Felicity's POV. The Bomb Drop.
If there was one thing I knew for sure, it was this. Mornings like these should be protected by law. Chris's hand was still warm on my hip from earlier. We had already showered, eaten pancakes, and drifted into that dangerous, lazy calm that made the outside world feel completely optional.
"Why are you staring at me like that?" I whispered, my pulse loud in my ears.
Chris was staring again. That unreadable, too intense look that made it hard to breathe.
"Because," he said softly, his voice dipping into something dangerous, "I'm trying to figure out the exact moment you became my favourite part of my day."
My mind went blank. Warmth bloomed across my cheeks. My heart raced like it only beat for him. And then there was a loud knock at the door. Which, of course, was when Penelope decided to break into my life. The door rattled like it might come off its hinges.
"Felicity Paddington!" Penelope's voice rang through the door. "Don't make me use my spare key!"
I buried my face in his chest and groaned. "She does not have a spare key."
Chris, completely calm, muttered, "Pretty sure she does."
"She doesn't."
The knocking didn't stop. "I have urgent girl business! And by urgent, I mean you might want to leave that bed if you value your dignity! I know you're in there! I'm coming in!"
That got me moving. I quickly sat up, my hair messy, my shirt clearly not ready for anyone to see. Chris leaned back against the wall, smirking like he was enjoying the entertainment.
"Quite the sister you've got there," he said.
"She's your sister," I shot back.
"Yes, but she's currently your problem."
"Five seconds!" Penelope shouted. "Or I'm coming in and ruining whatever nonsense is happening in there!"
"Oh my gosh," I groaned, scrambling out of bed. My hair was a mess, my shirt slightly twisted, and I was very aware of Christopher watching me with that lazy, amused smile.
"Don't just stand there," I hissed at him. "Help me look normal!"
"You look fine," he said, completely unhelpful.
"Chris!"
He laughed under his breath but stood anyway, running a hand through his already messy curls. That did not help. It made him look even better. Which was not helpful at all.
The handle rattled. "I'm serious!" Penelope called. "I have no problem traumatising you this morning!"
"I hate her," I muttered, tugging at Chris's shirt I was wearing and trying to smooth my hair with my hands.
"You love her," Chris corrected, leaning casually against the wall like he had all the time in the world.
I shot him a look. "Now is not the time."
When I opened the door, Penelope rushed in like a human hurricane, her eyes sparkling with mischief.
"Hello, love. Oh, hi, Chris. Good morning, lovebirds," she chirped. "Nice shirt. Is it yours, Felicity?"
Her eyes scanned the room like a detective walking into a crime scene. Her gaze landed on me, then on Christopher, then back to me again. A slow, knowing smile spread across her face.
"Oh," she said. "Oh, this is good."
I pulled at the hem of the shirt a little defensively, trying to cover my body. "Good morning to you too. What do you want?" I said, crossing my arms.
"Don't 'good morning' me," she shot back, stepping inside and closing the door behind her. "You disappeared last night. You ignored my messages. And now I walk in and find you two looking like…" She randomly waved her hand between us. "Like that."
"Like what?" I asked, trying to sound innocent.
"As you kissed," she said flatly.
Chris coughed, clearly trying not to laugh.
I glared at him. "You are not helping."
"I didn't say anything," he replied, raising his hands in surrender.
Penelope gasped dramatically. "Wait. You did kiss."
"No," I said quickly.
"Yes," Chris said at the same time.
I turned to him so fast my neck almost hurt. "Christopher."
"What?" he said, completely unapologetic. "I'm honest."
"Traitor," I muttered.
Penelope held her chest. "I knew it. I knew it! Oh, this is everything." She pointed at Chris. "You. Out."
Chris raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"
"Girl talk," she said firmly. "Out."
He looked at me, clearly entertained. "Do I get a say in this?"
"No," both of us said at the same time.
He sighed dramatically and pulled on his singlet. Before leaving, he leaned down slightly, his voice low enough that only I could hear.
"I'll be right outside," he murmured, then kissed my cheek.
My heart did a very unnecessary flip. Then he was gone. The moment the door closed, Penelope turned to me so fast it was almost scary.
She let out a small squeal. "Tell me everything. Now."
I blinked. "Good morning?"
"Felicity."
"Fine!" I threw my hands up. "We talked. We walked. He brought me home. We kissed. Happy?"
Her eyes widened. "You kissed."
"Yes."
"How?"
"How does one usually kiss, Penelope?"
"Do not get smart with me," she said, narrowing her eyes. "Details."
I groaned and flopped back onto the bed, covering my face with a pillow. "It just… happened."
She yanked the pillow away. "That is not a detail."
"It was soft. Then not soft. Then very not soft," I admitted, my cheeks warming.
Penelope froze. Then she squealed again. "I knew it!" she whispered loudly, pacing the room. "I knew something was happening between you two."
"It's not a big deal," I said quickly, even though my heart was still racing just from thinking about it.
She stopped and looked at me. "Not a big deal?"
I hesitated because it did feel like a big deal, but I was not ready to say it out loud.
Penelope watched my face carefully, her expression softening just a little. "You like him."
I opened my mouth to deny it, then closed it again. "…Maybe," I said quietly.
She smiled, softer this time. "And he loves you."
That, I did not argue with.
"Did you do it?" Her eyes were sharp, curious, and a little gleeful.
"Do what?" I crossed my arms, trying to hide my sudden heat.
"Had sex."
"Penelope!!!" I jumped, cheeks burning.
"Oh, come on. Details, please." She leaned in like a detective closing in on a big case.
"No, we haven't, and that's not your business. Seriously. But if you must know, I'm waiting for the right man to come along, and then I'll get married."
"Oh, what a shame." She pouted dramatically.
"Yeah, well, nothing to see here, so bummer." I rolled my eyes, trying not to laugh.
There was a knock on the door again, lighter this time.
"Am I allowed back in," Chris's voice came from the other side, "or are you still interrogating her?"
Penelope rolled her eyes but smirked. "Give me five more seconds."
"No," I said quickly. "You've done enough damage."
She laughed and walked to the door, opening it just enough to peek out. "Alright, Your Highness. You may enter."
Chris stepped back inside, his eyes finding mine immediately. Everything in the room seemed to shift. The teasing, the noise, the chaos, all faded a little. The moment he looked at me, it felt like we were right back where we had been before the knocking started. Like nothing had really been interrupted.
He leaned casually against the doorframe, a small smirk tugging at his lips. "So, what brings you here? What do you want?"
"Oh, nothing much," Penelope said, a mischievous sparkle in her eyes. "Just thought you should know someone's looking for you."
She grinned and winked at the same time. That could only mean one thing: trouble.
"CODE RED! The world is ending!" Penelope declared dramatically, arms full of books, hair flying, her face looked like trouble itself.
Chris straightened like a guilty teenager caught sneaking out. I might have gasped.
"What the hell, Penelope?" I snapped, clutching the pillow like it was a life vest.
She marched in like she was in a soap opera. "One, I almost died of hunger waiting for you in the cafeteria. Two, Chris, I nearly tripped over your shoelace in the hallway. Please don't plan to kill me. Three…" Her eyes moved between us, full of mischief. "…What exactly are you two planning, and do I need to call security?"
"I—what?!" My voice cracked. Fantastic.
Chris said nothing. He just tightened his jaw in a way that made me even more nervous.
Penelope gasped like it was a big surprise. "Wait. Don't tell me I just walked in on something."
"We were not—"
"Oh my gosh, you were!" She clapped her hands, her eyes shining with excitement. "I knew it. The way he looks at you? Suspicious. The way you blush every time he is near you? Totally obvious. My detective senses never fail."
Chris raised an eyebrow. "Detective senses?"
"Yes, Prince Broody. Don't interrupt me when I'm in the middle of blowing Felicity's love life wide open."
I wanted the floor to swallow me. Or for someone to invent a time machine so I could go back and stop myself from becoming friends with Penelope.
"And four," Penelope continued, "rumour alert: guess who I just heard in the quad asking if Felicity was single?"
My stomach dropped. "What?"
"Alex," she said, grinning. "Tall, good-looking, charming, and way too nice. Yes, Fel. Now picture this: I was just standing by the vending machine, minding my own business, when suddenly…"
She leaned as if against an imaginary vending machine, sipping her juice box like it was champagne. "Sooo, Alex," she began, eyes narrowing. "Why were you asking around about Felicity in the quad?"
Alex looked flustered. "Oh, that? Nothing. Just… you know. She's… nice."
"Nice?" Penelope raised an eyebrow. "That's all? Or were you asking people questions? Because I heard you asking James from Economics if she's single. Don't even try to play dumb."
Alex rubbed the back of his neck and smiled sheepishly. "Fine, maybe I was. It's just… she's different. Not like everyone else here. And I was thinking of…" his voice dropped. "Asking her out. Coffee. Something simple."
"Wait, who is James? I don't even know who James is. How did this happen? When was that? How did everyone on campus or in the dorm find out I'm single? Oh my gosh, my life is a mess."
"Hey, pay attention," Penelope said, continuing. She gasped dramatically, pressing a hand to her chest. "A confession over cappuccino? Oh, Alex. Do you realise how many hearts will break if you actually win her over?"
Alex laughed, looking flustered. "It's just coffee, Penelope."
"Hmmm," she said with a sly smile. "And I suppose just coffee never led to butterflies, stolen glances, or happily-ever-after?"
Alex muttered, "You're impossible," but the way his grin lingered gave him away.
That's when Penelope's eyes sparkled with mischief. "Well then… may the best man win."
Chris's expression darkened just a little, most people wouldn't have noticed. But I did. Oh, I definitely noticed.
"So! Who's it going to be, Fel?" Penelope grinned. "Mr Dark and Broody or Mr Sunshine and Smooth? Honestly, I would pick my brother Chris because you two have amazing, insane chemistry. But hey, who knows? No offence, brother."
"Not-taking," he said.
"PENELOPE!" I shrieked, my face so hot I could have powered the whole campus.
"Oh please," she whispered, leaning in. "Be honest. Are you confused? "Do you like or drool over both of them or not? Make up your mind, girl."
"Ugh, you are impossible. Go away, you dork. I will throw you out myself before I start crying from secondhand embarrassment."
She winked, dropped my notebook on the bed, and walked out, like she hadn't just detonated three nuclear bombs in my life or ruined it completely.
>>>>>>>>>>
Christopher's POV: Suspicion Brewing. Damage Control. Almost Words.
Penelope was up to something. I could tell by the way she kept looking between Felicity and me, like she had just thrown a grenade and was waiting for it to explode.
"Who's looking for her?" I asked, trying to keep my voice calm.
Penelope's grin grew wider. "Oh, you'll see."
Felicity grabbed her bag quickly, avoiding my eyes. Her brows furrowed, but she didn't say anything. Penelope, on the other hand, grabbed her own bag, muttered something about "probably nothing," and slipped past me. That was the first red flag.
The second came when Penelope hummed under her breath, clearly enjoying herself, and said, "Don't worry, Chris. You'll get your turn. Bye."
'My turn for what, exactly?'
Something in my stomach tightened. I did not like the way she said it. And I really did not like the way Felicity's phone buzzed just then or the quick look she gave it before putting it in her pocket. Of course, it was Alex. Alex was watching. I had seen the way he stayed near Felicity, like he had a right. Like she was his. I did not like it. Not at all. And Fel… she did not notice. Or maybe she did and pretended not to. Either way, it made me very tense.
"Don't listen to her," Fel mumbled, fumbling with the pillow, her cheeks still glowing.
I studied her. The way she couldn't meet my eyes. The way her fingers twisted nervously. She was hiding something, maybe from me, maybe from herself. Part of me wanted to pull her closer and demand answers, and to know why she got so flustered when I was near. The other part wanted to make sure Alex never even tried and erase him from the picture entirely. But I held back for now, because if Alex wanted to play this game, he would find out that I don't lose.
After Penelope left, the room went quiet again, but it was not the same. This quiet felt heavy. The air changed, back to that strong, unspoken feeling Felicity and I had before she came in. Felicity was fixing her hair, acting like she was not flustered, like Penelope hadn't almost caught us in the middle of something. She would not even look at me properly.
I leaned back against the desk, arms crossed, trying to look casual. But inside, I was not calm at all. Just say it, Chris. Tell her. Tell her she drives you crazy. Tell her I want you. Tell her I hate the way Alex stays around you, like he has a right. Tell her you are mine. But when I finally spoke, it did not come out the way I wanted. It came out quiet, a little rough, filled with jealousy and a warning.
But instead, I smirked. Coward.
"Relax, Paddington. You look like you're hiding something."
Her eyes looked up fast, first defensive, then annoyed, then that look I knew too well. The one that made me want to drop all the walls between us. She feels it too. And then, like always, Alex came into my mind, and my stomach tightened. He was always there. Too close. Too easy. Too much of a risk.
I clenched my fist.
"What exactly is going on with you and him?"
The words came out too sharply. I didn't mean it that way. It wasn't just a question. It was jealousy, strong and hard to hide.
She blinked, startled. "What?"
I should have stopped there. I should have laughed it off. But the truth was stuck in my throat. I did not want him near you. I wanted you with me. I did not care about logic or anything else. I just wanted you. The words almost came out, hot and careless. But I held them back.
Instead, I leaned closer, took her hand, and spoke in a low voice enough to make her shiver. "Just… remember who was here first, Fel."
Trouble was brewing. Her breath hitched. She didn't answer. And the silence said more than anything.