Page 31

The weekend was shaping up to be great.

Eliza stayed over just long enough, until Nina got home on Friday night, and promised to meet up with us again the next day, since her flight back to New York City was early on Sunday.

Saturday was spent hanging out with the girls as we shopped, got manicures, and simply caught up with each other.

We finally met up with Eliza for dinner, before heading back to our apartment and watched Bridget Jones’s Diary , wine glasses filled with rosé in our hands—thanks to Eliza—as we fawned over Mark Darcy.

We were up until early dawn, before finally succumbing to our battle against sleep.

There seemed to be an unsaid rule to our sleepovers: whoever was sleeping over must make breakfast the next day.

I would’ve been fine helping them, but they completely blocked me from trying to do so the first time they stayed the night.

So, I just took my seat at the kitchen island, sipping my coffee while the duo prepared our meals.

Nina woke up just in time as Lily scooped up the last batch of pancakes.

We switched locations to the living room instead, turning the TV to a random show on low volume.

That was how we spent the next hour: indulging in our food, occasionally chiming in to make random remarks, and conversation starters.

Our time together officially came to an end when Lily and Claudia packed up their things, hugged us goodbyes, as they brought their things out of the door, and headed back to their own apartment.

With the amount of time spent socializing that weekend, I knew I needed to recharge my social battery. Thankfully, Nina was catching up with her homework in her room, leaving the living room all to myself.

I was finally done with my reread of You Deserve Each Other and was pondering on which book I should read next.

I eventually decided on Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore.

There’s nothing better to read on a lovely Sunday afternoon than a story about a duke falling in love with a commoner, and doing whatever it takes to have her.

Fifty pages into the book, I decided to take a break, and headed to the kitchen to get some water. When I retook my spot on the couch, I picked up my phone to see if there were any new notifications. It was only when I saw the text that I realized how much I was hoping to see it.

I quickly clicked on the message sent from Colton.

Colton:

Guess who I met today.

An attachment followed the text of a picture of a boy—seemingly eleven or twelve years old, with a huge grin on his face as he fiercely hugged Colton who wore an identical grin on his own.

Colton:

IT’S PHILLIP!

It took me a few seconds to recall someone named Phillip, until I finally remembered who he was.

Clara:

PHILLIP?

AS IN THE PHILLIP WHO MADE YOU WANT TO TAKE ASL CLASS?

I didn’t know if he was still at the event, so I wasn’t expecting a quick reply. But to my surprise, his reply was immediate.

Colton:

The one and only.

Clara:

How did it go?

Did you sign with him?

Colton:

I did!

Our conversation only lasted for a few sentences though, before I asked for a notebook for us to continue communicating like we did last time.

But the smile on his face when I signed him ‘what’s your name?’ and asked him if he remembered me, I don’t think I’ll ever forget it.

Clara:

Awwwwwww.

Well, I’m glad to hear ASL class is paying off.

Colton:

It sure is.

I’m just glad I managed to meet Phillip again today.

Clara:

So, you can impress him with your beginner ASL skills?

Colton:

Rude.

But no, there’s another reason why I was happy to see him today.

Clara:

And that would be?

Colton:

As cheesy as it sounds, I wanted to thank him in person. For making me want to take the ASL class.

I don’t think I would have considered the class if it wasn’t for him.

And then I wouldn’t have met you or been partners with you.

Although I can do without the whole bubble tea obsession thing.

But I’ll let it slide.

I let out a laugh at his last text.

Clara:

Says the guy who is equally as obsessed with it.

Colton:

Well, you got me.

What are you up to?

Clara:

Nothing much. I just started a new romance book.

Colton:

How is it so far? Is it any good?

Clara:

I’m only fifty pages in, but it seems very promising.

Colton:

Well, let me know what you think about it in the end.

I miss hearing you talk about the books you’re reading.

I could already start to feel the blood rushing to my cheeks.

Colton:

And who knows? If this becomes your new favourite book, then I’ll have to read this one as well.

His text made me pause for a moment.

As well?

Does this mean he actually read the last book I told him about?

Don’t be ridiculous, I thought to myself. He’s just trying to make conversation; it probably doesn’t mean anything anyway.

Clara:

I’ll make sure to let you know my thoughts once I’m finished.

Anyway, what about you?

What are you up to?

Colton:

I am currently grocery shopping.

Spending some quality time with the roommate.

The text was followed up by a selfie of a grinning Colton, joined by a confused Miles in the background, holding up two different brands of sauce in each hand. It seemed like he was struggling to pick out which one to get.

I let out a small chuckle at the photo, knowing I was going to show it to Nina later.

Clara:

Aren’t you two roommates goals?

I’ll leave you to it then.

I’ll see you on Wednesday then, partner?

Colton:

See you on Wednesday, partner.

As I put my phone down and picked up my book once again, I couldn’t help but recall the events of that weekend, and smile at everything that had happened: from my sister coming to town, Colton showing up unexpectedly at my door with bubble tea and flowers, spending time with my best friends, and my latest text conversation with Colton.

‘This really was a great weekend,’ I muttered to myself, verbalizing my thoughts to tattoo this beautiful weekend into my memory, before thrusting myself back into the world of historical London in the book I was reading.

I was sitting cross-legged on the grass, while Colton leaned against the tree trunk with his legs stretched out in front of him, the shade from the tree protecting us against the afternoon sun.

We were sitting at ‘the spot’, as I liked to call it. Two bubble teas sat a bit crookedly—courtesy of the uneven ground—in the space between us.

I had an assignment due on Friday and I was only almost halfway through it.

I had asked Nina the day before if she was going home straight away after her training, since I was planning to hustle my way through the assignment in the library once my practice session with Colton was over.

She had told me she was, and we promised to meet up in the conjoint parking lot of the baseball stadium and the track field at 7 p.m.

That also gave me and Colton the opportunity to practice at ‘the spot’. I suggested the idea to Colton, and he immediately agreed to it, and that’s how we ended up here once again.

My notes from our ASL class that day sat across my lap as I tried to recall all that we had learned in the past two weeks. I tried my best to revise last week on my own, since Colton was out of town, but there was only so much you could do by yourself when it came to ASL.

The leaves started falling one by one in different shades of brown as the trees welcomed the fall season. The air was starting to get a little chilly, and I seemed to have underestimated the weather with my clothing. I gave a slight shiver, when a gentle breeze passed by.

While going through my notes, Colton’s eyes were closed as if he was in a deep slumber.

I glanced up at him, seeing his face void of any stress—just calmness and serenity.

Seeing him like that brought me back to the first time we came there together, the first time I had ever seen him that relaxed, and how much I wanted to capture this version of him.

For a moment I thought about taking a photo of him, something for myself once we say our inevitable goodbye at the end of the semester. However, I felt I was intruding by doing so.

Nonetheless, it seemed that unwanted thought was slowly winning, and before I could stop myself, I quickly took out my phone, hoping to sneak some shots in.

But the scandalous act I was attempting was short-lived, as the rebellious sound of the shutter button gave me away.

I immediately froze in place.

I must have accidentally turned the sound button on, I cursed to myself.

Thinking I could still save myself from the embarrassment, I quickly put my phone down and turned off the sound setting.

But it seemed I was a tad bit too late, when Colton peeled one of his eyes open, a teasing glint shining in it, accompanied by an equally teasing smile that was slowly appearing on his face.

‘Trying to sneakily take my picture, partner?’ he teased, both of his eyes closed once again but his smile was still there.

‘No,’ I said without missing a beat, clearly lying.

His smile grew into a grin. ‘That sounded 100 per cent believable.’

‘Because it is 100 per cent the truth.’ I knew he was trying to provoke me, but I wasn’t going to let him win that easily.

‘Whatever you say, partner. At least now you have something to look at when we’re not together,’ shrugging as he added, ‘you know, in case you miss me.’

‘You seem very confident in that. How are you so sure I’m gonna miss you?’ I asked him, my voice teasing.

‘I won’t,’ he said, finally opening both of his eyes, his gaze searching before it locked in on mine. ‘But I hope you do, because I know I’d miss you.’

I immediately felt my cheeks flush at his words, with warmth spreading through my whole body. Cold weather be damned, when there was Colton making me blush in an instant.

I broke our gaze and looked back to my notes. ‘Anyway, are you done with your nap? I think it’s time we get started.’