Chapter 11

"Where have you been?"

Damnit, I thought I'd been discreet. I gave Chris my best smile. "Told you, I was with Laura and Beth."

He eyed me carefully. "Nick said Laura was with him all night."

Ugh, then they say women gossip. "Yeah, uh ... she went home, Beth and I stayed longer." Man, I hate lying to him like this.

"Until now?"

"Yeah."

"It's 3 am." He pointed out.

"Yeah, why are you still awake?"

The look he gave me made my heart clench. "I was waiting for you."

"There was no need, I-"

Chris came closer to me, enough to pretty much sniff me, which he did, and I highly hoped he wouldn't immediately smell male perfume on me. It's not like Sebastian and I kissed or anything, he always kept a gentleman-like distance, but still. Chris made a weird face, then stepped back. "Beth needs to stop making you drink." He rolled his eyes. "I can smell alcohol on you."

I almost sighed out of relief. "I'm an adult, you know," I scoffed, "Beth doesn't make me drink, I drink because I want to."

"You get drunk only when you're with her."

"That's not true." I guess he doesn't have a clue as to what we do during our girl nights.

Chris sighed. "Let's go to sleep."

Because I didn't want to test my luck, I just nodded, without replying, and he followed me to my apartment. I felt a bit lightheaded because of all the wine, but I could manage not to trip in my own feet. Once inside, I took off my coat, and only too late I remembered what kind of dress I was wearing.

Chris gulped, in fact. "I thought you didn't come home to get changed."

"I didn't."

"You went to work in that?"

Damnit. Think about something, think about something. "Uh ... I had the dress at the office." That was a really stupid lie.

"Why would you have such a dress at the office?"

"Oh, you know, for any occasion." I replied evasively. "I thought I'd need to be prepared."

Chris didn't buy it, clearly. The fact that he didn't say anything for a long time was proof. I tried to act casual, going to my room to get changed, but he didn't follow me, not even once I was done. I went back to the living room while applying my night cream on my hands. "I thought you were sleepy." I mused, hoping there was something else on his mind, other than my blatant lies.

"Why are you lying to me?" Case in point.

"About what?" Come on, Vivian, it's over, just admit the truth.

Chris walked over to me, who was standing by my bedroom's door. "You didn't spend the night with Beth." He stated, pretty much caging me against the wall, yet without touching me.

"What makes you say that?" I wondered, still trying to salvage whatever was left of my secret.

"Come on, Viv, I know you. I can tell when you're lying."

You can't, Boo, you can't. otherwise, you'd have realized how I feel about you a long time ago. You'd have known I was lying through my teeth when I said I didn't mind you dating my roommate. You'd have known the sight of you with another girl was always insufferable for me.

I didn't say any of that, obviously. What I did was brace myself, literally and figuratively, because I knew what was coming. "So, what's his name?" Chris inquired, predictably. I didn't reply. "You know I'll find out regardless."

"You know I hate it when you do that." I rolled my eyes. "It's also kind of creepy."

"Taking care of my best friend is creepy?" Chris huffed. "I just want to make sure you're okay."

"Well, I am." I shrugged. "Even if I went on a date, why is that a bad thing?"

Chris stared at me, seemingly impassive. "You admit it, then."

I rolled my eyes. "What difference does it make?"

"Why do you feel the need to hide a date from me?" He complained, his voice slightly raising, as he pulled back, getting mad. "You usually do when it's someone you know I won't approve."

"You never approve anyone, Chris." I pointed out.

"It's not my fault they're all idiots."

Here I went again, rolling my eyes. If he was getting mad, I was getting even madder. "Right, because only a lost cause would consider me."

"I didn't say that."

"But you clearly think it." I argued. "Didn't you just say I only date the wrong men?"

"I mean, what would you call Brian?" He raised his hands in the air. "He was a complete idiot."

"You say that of every guy I go out with." I reminded him, starting to count: "Brian, Peter, Dennis, you hated even Richard, even though you used to be friends."

Chris sent me a dirty look. "Richard got what he deserved."

"You punched him because we slept together." Once again, he had a short memory.

"He took something that wasn't his."

That left me speechless for a few moments. What did he mean by that? Richard was my first time. "What's that supposed to mean?" I asked in a whisper, partly afraid, partly anxious to know the answer.

"You ask without answering." Chris bit back instead. "Were you on a date?"

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, I was." I finally admitted. "I met someone."

"Who is he?"

I shook my head, knowing this script by heart. "No," I took a few steps back, into the bedroom, "no, I'm not playing this game with you again."

"What do you mean game?" Chris asked, frowning, as he followed me. "I just wanna know, don't I have a right to know?"

"Not if you act like an overprotective brother." The latter word was a knife to my own heart, but that's how he sees himself when it comes to me.

"I'm not." Chris rolled his eyes.

"Do I need to restart counting my failed dates?" I held up my hand. At this point, this wasn't even about Sebastian, this was me finally blowing up after a series of failed attempts at dated because of Chris interfering. "For some reason, I cannot go out with a guy, yet you get plenty of chances. Even at booty calls."

"You know I'm not that type of guy."

"Aren't you?" I tilted my head to the side, my tone inquiring. "Cherise might think it differently."

Chris sighed, rolling his eyes. "I told you, she's a nobody."

"A nobody that calls you late at night. Even I know what that means."

He shrugged, raising his arms. "Okay, I had sex with her, maybe once or twice. So what?"

"Exactly, so what if I date?" I shrugged in response.

"It's not the same thing."

"How is it not?!" I slightly raised my voice, getting really pissed at his antics. This might be one of those cases where we end up taking a break from each other. We only did twice in 20 years.

"Do you honestly believe I keep you from dating?" Chris argued, sounding and looking mildly hurt. "That Laura is right, I boss you around?"

I closed my eyes, falling back onto the bed, tired and afraid of my own thoughts. I didn't even look at him when I answered, I just stared at the floor: "Maybe."

Chris dropped to his knees, and cupped my cheeks, looking hurt as ever. "Viv ..." he called, his voice latched with pain, which inevitably triggered my own tears, "Vivy, look at me."

In response, I closed my eyes, in order to say it clearly: "I met someone, Chris." I stated. "And it's the first time I actually feel good about a man. Even only after two dates. If you really care about me, you won't ruin it for me."

I could feel his grip on my tightening, but he didn't speak. We remained there for more than a few minutes, I think. I didn't have the courage to even only look at him, I knew my words pained him. Slowly, however, his hands started sliding down to my hips. "I never meant for you to feel caged, Vivy." Chris stated. "I only try to take care of you. I made a promise, remember?"

"I know you did." I slowly opened my eyes, hoping we were both calmer now. "But that doesn't mean you should act like you do. Not even my dad is that strict about me dating." I tried to be funny, but Chris grimaced.

"Don't compare me to your dad." He said. "Or your brother."

"Why not?"

"Just don't." That was weird. Chris heaved a deep sight, lowering his head to almost leave it on my shoulder. "I'm sorry, Vivy."

"I know." Déja vu, my dear friend.

"And you know I only want your best." He continued.

"I do."

Chris cupped my cheeks again, this time looking at me straight in the eyes. "Never lie to me, okay? Never." I didn't react, or I didn't have the time to, because Chris continued: "But you're right about one thing."

"Which is?"

"I hate it when you're dating." He finally admitted, and my heart skipped a few beats.

"Why?"

He shrugged. "I just do."

That's not an answer, Chris. I sighed, not wanting to continue this discussion, also because I was way too tired. Between Sheryl's endless rant about my responsibilities and how I need to learn to do my job or she'll fire me, then Sebastian and the perfect night we had, and now this argument, I was exhausted. "Let's just go to sleep." I murmured, hoping he would agree.

Chris nodded, in fact, but didn't move. He lingered there for a few moments, his mouth slightly open, as if he wanted to say something, yet didn't know how.

"Chris?"

He leaned closer and closer, until his lips nearly grazed mine. "Forgive me for this." Was all he said. Before kissing me.

Chris kissed me. A real kiss, mouth to mouth. I feared my mouth could explode. Especially when he pushed me onto bed, his body hovering over mine. "Chris ..." I called. "Chris, what ..." He took off my clothes, and I felt pure shivers at his touch. In a matter of seconds, I was writhing underneath him as he dug deeply and slowly, his voice a mere whisper as he called my name like a chant.

"Viv ... Viv ... Viv ... Vivian!"

I was shaken awake. Literally. I mentally cursed when I realized it'd all been just a dream.

"Finally." Beth laughed, standing by the bed.

"What ..." I rubbed my eyes. "What time is it?"

"Way too late for you to be dreaming." She joked, hinting at the clock on the nightstand. "You're late for work. If you want a lift, you better get dressed soon, I'm going out in five minutes."

I merely nodded, my head falling back on the pillow. I had Sebastian take me to Beth's place, in order to avoid Chris possibly seeing us. Man, that dream felt so vivid, it could have been reality. I would have sworn I felt my lips all tingly, as if Chris had really kissed me. Unfortunately, no, it was just the umpteenth wet dream of a desperate heart.