Christina, who relied on Estelle the most, reluctantly asked, “Can I just have a quick peek at them? I promise I won’t make a sound.”
Yvonne was about to agree with Christina, but Luke and Mrs. Moorsum swiftly carried one girl each and took them to the bathroom. Luke jokingly teased Christina, “Christina, do you want a younger brother? You might become a big sister soon.”
Christina, Yvonne, and Yohan were taken by surprise upon hearing Luke’s suggestion. They all had different reactions, with Christina and Yvonne showing immediate astonishment while Yohan seemed to be thinking carefully about it.
The next morning, Estelle woke up. She had been quite busy lately, consuming lots of coffee to stay energized, so she cherished any chance to sleep in.
Half-asleep, Estelle mumbled, “What time is it?” thinking she was at her own home, expecting her mom to wake her up as usual. She reached out to find her phone to check the time but instead felt Cristofer’s warm skin beneath her hand.
Startled, Estelle jolted awake, realizing she wasn’t on her usual soft mattress but something hard. She suddenly recognized she was lying on top of Cristofer, and her hand rested on his chest, which was uncovered by the blanket. She quickly sat up, disoriented.
Normally, Cristofer would have woken up at the slightest disturbance, but due to his lingering cold, he was in a drowsy state and less responsive. In fact, he subconsciously pulled Estelle back into his embrace as she tried to get up.
Estelle was utterly bewildered by this intimate gesture, still half-asleep and unable to think clearly. Seeing Cristofer lying beside her, she experienced a strange sensation of time travel, a momentary illusion that took her back in time. Panicking, she pushed him away abruptly, exclaiming, “Cristofer! Wake up! Do you know what time it is? If we don’t get up now, we’ll be late for school!”
Cristofer, despite his drowsy state, couldn’t help but wake up from Estelle’s vigorous push. In that moment, he, too, felt like they were still young and deeply in love.
During those days, they would secretly sneak out together, cherishing precious moments without the watchful eyes of teachers and parents. They were young, healthy, and full of adventure, often spending whole nights on a scenic square, stargazing. Whenever they accidentally fell asleep, Estelle would nudge him just like this, filled with anxiety about being late for school.
“Alright, no need to worry,” Cristofer reassured her, pulling the blanket aside and sitting up, ruffling his hair in a messy state. His pajamas had become disarrayed during the night, slipping down to reveal his bare back.
As Estelle gazed at his broad back, she couldn’t help but feel perplexed. ‘Did you have such a sturdy back when we were in school? You were so slim back then. We both were. Sometimes, it felt like your bones were poking me when we cuddled.’
Her thoughts meandered further as she traced her eyes up his back, finally landing on the clothes scattered on the floor. They weren’t school uniforms; instead, she spotted a white shirt and a black suit. Suddenly, a rush of memories flooded back into her consciousness.
It wasn’t until then that she came back to her senses and realized they weren’t young anymore. Then Estelle took a deep breath and lowered her head to look at herself. And she tried her best not to scream and pulled the blanket to cover her body. She buried her face like an ostrich and mumbled, “What on earth happened last night?”
‘I only remembered putting my hand on my arms by the bed and nothing more. Since when did I sleep on the same bed with Cristofer? Also, why are my clothes so disheveled?’ Estelle wondered.
Cristofer, however, quickly remembered what had happened. He didn’t answer her question. Instead, he said, “It’s still early. Don’t you want to sleep for a while?” He could analyze problems and think clearly when faced with other people. However, whenever he was with Estelle, he seemed to become another person, thinking slowly and acting like a teenager, like right now.
“Are you kidding me?” Estelle said in annoyance. She hoped she could disappear immediately when she thought of pushing Cristofer and telling him to go to school after she woke up just now. Then she looked through her fingers at the clothes on the floor. And she was relieved that the clothes were fine and didn’t seem torn. Still, Estelle was puzzled that they weren’t neatly arranged, and it seemed they were thrown randomly on the floor.
This scene reminded Estelle of something that happened a long time ago. They had made love to each other for the first time in Milan. The clothes looked similar after that crazy night. Therefore, she immediately blushed.
Estelle was too embarrassed to ask Cristofer what they did last night, though she wanted to, so she could only whisper, with her head low, “Turn around and close your eyes.”
“What?” Cristofer didn’t hear her clearly, asking.
Estelle felt that her face was as red as roses now. She raised her head and said seriously, “Close your eyes. I want to change my clothes now.”
“Oh, Okay.” Cristofer instantly moved after hearing her words. Sitting on the other side of the bed, he lowered his head and tidied his pajamas to hide his embarrassment. When Estelle walked down the bed, with the blanket on her body, to pick up the clothes, he closed his eyes and didn’t dare to look at her at all.
At that moment, Cristofer realized he could easily lose control of himself after last night. He could become aroused just thinking about her in the shower, let alone when she was by his side now, naked.
Estelle quietly looked at him when she came to pick up her clothes. After she made sure that Cristofer closed his eyes, she couldn’t help but take a second glance at him and found that he looked pale and sick after he stopped blushing.
Not hearing any movement, Cristofer suddenly asked, “Why aren’t you moving?”
Startled, Estelle quickly adjusted the blanket covering her and gathered all the clothes scattered on the floor. She replied, “Didn’t you close your eyes? How did you still see me?” Then, glancing at him, she hurriedly moved to the opposite side of the bed to put on her clothes.
Cristofer, amused by the rustling sounds of her clothing, couldn’t help but smile. “My eyes were shut, but my ears were open. I could hear your footsteps.”
However, Estelle wasn’t in the mood for small talk right now. After swiftly getting dressed, leaving only her coat behind, she headed straight for the bathroom. In her haste, she nearly stumbled inside, much to Cristofer’s amusement. He thought she was as bashful as ever, her cheeks now tinged with red.