The beginning

It was a sunny afternoon. The two friends running to the bus stop, the loser has to pay for both of them. Finals had just ended. First-year of University now behind the pair as they continued to race back to the apparent waiting for them. Not a care in the world, just the two of them.

What could possibly go wrong?

"Emily watch out!" a hand pulled the teen back on the sidewalk. "You have to look where you are going. do you have any idea what would have happened if I wasn't here to save your butt all the time?"

"I'd be dead"

"why do you do this to me?"

"Because no matter how clumsy I am you will always have my back"

"yes. But that's not we are talking about here."

"what are we talking about? I got bored and started thinking about what we should do when we are home," she said admiring the embroidery on the inside of her sweater.

"Val, we will talk about this one day. but I guess your right. What's that silly head of yours thinking of doing first." the Boy caved into her dissertation as they got on the bus.

"Leo Know-it-all Grant! how could you possibly not know?" a small frown was now shown on her face as the fake disappointment was shown in her eyes.

"oh, Valentin what have I done to make you so sad?" he sighed "Perhaps hot cocoa, pajamas, a movie, and cuddles will get you to smile for me. " rolling his eyes, he responded to her by being just as dramatic.

"there better be that watery stuff with chunks of cocoa powder and ginger in that hot cocoa."

"I know extra whipped cream, a pinch of cinnamon, and 2 drops of peppermint extract, stirred for 15 seconds in the mug I got you last Christmas." he listed ignoring the fake order she gave. "I know you too well sometimes. That's why we haven't met anyone."

"what are you talking about." she glared at him. "We both know I don't have a choice in the ways of love. You have a chance at least."

"Emily,-"

"oh, look at that we are home! better get to it and make that cocoa." She was out of the bus and in front of the apartment door in a blink of an eye.

They settled on the couch, cocoa in hand, the girl suddenly broke the comfy silence.

"Leo, I'm sorry I haven't let you talk about this whole wedding thing yet. How was I supposed to know dad wanted me to get married to some CEO. I guess hearing you talk about it just means that it's really going to happen and I don't want it to be true yet." she looked down into the mug with the perfect amount of whipped cream on top of it. avoiding the look on Leo's face that she knew he had since they got the news. His usually bright light brown eyes held so much happiness and something else she couldn't quite put her finger on, were now filled with a hint of sadness and pity no one wants to see.

He pulled the girl closer to his side and took a deep breath of her hair. kissing the side of her forehead he finally spoke. "if there was a way I could help you out of this I would."

"unless your family is secretly rich there is nothing we can do. Sometimes I wish my brother was getting the company and not me. Why did dad think I would want it in the first place?" she moved her head to rest on his chest. "Sometimes I wish we were just friends that live next door?"

"I mean we technically are next-door neighbors. Your dad is just the owner of a huge leading fashion brand, and mine is his butler."

"Leo! you know I don't like it when you say you are nothing but 'the help' your family matters so much to mine." she looked into his eye like he was everything to her. "why can't dad at least wait until I'm 21 to marry me off. 19 is too young to be settling down, I can't even say I'm out of my teens yet."

"How many 19-year-olds can say that they are almost done with University? You just started and you are almost done now." he reminded her as his fingers ran through her hair softly. "Emily, remember how upset you were with me when your dad told you I was your bodyguard? " he paused waiting for her to respond, hoping what he was about to say next wouldn't hurt her. She hummed in acknowledgment waiting for him to tell her what he was thinking. "well that day we feared has come." his hand stopped in her hair as he looked away from her.

"when?" her voice held no emotion. They both knew that one day it would end and they would go their separate ways. Never had something giving her more fear than losing her best friend. He was everything to her and yet something more that she couldn't quite put her finger on.

Leonardo Charles Grant was the boy next door. only one year older with his bright brown eyes and dark curly messy hair, was a bodyguard to the future arris of a major fashion company. Growing up with someone outside of your family that makes you feel so safe, only made seeing him have to walk away crush the otherwise quiet girl. 'Leo' was the name only she could call him after they stayed up one night looking at the stars.

If you meet the pair on the street you would think they were in love. They never fought each other only for one another. Always sarcastic jokes and a cup of cocoa could fix anything between them. He took care of her not only by doing his job but by making sure she was always confident in herself and her decisions. She would do her best to make sure he had other friends besides her, he was friends with powerful businessmen because of her, she was there to comfort him when his mom died. They made each other happy and we're always stronger together.

"A week after you meet 'Mr. perfect.' " he made air quotes to try and lighten the mood. " I ship off to Italy for a new job and to finish school."

"will we ever see each other again?" she asked the air as he pulled her into a tight hug, mugs of hat cocoa on the coffee table long forgotten as the quiet filled the open concept living room.

"I hope so," he whispered into her hair as she slept on his chest.

Emily Ann Lavender Valentin was a shy girl that was only truly herself when Leo was around. She grew up consistently being watched by everyone around her, especially the media. She had to be polite, caring, and smart all while being in fancy heels and the latest fashions. Leo and her brother Benjamin were the only boys she was allowed to socialize with unless her cousins attended the same party. The sons of greedy businessmen weren't allowed near her and the family fortune. Benny and her cousins being 5 years older were expected to make their own fortune and not to rely on what the family already had. Emily was to be given her father's company after her marriage to a respectable man of the family's choosing. Instead of being jealous of their younger cousin, John, and Sebastian felt pity for the little sister they saw in her.

Benjamin, John, and Sebastion Valentin were all the same age as the younger boys are twins. Benny was the oldest Valentin boy by six months and the twins weren't supposed to be twins. The twins grew up traveling all over for the magazine company their father ran. The twins would have been triplets if their sister's heart hadn't stopped a month after they were born. Lavender was born with an underdeveloped heart and there was nothing anyone could have done to save her.

After the family lost hope of having any girls it was decided that if a baby girl was to make it, she would be given the fashion or magazine company. When news of a possible girl being brought into the family it was requested that the name Lavender would be part of her full name, in order to honor the one before her.

The Valentin boys loved and protected little Emily from the moment they saw her. She was always watched by one of them from afar until they went to high school. They wanted to protect her all the time but had to live their own lives. When the Grant family was hired they were asked if they could let their son be by her side at all times. within minutes of meeting each other, the young Leo and Emily became inseparable sealing the two to be together.

Thank you for reading this ends chapter one.

This is my first story so please feel free to give me any feedback you have. have a great rest of your day!