Josette Marshall

'I triggered you in every possible way'. He did do that. He did trigger me, but I couldn't let him make or see me vulnerable anymore. He saw the side of me that no one should see. No one will ever see. I'm not in Richmond anymore, I'm better, and I'm in Boston. Whether or not you want your first kiss to be magical, it'll always happen how it was supposed to happen, and mine did too. It's just a matter of luck, someone has too much that their first kiss turns out to be dreamy, whereas some are just unlucky. I personally stand in the category of being unlucky whether it's in love or life, I've always somehow made everything worse. 

"It's okay, Christian. Besides, I didn't even remember." I spoke with a fake smile. He stood right in front of me with a small confused frown. "I just want to know what happened that night, I want to know all of it right now and right here from you, and I promise we'll put everything in the past and never speak of it again." He shook his head with approval and started to explain everything that happened from his perspective. "I was pretty impressed after you practically broke that guy's nose so I decided to have a casual chat with you."

"He deserved that," I shrugged and even for a tiny millisecond his eyes shrank as if he was about to say 'that's my girl' just as in those reels where the girl does something out of the ordinary and the guy feels proud, but that's just my delusional self talking. He explained everything from his perspective, which seemed genuine. I can't deny it. "…I genuinely respect your terms, but I was worried about you walking alone and drunk past midnight that's why I followed the way you went, where you were practically unconscious in the hands of two old crooks so I panicked." I slightly nodded making him believe that I was listening. 

"I was initially going to drop you off at your house but you weren't even telling me your address. You said 'I'm not telling you because then you'd know where I live,' and you also called me a moron." I made a 'I'm sorry' face for calling him a moron with a slight frown but didn't say anything. "Eventually, I figured Sadie's place would be the perfect combination of safety and comfortability for you. And the rest is history." 

We were both still standing the way we were standing fifteen minutes ago with our faces really close to each other.

Someone needed to break the ice between us, I scoffed and executed a slight shift of my position, with a pinch of subtleness so he wouldn't notice the discomfort. "Night escalated pretty quickly, didn't it?" I derided. There was something seriously wrong with me taking all this so calmly which⎼I knew⎼he could sense too. He looked at me with bewilderment on his face. 

"I promised to keep everything in the past, I keep my promises." I shrugged. I glanced at the bouquet sitting on the kitchen counter, but then I was suddenly hit with a memory that I had forgotten. How could I have forgotten? I hurriedly ran to the bathroom in my room, leaving Christian standing there, and gently opened the door.

I was met with a scene of pure serenity. Connie⎼my dog⎼was nestled cozily, basking in the warm sunlight that gently filtered into the room. His peaceful slumber had an almost mesmerizing quality, and the room was filled with an air of tranquillity. The sight of him sleeping so peacefully instantly melted away the stresses of the day, and I couldn't help but smile as I entered the bathroom. It was as if his calm presence had the magical power to whisk away my worries, leaving me in a state of complete relaxation and contentment.

Immersed in the demands of my assignments and work, I reluctantly had to confine my energetic furry friend to the bathroom. I knew that if I didn't, he'd enthusiastically turn my precious assignments and documents into confetti, which he had done once. But before closing the bathroom door, I made sure to transform it into a haven for him.

I had prepared a cozy, miniature paradise inside. A soft, plush basket bed was the centerpiece, adorned with a blanket of soothing pastel colors that whispered of comfort and warmth. A small window in the room let in a gentle stream of sunlight, casting a warm, inviting glow across the bathroom floor. His favorite toys were carefully placed nearby, and a bowl of fresh water sat at his paws' reach.

My heart was lighter knowing that he had a charming little sanctuary to spend his time in, making it easier to focus on my work with the reassurance that he was snug and content in his special retreat.

Christian hesitantly cleared his throat bringing me back to life and making his presence known. I turned to him, just to see him leaning against the doorframe of my room. His eyes were scanning my whole room as if he was memorizing something, which made me realize that my room looked like a complete pigsty. Papers and books shattered on the bed and some of the cushions lying on the floor. Mortifying.

It was the first time anyone other than Audreya had entered my room, and it was probably the messiest room he had ever seen. I could see the mischief hiding under the curtain of shock in his eyes. I couldn't bring myself to yield to his demands. I was determined never to pander to his inflated ego. 

"What? I work more effectively and creatively with mess around." 

"I didn't say anything." He said in a straight convincing voice, but not convincing enough. Just then, I heard the soft, unmistakable sound of my dog stirring from his slumber. His gentle whines and the delicate padding of his paws on the floor signaled that he had awakened. Swiftly, I turned to see him, but to my surprise, he had already made his great escape from the bathroom. He stood beside Christian and with affectionate enthusiasm, he began to rub himself against Christian's leg. I couldn't resist the urge to kneel and shower Connie with affection, my hand gently patting his soft fur. To my surprise, Christian, who had appeared so stern just moments before, also extended his hand, a friendly smile on his face as he joined in to pet my excited furry friend.

Connie's joy knew no bounds; he was overjoyed, his tail wagging furiously, and he couldn't contain his enthusiasm. It was unusual because Connie typically reserved his exuberant displays of affection for very few people, and I was taken aback by his immediate bond with Christian Larsen.

I had expected him to be reserved around someone he'd just met, but this unexpected connection between them left me pleasantly shocked. It was clear that Christian had a special way with dogs, and it warmed my heart to see Connie express his affection so openly, creating a heartwarming connection that bridged the gap between him and people. 

"Oh, Connie baby. Come here, come here." I gently caressed him while cupping his face to calm him down. "Will you pile up all those pages, please?" I told Christian. "Otherwise, he'll tear them apart." He understood and stood up, straightened his suit. I can't believe I'm making him do all of that work. I could see him examining the pages like he was checking if the work I did was right or not. I think he saw me staring at him because suddenly he was back to piling up all of my stuff. 

I picked Connie in my arms and turned to look at Christian, and to my surprise, he took away all the things that were scattered on my bed and even gently kept the cushions where they were supposed to be. His gaze for the tiniest second stopped at the book I was currently reading⎼A Court of Thorns and Roses⎼which was lying on the side table of my bed. "Where do you want me to keep all these?" He said while holding the pile of papers in one hand whereas my novel in the other. "Right there" I gestured towards my study table and all he did was nod. I let Connie out of my arms and went to the kitchen. Christian came right after me and stood near the couch without saying a word. He was never big of a talker, I got to know that even when I never personally had any chat with him. 

I picked up the bouquet he brought and placed the flowers into a glass because I didn't have any vases. I never bought flowers earlier so never needed the vases either. 

I placed the glass with flowers on the center table near the couch. I saw a small line of irritation appearing between his eyebrows from the corner of my eye but disappeared in a millisecond. "I'll take a leave." He sat down to calmly adieu to Connie. They seem to get along well. I responded with a subtle nod, signifying my agreement, and then gestured for him to follow me. Together, we made our way to the door, and I guided him out, maintaining the quiet affirmation. 

The sight of a chic, luxurious, sleek, black BMW M8 parked right in front of my house filled me with a sense of inspiration and motivation. It reminded me of the rewards of hard work and the possibilities that come with it. My father left no stone unturned in my upbringing and after his passing, it became my duty to continue on the path he created. I have always dreamed of having a family of my own, and I will do everything in my power to make their lives a thousand times better than mine ever was.

Christian was seated comfortably in his BMW M8⎼I googled the name⎼and disappeared in no time. 

Looking at the bouquet, it felt like he was genuinely apologizing for everything that happened, but what was done was done. There was nothing I could do now. "Connie baby come here," I said pouting and cupping his face. He's the cutest friend I've ever had. I served him some dog food because it's been hours since he'd had his last meal, and went inside my room for the completion of the rest of my assignments. 

It hadn't even been 10 minutes when the doorbell rang, and someone decided to indulge my work again, my guesses are on Audreya. 

"How are you early⎼?" I opened the door, but there was no sign of Audreya instead it was Christian. Something got into me and I slammed the door in his face. Embarrassing.

I slowly began to open the door again, not meeting his eyes directly this time, "I thought it was Audreya⎼" Why was he back? "Did you leave something here?" Connie came running, leaving his food behind to greet Christian as if he were a prince of a freaking royal castle. Stupid. This idiot Larsen got everyone under his spell, except me. 

"I got you a vase." He held a big brown box in one hand and Connie in the other. I hate the way Connie likes him more than me. 

"You didn't have to get me a vase, Christian." I opened the door wide for him to come inside and took Connie from his hands, he had too much on his plate-hands-anyway.

"Thank you." I smiled turning to him, leaving Connie to finish his food. I grabbed the box from him and began to open it, he also got it gift-wrapped.

"When did you have time to gift wrap it?" He shrugged. I sat on the chair around the dining table and so did he. It was a beautiful, metallic rose gold vase. It looked like he got it custom-made, especially for my house because it emerged with the environment like it was always there. "You should keep it over there." He pointed towards the center table and I nodded. I shifted the flower in the vase and placed it on the center table. He walked behind me, and Connie behind him. He didn't stay this time, said he had some important work to do. I wonder what kind of work he does, he definitely doesn't work under someone considering how rich he already is. 

After he left, I was almost done with my pending assignments. It took me hours to complete and pick up everything I was missing on, there was a lot of it. My exams were near so had to try and work more efficiently with my job as well as study. 

I decided to go out for a walk and take Connie along with me. This could help us spend more time together⎼which we haven't been because of how busy my schedule was⎼and also make him remember that I am a better friend than that idiot Larsen.