

When we reached her house, she looked at her fingers and then, she looked at me. "Thank you for tonight. I should get going. Diane gonna kill me," she mimicked the act of slaughtering the throat.