Chapter 45

Chapter 45

    It was quite late into the night, almost past 11, when Olivia finally returned from her date. She quietly pushed open the door to their dorm, careful not to wake Mia, who was already fast asleep. The lights in the room were turned off save for the bedside lamp, which was left on by Sophia, who was still up, scrolling through her phone.

Sophia looked up as Olivia tiptoed in, a knowing smirk playing on her lips. "Well, well, look who finally decided to show up," she teased, sitting up and patting the bed beside her. "So, are you going to spill, or am I going to have to drag it out of you?"

Olivia grinned as she kicked off her heels, stretching her tired feet. "Oh my God, Sophia, it was amazing!" she whispered excitedly, settling onto the bed. "I don’t even know where to start."

"How about from the beginning?" Sophia said, raising an eyebrow. "Glad it was that nice. Like, what even took you so long? I was beginning to think Jake kidnapped you or something."

Olivia laughed softly. "Honestly, I wanted him too. Actually, I lost track of time. We went to this really cute little restaurant just outside campus. It had fairy lights everywhere, and the place was so romantic. He even pulled my chair out for me a gesture lost with people these days "

Sophia gasped, dramatically placing a hand over her heart. "What? A gentleman? In this day and age? No way!"

"I know, right?" Olivia giggled. "I mean, I expected him to be nice, but he was so thoughtful the whole time. He kept asking me about my interests, my favorite movies, books—he actually listens, Sophia. Like, really listen."

Sophia leaned forward . "So, what did you guys talk about? Did he tell you any deep, dark secrets? Like, maybe he secretly collects stuffed animals or writes poetry in his free time or where a teenager like him gets so much money to afford such a restaurant?"

Olivia chuckled, shaking her head. "No, nothing like that. But he did tell me about his childhood and how he used to get into trouble a lot. Apparently, he was the kid who would always climb trees and fall out of them. He has a scar on his arm from when he tried to impress his cousins and ended up falling into a rose bush."

Sophia burst into laughter, covering her mouth to avoid waking Mia. "Oh my God, that is hilarious! He tried to be Tarzan and ended up in a bush? I love that."

"I know!" Olivia giggled. "And the food was so good. I had this amazing pasta, and he ordered a steak, but get this—he cut it into tiny pieces before eating. Like, he was being all careful with his bites. It was kind of adorable." Oh it was all so cute 

Sophia narrowed her eyes playfully. "Wait a minute. A guy who cuts his steak into tiny pieces? That’s suspicious. Are we sure he’s not an alien trying to blend in?"

Olivia rolled her eyes, laughing. "Oh, stop! It was cute, okay? Anyway, after dinner, he surprised me with a walk outside the place. It has this kind of nice view of a pool. It was so peaceful. The moon was out, and the water was just reflecting all the lights—it was like something out of a movie."

Sophia sighed dramatically. "Ugh, why does this sound so perfect? It’s unfair. I need a Jake in my life. She teased even though she didn't mean it but how happy Olivia was ,So, what happened next? Did he confess his undying love? Did he sweep you off your feet?"

Olivia blushed slightly, tucking her hair behind her ear. "Well… he did hold my hand. And it wasn’t like one of those casual, accidental hand brushes. He actually reached for it. It felt so natural, like we had done it a million times before."

Sophia gasped again, her eyes staring right sr Olivia"SHUT UP. This is next-level romance, Olivia! I swear, if he doesn’t ask you to be his girlfriend soon, I’m going to do it for him."

Olivia bit her lip, looking down. "Honestly, Sophia, I think I really like him. Like, more than just a crush. Tonight just felt so right. But I don’t want to get ahead of myself either. I mean, what if he’s just being nice and doesn’t actually feel the same way?"

Sophia grabbed Olivia’s hands, shaking them slightly. "Girl, are you serious right now? He planned a whole romantic evening, held your hand, looked at you like you hung the stars in the sky, and you’re wondering if he likes you? Come on!"

Olivia laughed, squeezing Sophia’s hands back. "Okay, okay, maybe you have a point. But I just… I don’t want to assume anything."

"Well, you don’t have to assume. Actions speak louder than words, and his actions are screaming, ‘I really like you, Olivia,’" Sophia said, giving her a reassuring smile. "But you know what? Just enjoy the moment. Don’t stress about what comes next. If it’s meant to be, it will be."

Olivia nodded, letting out a happy sigh. "You’re right. Tonight was special, and that’s what matters."

Sophia leaned back against the pillows, crossing her arms. "Alright, final question before we let Mia sleep in peace—did he kiss you?"

Olivia’s cheeks flushed. "No, he didn’t. But I think he wanted to. There was this moment when we were standing and he looked at me… like, really looked at me. I thought he was going to, but then he just smiled and said, ‘I had a really great time tonight.’"

Sophia groaned, dramatically falling back onto the bed. "Ugh, the tension! He’s definitely making you wait for it. That dude knows what he’s doing."

Olivia laughed softly. "I guess I’ll just have to wait and see what happens next."

Sophia sat up and wrapped an arm around Olivia’s shoulders. "No matter what, I am so happy for you. You deserve this, Liv."

Olivia smiled, leaning her head against Sophia’s. "Thanks, Sophia . That means a lot."

I better go show and get some sleep for school tomorrow

Olivia said as she stood up and quickly took of her dress 

  Sophia didn't turn away as usual, with time she already knew Olivia was a nudist and didn't mind taking off her clothes in front of everyone 

 Mia suddenly stirred in her sleep and mumbled, "If you guys don’t shut up, I’m throwing a pillow at you."

Both girls stopped laughing, oilvia whispering apologies to her as she walked into the bathroom excited from her date . The night had been sweet for Olivia, and as she closed her eyes, when thr water from the shower dropped on her body she couldn’t help but hope for many more nights just like this one.

   Sophia smiled as she put her phone away, sinking deeper into her pillow. She hadn't expected to feel this comfortable in her new environment so soon. Moving to a new school, adjusting to dorm life, and being surrounded by strangers had felt overwhelming at first, but now… it felt right. More than right, actually. She was having fun—more than she ever imagined—especially with her new roommates.  

She turned onto her side, staring at the ceiling, listening to the soft breathing of Mia sleeping and Olivia singing softly in the shower 

Just weeks ago, she had worried about fitting in, even justine had wondered how it will be with all the rich kids here and she usually called them about whether she would find her place here. But now, after all the late-night talks, the random bursts of laughter, and the way they looked out for each other, she felt at home.  

Mia, with her energy and playful teasing, made every moment lively. She had this way of making even the most boring situations entertaining. And Olivia—sweet, thoughtful Olivia the book woke who had now fully fallen in love —had a quiet warmth about her that made Sophia feel at ease. They were different in so many ways, yet somehow, they just… clicked.  

She thought about everything that had happened that day—the classes, Olivia’s date night. Sophia couldn’t help but smile again, remembering how excited Olivia had been when she walked through the door, her eyes practically sparkling as she gushed about Jake.  

Sophia had never really been the type to believe in love much, but seeing how happy Olivia had been made her think that maybe, just maybe, some stories did have happy endings.  

her body relaxing into the mattress. She wasn’t sure what tomorrow would bring. She hoped she would get the text from pappies asking her to resume tomorrow, but for the first time in a long time, she wasn’t worried about it.  

She had her classes, her new friends, and the start of something that felt like it could be really special. And right now, that was more than enough.  

With that thought, Sophia closed her eyes into a peaceful sleep.