For the rest of the journey, Xavier was unusually quiet. This silence was only unusual to Vivienne but seemed expected to Aurora who was used to Xavier's silence. Because in her mind, Xavier was a serious, hard-working, diligent, and stern person at work. He rarely spoke without reason.However, the same person had a different image in Vivienne's mind. After all, Xavier was her cousin; one whom she really treated as a brother. She believed she was more familiar with her cousin's personality. That's why she was certain that Xavier had something on his mind which was why he was silent.Between the two of them, it was usually Vivienne who stayed silent while Xavier had to find ways to entertain her. They both were talkative people but Xavier was willing to make an effort for Vivienne because he really did not see her keeping to herself. Currently, as Vivienne had expected, Xavier indeed had something on his mind. Knowing that Noah was the so-called first love of Vivienne left him with a
The next day, even before the sun came out, Vivienne had gotten up. It wasn't surprising though considering she never seemed to have a peaceful sleep and often woke up after a couple of hours. But the surprising thing was that last night despite the inexplicable excitement bubbling in her heart, she didn't toss and turn for hours and even was able to go to sleep without any dreams the whole night. But still, she woke up before the break of dawn looking energetic and refreshed.Vivienne had only slept for over five hours but this seemed to be one of the most peaceful nights of sleep in recent years. Before this, the night where she was able to sleep without any dreams and disturbance was when she slept with Noah on that fateful night. Actually, Vivienne knew what this anticipation and excitement in her heart was. Wasn't it all because she had a date with Noah today? How could she not understand it? She was just refusing to acknowledge her own feelings.Looking in the mirror, Vivienne
Noah had actually planned a Sunrise breakfast with Vivienne as the start of their date. He arrived so early but who knew that Vivienne was an early riser too and had already eaten her breakfast? He had to inform the people who arranged the breakfast to cancel the plan. But this one defeat did not faze him at all as he was still excited for the rest of their day together. Once they got together, he could always take her for a memorable breakfast anytime and anywhere. He was a romantic person who believed in creating memories together with his loved ones. Noah hurriedly made some fluffy pancakes, crispy waffles, and steaming hot coffee for himself. Sitting in the aisle of her kitchen, he looked towards the glass windows and had to say that the view from Vivienne's house was also worthy of attention. He could enjoy the early morning in such an environment peacefully. It'd have been better if he had the company of Vivienne but here he was... All alone.Vivienne came down dressed in a fl
"Your chariot awaits, madam!" Noah chuckled and playfully offered his arm to Vivienne in an exaggerated manner which earned him an eye roll from the latter. "You are really... something," Vivienne couldn't even find the right words to describe his behavior. He was trying hard to hide his grin but it was too obvious to ignore as well. Vivienne didn't understand where his excitement was coming from. As they drove through the early morning streets of LA, the city was still half-asleep, Noah kept the destination a secret. Vivienne, curious as ever, tried to pry it out of him, but Noah was steadfast in his refusal to spoil the surprise.Twenty minutes later, they pulled up to a beach. The sky was still tinged with the pinks and purples of dawn, the air crisp with the scent of saltwater. The waves gently lapped at the shore, promising a perfect day for surfing."Surfing?" Vivienne asked, raising an eyebrow as she turned to look at Noah."Surfing!" Noah confirmed as his grin widened. "Thou
After a couple of hours in the water, Noah and Vivienne headed back to the beach, breathless and exhilarated. They collapsed onto their towels, both grinning from ear to ear."That was... amazing," Vivienne admitted, her eyes still sparkling with excitement. She just became a little intoxicated by this excitement.Noah nodded, his hair still damp from the surf. "You were amazing." He said this sincerely and one could see it from his eyes and from his voice too. He found her really amazing. He extended his hand towards Vivienne's face and pulled a strand of her hair gently to the side of her face as he looked at her lovingly.Vivienne playfully rolled her eyes but couldn't hide her smile. "What's next on this mysterious agenda of yours?" She didn't even mind the way he touched her as he wouldn't listen anyway besides, she was too happy to notice this small thing right now. Also, she was curious about what she was up to next.Noah winked. "You'll see." He touched his stomach and asked,
Vivienne did not refute his words as she had been pondering over his attention and enthusiasm toward her. She was really unused to such attention and it made her not eager but rather fearful of it. She did not want to be too hopeful as you'd never know when these hopes would come crashing down and she might not even be able to bear the weight of these crushed hopes.Noah placed his hand over hers on the table and said, "You are too insecure about yourself, Vivienne. Shouldn't you become confident in yourself?""I have confidence in myself," answered Vivienne to him. "But when it comes to you, I begin to question a lot of things. You should understand that I have very special feelings for you. These feelings don't allow me to be confident in front of you. You weren't interested in me years ago, then I can't understand why you'd be interested in me now.""I was blind once," he replied without any hesitation. "No, I wasn't blind. If I was, I wouldn't befriend you. It's more like since yo
Seeing her expression, Noah bit his lower lip and asked uneasily, "Is this still a topic that I should avoid?" He ran his slender fingers through his thick hair and went on, "I thought you might have gotten over the shadow of your childhood but I didn't expect... I'm sorry! I spoke out of turn."Vivienne saw the guilty look in his eyes and she took a deep breath to calm herself as she questioned, "You really didn't expect that I'd still be stuck in the past, right?"Noah didn't dare to look into her clear grey eyes as he replied, "Well, I was hoping that you'd be stronger.""Some wounds are not easily healed. They say time heals everything but I learned that time isn't that helpful. It's not time's job to heal your wounds and it's our own responsibility to heal our own wounds. But we tend to avoid picking at those wounds and consider that once they scabbed, they have just healed. Then one day, someone comes and picks at those scabs and you realize how easy it was for those old wounds
As the sky turned from orange to deep purple, Noah felt a sense of contentment wash over him. The day had been perfect—everything he had hoped for and more. But it wasn't just the activities or the locations that made it special; it was Vivienne. Her presence, her laughter, the way she looked at him—it all felt right.Finally, they made their way to the last stop of the day: a secluded beach. Noah had arranged for a small bonfire to be set up, with blankets and pillows strewn around for comfort. They sat by the fire, the sound of the waves gently lapping at the shore, the stars twinkling above them.Vivienne actually burst out laughing when she saw this scene and couldn't help saying, "Noah Sullivan, who did you learn from to plan a date?"Noah scratched the back of his head sheepishly, "I might have taken a page out of my parents' first date."Vivienne touched his fluffy hair and ruffled them making Noah stand there dumbstruck in surprise. "You love the sense of ceremony in everythin