"Let's go shopping, Em. She has to go back. It can't be too late!" Stella said, slinging an arm around Evie's shoulder.
"Yeah, Evie, are you sure you won't come with us?" Stella asked, a hint of regret in her voice.
"I really can't tonight. How about another day?" Evie replied, her tone apologetic.
"Alright, don't stay out too late. Em and I will have fun without you," Stella said.
"Have a great time!" Evie said with a smile.
Stella headed off to shower first, planning to go out with Em afterward.
Evie's phone rang. It was Alexander, waiting for her downstairs.
She told Em and Stella she was leaving, grabbed her things, and walked out of the dorm.
"You have so much stuff. Let me help you carry some!" Em offered.
"No, I can manage. Just hold the door for me! Don't be late for work tomorrow!" Evie reminded her.
"Don't worry. I'll just walk around with Stella and come back. My alarm is set!" Em said, holding the door open.
"Have fun. I'm off. Bye!" Evie said, stepping out and heading downstairs.
Alexander's car was parked in a corner of the small square in front of the dorm building. He never parked directly under the girls' dorm. Too flashy.
Evie walked over. The driver had already opened the trunk and helped her put her things inside.
She went to the back seat, opened the door, and got in.
As expected, Alexander was already sitting there.
"How did I do today?" Evie asked, smiling at him.
She looked like a child hoping for praise.
"Very well," Alexander said, taking her hand. "You were fully invested in the song. Your dance was in sync. Did you forget the lyrics?"
"You noticed that? Yeah, I blanked for a second, but I remembered right away!" Evie looked at him, surprised.
So he had been listening carefully. He had even caught that small flaw.
"Don't worry about it. I could barely hear it. You sang beautifully."
"Thank you!" Evie said, her smile bright.
Getting his approval felt like the best reward.
"Never again," Alexander said, looking at her calmly.
"What?" Evie didn't understand.
"Don't do any more performances like that. Or refuse them," he said lightly.
"There won't be a next time. I'll graduate before the next school anniversary!" Evie said with a laugh.
"Don't accept any other similar invitations either."
"No one will invite me anyway!" Evie said, leaning comfortably against him.
Alexander put his arm around her shoulder and said nothing more.
It wasn't that he didn't want her to perform. He just didn't want anyone else to see how beautiful she was. He wanted that all to himself.
Evie's phone rang just as they were almost home. It was Charlie.
"Charlie—" Evie answered.
"Evie, congratulations on your performance today!" Charlie said on the other end.
"Did you come watch? I thought you'd already gone back!" Evie asked, surprised.
After they had parted ways, Evie hadn't heard from them. She assumed they hadn't stayed for the show.
"Yeah, how else would I know how you did? You looked like a flower fairy today. Absolutely stunning," Charlie said with a laugh.
"It's just the dress and makeup. I didn't know you were there. I would have called you after the show."
"It's fine. We're leaving now. Heading back."
"Are you going with Noah?"
"Of course. He has to escort me home! Anyway, congratulations. We're heading off!"
"Okay, be careful on your way back!" Evie said.
After hanging up, she turned to Alexander. "That was Charlie. I invited her and Noah to our school's celebration today. I thought they'd already left, but they stayed for the show. They're just heading back now."
"Evie is a little biased," Alexander said, half-jokingly.
"No, I'm not!" Evie muttered. "I would have been nervous if you were watching!"
Alexander just smiled at her.
"Okay, fine. I wasn't nervous later. I sang well!"
"Yes, you brought honor to your husband," Alexander encouraged.
Evie couldn't help but laugh. "Looks like I did something great!"
"If you do the small things well, you'll have a chance to do the big things later."
"Alexander, you sound like a school principal!" Evie said, laughing.
Alexander smiled and reached out to ruffle her hair.
Evie slumped her shoulders. He was treating her like a three-year-old.
Then he said, "If I were the principal, would you be the student?"
"I am a student! Not a primary school student, but a college student about to graduate."
"So we're having a teacher-student romance?" Alexander asked, a smirk on his lips.
Evie froze for a second, then burst out laughing.
She couldn't stop.
Her Alexander could be so serious one moment and then say something that made her laugh the next.
He was so unpredictable!
"Okay, okay. Stop laughing, or you'll feel sick again when we get home."
Evie nodded and finally managed to stop.
When they arrived at Sterling Manor, they walked hand in hand back to the house.
Along the way, Evie excitedly told him how she felt singing on stage.
Alexander listened carefully, but didn't say much.
"Alexander, everyone says I sang really well!" Evie finally said, a little proud.
"Very well," Alexander nodded.
"That's because a great teacher produces a great student. You're the one who taught me!" That was what she really wanted to say.
Her success today was largely thanks to him.
"It should be said that if there is a husband, there is a wife. It means we are made for each other," Alexander said, glancing at her.
Evie turned to look at him, her smile growing even brighter.
She loved that sentence. We are made for each other.
She wasn't the first person he met. But better late than never, right?
She had met him at the right time and stayed with him.
So they were made for each other.
After Stella's shower, she and Em went out for a walk.
"Why does Evie have to go home every night? She never stays in the dorm. It's just one night. So disappointing!" Stella couldn't help complaining.
"Maybe her family is strict," Em said.
"Her family is just nouveau riche, not some scholarly family!"
"Stella, don't talk about Evie like that," Em warned.
Stella fell silent. Maybe she realized she had gone too far.