Page 63 of Colton

“Thank you,” she beams. “My best subject was history.”

I hum. “Have you considered working as a historian? Or rather, a history teacher here at the academy?”

Avalon pauses, a slight frown etching on her face. “Well, not really. I mean, history is one of my biggest passions, but getting a job at the academy would be extremely risky. It’s a competitive spot,and as of right now, no history teachers are up for retirement, or getting fired.”

My fingers run through her hair, and something stirs inside of me when I feel just how relaxed she gets against me. “That could always be arranged. If you want, the spot is yours once you graduate.”

“How about we talk about that after I graduate?” Avalon chuckles. “I think you’re forgetting I have another round of exams to take before I can even think about getting a job.”

“Yes, but given your good grades and the fact that you’ve barely missed any lessons, you’ll do well. Being a Saint Valley graduate is going to open a lot of doors.”

“Can you imagine how it’s going to be for Sophia? Her surname aside, I can almost guarantee that she’s going to be the valedictorian.”

“Oh, definitely,” I nod. “If she manages to fix the issues that occurred with this round of exams, I can see her getting the highest grades overall.”

“Now,” Avalon glances up at me, then briefly looks at the thick divider. “Where are we going?”

“Firstly, I’m taking you out for a meal. I reserved us a spot at the Hill restaurant. Then, I’ll take you to buy something.”

“Something like what?”

“Anything,” I shrug. “From underwear and outfits, to any products and jewelry you might need.”

She falls silent, and I don’t speak further. She’s looking out of the window, her head leaning against my shoulder. Neither of us makes a sound, and she slowly starts dozing off. A small chuckle slips me, unable to hold it back.

She truly is the sweetest girl there is.

I thought she would struggle to trust me, or rather, she wouldn’t allow this relationship to continue at all. But I am more than happy that she feels comfortable and safe with me. On the other hand, has she always been so full of trust in people?

I don’t stop moving my fingers through her hair, and a small sigh slips her. She’s completely out of it, sleeping peacefully in my arms. It takes us a while to reach Saint Valley, and even then, she’s still asleep. So, I instruct Dan to drive around for another hour and a half.

After a while, I realise that her sleep at night would likely be disturbed, I gently kiss her forehead, trying to wake her up. She squirms a little, but overall, seems like a light sleeper. Her eyes peel open, confusion on her expression for a moment, before she tries to blink the sleepiness away.

“Morning, sleepyhead.”

Avalon chuckles, pulling away from me. She stretches, then covers her mouth to hide yawn. Her hair is slightly tousled from sleep and bumpy ride, her hands gliding over it to ensure it’s as smooth as possible.

“Morning,” she looks at me with a smile. “I slept a lot, huh?”

“Not really.”

“It’s getting dark outside,” she deadpans. “Did you drive in circles so I wouldn’t wake up?”

“Perhaps,” I shrug. “It’s irrelevant. I’m just glad you managed to rest, even if only a little.”

“I slept fine, thank you,” she chuckles. “Are we going to be late for the restaurant reservation?”

She’s too considerate for her own good. Who cares if we’re late? I rented the entire restaurant for today, so she could fully enjoy the experience and not fear someone might see and recognize her from the academy.

Technically, it shouldn’t happen. Most students, even those who are from this town, stay in dorms during the weekend. Then again, she’s here, so it wouldn’t be too surprising if someone else decided to leave the premises for a few days.

“Don’t worry about it.”

◆◆◆

Although Avalon was too busy chatting away to eat properly, I’m glad this is how I chose to start the weekend. She was bubbly, laughing, and didn’t seem to mind that we were the only people in the restaurant.

I got to learn a lot about her, too.