Under Chateau Lights | Complete

9 | Your Picture's Worth

We manage to skip out on family dinner by pretending to be going on a date and sitting in the suite eating pizza all night. I spend most of the time quizzing him on things a boyfriend should know. Except I don't know what those things are, having so much experience with boyfriends.

"So should you know my siblings? I mean, is that a thing people normally share?"

Christian shoves a piece of meat pizza into his mouth and holds up a finger while he chews. "Jules, you're overthinking this. We're friends. I've heard horror stories about all of your siblings. I could write a whole novel on Celeste. Maybe I will."

"We are friends. But we aren't dating. Like what was our first date? Isn't that something we should know?"

He puts his hand on my knee. "Jules. We've been friends since high school. I know enough things to get by. I deal with the press and the fangirls all the time. I'm sure your family is no problem."

I can't resist cocking my eyebrow at him, recalling how easily my mom had convinced him to come to Quebec instead of telling her the truth.

"Okay," he relents. "Maybe I just won't talk to your mom."

Well, what's the worst that could happen? I pick up my own piece of pizza and shove a huge bite into my mouth.

"So, what should we watch?" I'm trying to keep my mind off the one bed in the room while we stuff our faces with pizza, chocolate, and pop.

"Something trashy? Or should we find a 'date worthy' movie so we can tell them all about it in the morning?"

"We're actually off the hook tomorrow. No family events until dinner in the evening. I was thinking of--"

"Going off to take photographs?"

I nod because the pizza in my mouth prevents polite speech. Christian's phone and mine both buzz on the coffee table at almost exactly the same moment.

"Is it possible my mother found your number somehow?"

I can't find the napkins anywhere so I have to run to the bathroom to wash my hands before I can pick it up. But by the time I return, Christian is holding his phone and looking like all the blood has drained out of his face.

I pick up my own phone and flip it over. Well, at least it isn't my mother.

I try to keep my breathing steady but the warmth is clawing at my skin, breath tightening around my chest.

I thought I blocked him. Maybe I had. But it certainly didn't work.

It was only four words and I was spiraling. After the picture yesterday and the current Christian situation, it was too much. I quickly slammed my finger down on the delete button. It must be a mistake. It's just a bad coincidence.

Christian has put his phone down in my panic and is sitting right beside me, gripping his can of pop with both hands, comically overlapping them in front of his chest.

"You going to tell me?" I ask, picking up the remote to see what the hotel has available.

"You going to tell me?" he counters.

"I got a weird text. I spiraled thinking it might be someone but I blocked him so it can't be." I'm not sure if I'm trying to convince myself or him. Definitely him.

"I also got a weird text. Maybe we're both being pranked."

"You ever going to tell me what happened with ... what was her name?"

"Which one?"

I almost choke on my pizza. "Which one? You said it, not me."

"Well, the recent one, Jessica, is still trying to explain."