Chapter 27: Chapter 27

I hear my phone alarm go off and realize that I had fallen asleep on Joshua's chest. It was already morning. I lazily open my eyes. Joshua was still asleep. I serenely admire his face. His breathing was calm. A silly smile spreads across my lips as I witness how peaceful he looks.

Slowly, Joshua wakes up. His gaze falls on me.

"Why are you staring at me?" he whispers, a sleepy smile appearing on his lips.

"Because I can," I retort playfully.

"Silly..." He pulls me into a hug, burying his face in my neck. The silly smile on my lips only grows wider.

"You can stare at me as much as you want... whenever you want... always," his muffled voice against my neck sends shivers down my spine.

He lets go of the hug, sitting up and painfully getting out of bed. He puts on the white shirt lying on the floor and comes back to the bed to give me a kiss.

"Will I see you later?" he asks, still close to my lips, and I nod my head. "Have a great day, beautiful," he whispers and steps back, going to the door and leaving the room.

In a state of ecstasy from a magnificent night, I remain in bed.

***

Now I felt more attached to Joshua. Closer to him. Intimate. And more in love. It only took a few days with him to realize that my heart truly belonged to someone, after years.

I felt happier, radiant. The problems that used to affect me no longer had an effect. I was renewed. I leave the room ready to go to work.

"I imagine your night was excellent, Miss Collins, seeing as you seem to be floating," Gregory mocks, leaning over the kitchen counter as soon as he sees me coming out of the room.

"When did you arrive?" I question, surprised by his presence, and pour coffee from the pot into a cup.

"Someone had to give us some support," Nathan retorts, equally sarcastic.

"I came a little after Joshua left. When we arrived last night, you were already in your beauty sleep."

I roll my eyes and end up laughing at the banter coming from both Gregory and Nathan.

"But tell me, how was it? Did what I imagined happen?" Gregory asks, not discreet at all. I shrug, trying to play innocent and burst into laughter.

"Finally, girl! I thought this would never happen."

"Although I still thought it was a little early."

"And were you planning to wait until after the wedding?" he furrows his brow.

"Well, the traditional way is always good."

"But breaking the rules a little is even better."

I nod my head, unable to contain my smile.

"But anyway, I have to hurry to the office," I alert and take a sip of the coffee that Gregory had prepared.

"Yes, I have to go too," he leans away from the counter. "I just came to give you some help. Thought you might need it."

I finish my coffee and head outside the apartment with Gregory, leaving Nathan to take care of Agatha and Alex who were still sleeping.

***

As evening approaches, I head to the University. Because of my sisters' arrival, I missed the second day of classes, but it was also necessary to forget a bit about what happened on the first day. The taxi stops in front of the university. I get out and make my way inside the campus.

As I approach the corridor that leads to the room where my first class would take place, I run into Hannah and Sarah.

“Alice!” Hannah says, smiling at me. “I thought you had given up on the first day of class.” She says while crossing her arms.

I let out a laugh.

“My sisters arrived in London yesterday, I didn't have time to come to class.”

“Oh, I see.” Hannah says. “And to be honest, you didn't miss much. Yesterday's classes were boring and today they're sending the freshmen to a meeting in the auditorium.”

“Really? About what?”

“We have no idea.” Hannah shrugs. “But it must be something related to welcoming new students. They didn't do that on the first day because not all students show up.”

“I just hope it's not some kind of prank, that gives me chills.” Sarah comments, looking terrified at the idea.

“As long as we stay away from the path of the upperclassmen, we'll be fine.”

“I wish it were just that...” I mutter, not knowing if Madelyn was an upperclassman at the university, but it was likely.

And speaking of the devil.

“I can't believe Madelyn Chapelle is back at this university.” Hannah says astonished. “I thought she had moved to France.”

“Do you know her?” I ask.

“The correct question would be: who doesn't know her? She has had a modeling career since adolescence, but it seems she took a break to study fashion, her big dream. But, to tell you the truth...” Hannah crosses her arms and leans against the white wall of the corridor. “She's not all that. I went to high school with her and her sister, and both of them are too ordinary for the life she leads, well... that Madelyn leads. I don't know where her sister has been since high school.”

“I don't think anyone knows.” Sarah adds. “And she doesn't talk much about her sister. They say Madelyn's sister died in a tragic car accident.”

“Jesus!” I say surprised.

“But others say she just moved to America.” She concludes.

“I must say I'm surprised to see her here, I really wasn't expecting that.”

I feel my phone vibrating in my pants pocket. Someone was calling me.

“Sorry, girls, but I need to take this call.” I show them my phone.

“Okay, no problem. We're heading to the auditorium, see you there.” Hannah says and I nod, moving away from them and taking the opposite direction, already putting the phone to my ear.

I walk straight down the corridor to the women's restroom, enter and lean against the sink, facing the mirror. It's Nathan calling me.

“Nathan?”

"I need your help!"

"What happened?"

"I'm lost in London! I asked Gregory to stay with the girls while I went out to look for a job. But I ended up getting lost!"

"Wait... What? How did that happen? Gregory should have known not to leave you alone in London! And another thing... What were you thinking going out at night looking for a job?"

"I saw on a website that some restaurants were hiring and open at night. But I guess it was a terrible idea!"

"Relax! I'll ask Gregory to look for you. He knows London better than I do. Now, I need you to take a photo of where you are and send it to me so I can forward it to Gregory."

"Okay!"

In a few seconds, I receive the photos of the place where Nathan got lost and I immediately send them to Gregory with a message saying that Nathan was lost.

Gregory views the message and responds, agreeing to go look for him.

"He will look for you."

"Tell him not to take too long!"

I end the call.

The door of one of the bathroom stalls opens and the sound of heels hitting the floor starts but quickly stops. I raise my head, looking through the mirror, a little curious to see who it was, and I immediately recognize who it is.

"Well, well, look who's still in London," Madelyn smiles cynically.

That girl had a way of bumping into me and ruining my day.

"It seems like my little prank didn't reach the peak I wanted."

And there, I could be sure that she was the one who sent that stranger to harass me. But in return for what? For me to leave London?

And despite having a lot of words I would like to say to that crazy girl, I choose to stay quiet, because it wasn't worth arguing with that unstable person.

"You should really go back to America and leave Joshua alone."

I take a deep breath, trying not to listen to her.

"You know... London is already full of opportunistic girls like you."

Even though I don't look at her face now, not even through the mirror, I can feel that she's smiling behind my back.

"Girls like that never get very far, because the truth eventually comes out and then... you'll just be another one. Just another one who slept with him."

I sigh, deciding to speak up.

"Listen, Madelyn... I don't want to argue. Especially not with you," I say, and turn towards the exit of the bathroom, but she grabs my arm forcefully, making me turn back to where I was.

I was getting tired of this.

"I don't want to argue either," she shakes her head. "I just want to propose something."

I avert my gaze from her smile, as it was starting to make my stomach churn.

"I don't want your proposals!" I raise my voice this time. "I want you to leave me alone!" I try to move away from her, but she blocks my path.

"I will leave you alone, dear! But you'll have to leave Joshua!" Her expression turns serious as she tightens her grip on my arm.

"Let me go!" I struggle, trying to escape again.

"If you lay a finger on his body..."

"What will you do? Huh?" I explode. "Just so you know, I've touched him and I'll keep touching him!" I flash a smile similar to the ones she used to give me.

"No..." She disapproves of my actions. "Are you not afraid to die?" She yells, her eyes bulging with anger. "Aren't you afraid of dying?"

"At least I'll die knowing he likes me!"

She releases my arm abruptly.

"Be sure of it..." She's trembling from head to toe. "I will make your life a living hell!"

"Good luck, babe." I wink and finally manage to pass by her.

I didn't know how to deal with Madelyn's provocations anymore. And I knew she wouldn't stop until she saw me away from Joshua. And that was something I wasn't willing to do.