What happened before the weekend began didn't hinder Lariette from having fun with Madeline. They no longer talked or thought of Vincent.

As they wore masks and lay on the bed, the two best friends chatted and played games until the witching hour. The echoes of their chitchat and laughter rang in the bedroom, carrying clear traces of their joy.

"Kay from our class texted me the other day. She wanna invite us to her wedding."

"Oh! Do you remember Stella? She asked if she could rent the cafe for her birthday next month."

They chatted about memories in college, and then about the people they were quite close with back then. Madeline filled Lariette in about their former classmates. Their faces were quite a blur in the latter's memory.

They also talked about their work, Lariette's hectic schedule before winter break and Madeline's future cafe events. Both were especially excited about the Christmas and New Year's parties.

As the night deepened, the bustling city nightlife outside gradually gave way to a low hum. The streets were no longer crowded with the passing vehicles.

"Haa... so sleepy..." Madeline let out a yawn, tears beading at the corners of her eyes.

Chuckling, Lariette threw a pillow at her friend, "Go to sleep. It's so late now."

"Mm... night, Lari..."

Madeline was the first to sleep. She curled under the blanket while snuggling into one of Lariette's plush pillows. The latter chuckled softly as she watched how soundly her friend slept.

Leaning over the bedside table, Lariette 's braid draped over one shoulder. She reached for her phone. The glow of the screen illuminated her face in the dim bedroom.

The digital clock showed a quarter before four. Lariette didn't get to talk to Ruediger before bed but they did exchange a few messages. He was reluctant to bother her sleepover.

He told her to have fun and not to think about what happened in the evening. She reminded him to get as much rest as possible and not rush back home.

Lariette's fingers danced on the touchscreen keyboard, spelling strings of words to be sent to Ruediger. The soft light of the phone gleamed over her smiling lips.

[Lariette: Maddie's sleeping. I'll go to bed now too]

[Lariette: Maybe will wake up at noon🤭]

[Lariette: Work well and rest well, okay?]

[Lariette: Later, honey💖]

Despite being the weekend, Ruediger would continue his work with Aunt Felicia. Lariette could only cheer on him. She even thought of pampering the man a lot once he returned home.

Her smile remained even after putting the phone away to lie down on the bed. Gazing at the ceiling, flickers of longing glinted in her eyes. She glanced at her phone before finally closing her eyes.

The two best friends sank deep into their sleep, not realizing the passing hours. The sun gave its first peek over the horizon shortly after, dyeing the skyline with hints of gold, ambers and ruby.

Neither Lariette nor Madeline stirred awake when the giant ball of light rose higher, showering the entire city under its bright light. The blackout curtains did their job well to shroud the bedroom in darkness.

The two friends woke up when the sun had reached its peak in the sky. Still groggy, they continued rolling and lying on the bed before Lariette had had enough. She got up, smacking Madeline's bum and then dragged herself to the washroom.

"Maddie, what do you want for lunch? I'm so hungry," Lariette asked before closing the door. She only heard muffled noises from her sleepyheaded friend.

Standing before the huge mirror over the sink, Lariette washed her face before brushing her teeth. Drowsiness still clung to her, but she didn't want to spend more hours in bed.

When Lariette emerged from the washroom, she found out Madeline was back to sleep. Helpless laughter escaped her lips, thinking how sleepy her friend was.

'I'll just order takeout.'

Without disturbing the sleeping Madeline, Lariette grabbed her phone before quietly slipping out of the room. She hadn't bothered to shower and change out of her pajamas yet.

The wall clock in the living room ticked softly, its needles pointing to half past twelve. The sky was clear outside, signaling a good weekend day. The golden rays streamed through the clear sliding doors.

Lariette sat on the couch, leaning over the armrest. Tucking her legs close to her chest, she checked her phone. Her lips spread slowly into a soft smile.

His replies to her previous messages came two hours later. He simply wished her good night while joking his busy morning had just begun. He also told her that he had to follow his aunt somewhere today.

Then, her eyes remained on his last two messages.

[Ruediger: Text me when you're awake later]

[Ruediger: I love you💞]

Brushing her bangs away from her forehead, Lariette chewed her lower lip, a blush dusting on her cheeks. Her heart thumped more quickly than usual, carrying her growing feelings for him.

Then, she typed. This version is sourced from MV3L3MPYR.

[Lariette: Good mor...🤭 I mean, afternoon🌞]

[Lariette: Reporting! Just woke up. But Maddie's still sleeping]

[Lariette: Too lazy to cook. Gonna order takeout]

[Lariette: Have you eaten?]

After a few minutes of receiving no replies, Lariette exited the chatting app to open the food delivery one. Colorful images of delicious foods and drinks were displayed on the screen.

Lariette quietly scrolled while thinking about which food to order. Her stomach begged to be filled already. She only checked the nearby stores, unwilling to wait longer than necessary.

"Pho... musakhan... cashew chicken..."

The dishes sold by the Vietnamese, Palestinian and Chinese restaurants all looked delicious, but their distance was far from the apartment.

When one was hungry, it was a bad move to look for a faraway restaurant.

In the end, Lariette decided to get Japanese food nearby. It usually arrived in less than thirty minutes every time she ordered. She would go down to the lobby before the delivery guy arrived later.

Sitting on the couch, she occasionally checked the phone for news messages or a phone call from her beloved. Unfortunately, nothing came.

'He must've been so busy.'

Lariette sighed. Thinking back on what happened yesterday, she knew Ruediger was also affected by it. His displeasure toward Vincent's actions couldn't be concealed.

"Ah! He'll be here!"

Seeing that the driver would make the delivery soon, she rushed to slip into a baggy sweater and a pair of joggers. After making sure she looked presentable, she left the apartment, heading to the lobby.

Madeline was still sleeping deeply. She didn't even notice the slight commotion caused by Lariette as she ran to the wardrobe just now.

The delivery guy arrived a few minutes after Lariette arrived at the lobby. After getting the takeout bag and thanking him, she retraced her steps to the elevator.

In passing, Lariette saw Mr. Hayes, the apartment manager, walking from a direction with a middle-aged man by his side. She paid no attention until the latter's face was registered into her mind.

Wasn't that... Mr. Eastwood?

What was her colleague doing here?

Blinking, Lariette halted on her steps, the takeout bag swayed slightly in her right hand. She looked in the two men's direction. They were immersed in a conversation.

Then, she unconsciously blurted, "...Mr. Eastwood?"

Lariette's voice was not really loud due to her initial shock, but the sound still caught the men's attention.

Mr. Hayes was the first to look up before Mr. Eastwood followed next. They stopped a few feet away from Lariette.

"Mrs. Alvord," Mr. Hayes greeted the young lady, wearing his usual kind smile, "Good afternoon."

Lariette returned the greeting. And then, her focus shifted to Mr. Eastwood, "Hello, I didn't expect to see you here, Mr. Eastwood. Oh, we're colleagues at the same school."

Her last sentence was directed to the apartment manager who had questions on his face.

Mr. Eastwood smiled faintly, "Miss Elsher, I did hear you live here. Seems like we'll be neighbors soon."

A realization dawned on Lariette. Her eyes widened slightly, "Ah, yes. I heard you're moving out of your current place. Benjamin's uncle found a unit here for you?"

The other week, Phoebe mentioned to Lariette about Mr. Eastwood's move. Their colleague, Benjamin, introduced the senior teacher to his uncle who was a real estate agent in this area[01].

Lariette silently thought Mr. Eastwood was wealthy enough to afford a place here. Even though Lumina Spring was less luxurious than her previous place in Boulevard Suites, the fee was still high.

"Yes, Mr. Turner helped me. I found a good unit and will move here next week. Ah, can I invite you and your husband to my housewarming party later?"

Lariette chuckled, "We'd love to. Please tell us when it'll be."

"Sure."

Mr. Eastwood thanked Mr. Hayes before saying the latter didn't need to see him off to the lobby entrance. Then, he greeted Lariette and told her they would meet at school next week.

"Mrs. Alvord."

When Lariette had just wanted to say goodbye to Mr. Hayes, he stopped her. His face suddenly changed, having traces of worry.

"Yes, Mr. Hayes?"

Did he want to ask her something?

----------

Reference:

1 - Chapter 346