Beaufort Academy: After Seven

Chapter Seven: Surprises

From: Elizabeth Natividad
Hey, I need to talk to you two. Can we have dinner at this new place – it's called Carpe Diem. Meet me there around 7pm, okay? Bring John and Wolf too.

That was the message Elizabeth left on the group chat the Power A.C.E. shared. Alexis and Chandria agreed and although the two asked what was it about or if anything was wrong, Elizabeth didn't reply.

It was a day after John and Chandria came home from their honeymoon. Elizabeth was dreading this day a little. After she and Chris had decided to fake dating each other, they also decided to tell their mothers about it.

However, before that happened, Elizabeth told him that she wanted to tell Alexis and Chandria about it first. She didn't want to hide anything from her bestfriends, especially when she hadn't even told them that she had been Chris in the first place. She wanted to be honest to the two most important people in her life. They had been there for her when she needed them the most and she thought it was appropriate that she told them the truth first.

Besides, she wanted them to find out the truth from her because she knew, the moment they inform her mother, it would eventually reach Chandria and Alexis' ears. And she didn't want to let them feel like she betrayed them, especially since Chandria and John had a history with Chris.

Elizabeth just wanted to be honest with them. But it's really stressing her out because she was scared how they would react. But she also knew she couldn't delay this anymore as she, in the first place, should've told them about it the first time she even saw Chris.

Chris assured her that it was fine and even offered his restaurant as the place they'd meet. He even only opened for half a day and had told his staff that he was having special guests in the evening. But in truth, he was also a little scared.

This would be the first time he'd be seeing Chandria ever since he let her go seven years ago. He didn't know how he should react. In his mind, he had let her go and he had moved on. But he was still a little daunted at the thought of seeing her after all these years. How do you even react when you see the only person you love again after letting her go to be with someone else? Not to mention the fact that she was married now.

How would he even face John and Elizabeth's other friends, and tell them that Elizabeth's in good hands with him? How would he do that when the last time he saw them, he was the villain in between John and Chandria?

He sighed as he prepared the ingredients he would need to cook the meals to be served to Chandria and the others later. He had decided this and had bothered Elizabeth as it was so there was no going back. He had to face them sooner or later.

He just had to prepare himself on how'd they react. And it was partly the reason why he had closed his restaurant from the general public, so in case the situation got out of hand, it would at least be done in private.

"I hope John doesn't punch you though," Elizabeth said from behind him. She was leaning at the door frame of the kitchen in Carpe Diem, a glass of white wine in her hand.

Chris chuckled, "I won't blame him if he did. I was a fucking bother back then and it might look like I'm bothering you now. He might take this the wrong way."

"I'll properly explain it to them," Elizabeth said after she took a sip.

"You're here early. And isn't it too early to drink?"

"I can't stay at home. My mother's there plus she might notice how unusual I'm acting. And it's just this one glass. I need to calm my nerves. I'm already nervous enough as it is. Remind me again why I agreed to fake date you?"

"'Cause we want our mothers off our backs," Chris smiled. "You're not chickening out, are you?"

"No," Elizabeth said. "I'm just really, really nervous, okay?"