Chris Joelle's cheeks flushed as my words hung in the air like a bridge between the past and the present. In that moment, time seemed to fold back on itself, carrying me to a place of memories and emotions long buried. As she blushed I remembered what a brilliant student she had been, how I’d been unexpectedly drawn to her, the kiss we had shared and the hell that came after that. I knew it was time to apologize to her. I knew I would like never get another chance. “Joelle, I need you to hear me out,” I told her. “I’m sorry for…” I implored, my voice tinged with sincerity. My intention to apologize hovered in the air, caught between the gravity of past mistakes and the possibility of healing wounds. But before my words could find their path, she silenced me with the gentlest of gestures—two slender fingers pressed softly against my lips. Our eyes met, a silent exchange laden with emotions. There, within the depths of her gaze, I glimpsed not only pain but also a reservoir of kindness,
Joelle"So where does this leave us?" he asked, his voice carrying a hint of uncertainty, as I took slow sips from my cup of coffee. "I don’t know," I replied, the words slipping out hastily, carrying the weight of my own confusion. "Us." The word echoed in my mind, carrying a weight that stretched far beyond its simple letters. Could there truly be an "us"? The past weeks had woven a tapestry of emotions, where he had become a haven, a sanctuary in the midst of my chaos. Each visit to him had turned into a lifeline, a respite from the challenges of reality. But was he more than that? Or was he merely that, an escape, a temporary refuge from my troubles? I felt butterflies in my stomach every time I was about to meet him. It was a familiar sensation, one that had surfaced years ago, igniting my memories and emotions. Without thinking further, I looked into his eyes, closed them, leaned closer to him and kissed him. He didn’t push me away and reciprocated. At that moment in time, it f
- Joelle -It was a warm afternoon in May, and the sun bathed the campus in its golden light. The fragrance of geraniums planted all around filled the air, pleasing my senses. As I sat on a wooden bench with Jason, the only sounds that reached my ears were the melodious chirping of birds and the occasional footsteps of passing students. Jason leaned against the backrest while I lay with my head in his lap, facing the radiant sun, and my legs were comfortably bent, resting on the bench. His hands gently ran through my hair, creating a soothing sensation. Despite the impending exams, I had never felt so relaxed. Yet, there was a nagging thought in the back of my mind—when did we become so close?To any casual observer, we appeared like any other young couple on campus, the quintessential college sweethearts filled with dreams and aspirations. But the truth was that there was nothing romantic between us. We had shared a few classes during our time at Junior College, but we never really s
- Joelle -Hey lovebirds! Sorry for interrupting. Wanna grab a bite with us?” said a voice from behind Jason. I leaned to the side to see who it was. It was Kevin and Matthew. They had known Jason ever since they were kids. They were following a degree in Engineering at the same University we attended and we often hung out with them when all four of us were free. According to Matthew, Jason and I were in some sort of secret relationship. That was his definition when I was around. Apparently the term wasn’t censored when I wasn’t around. I used to blush every time he said it but the more I denied it the more he said it. In the end Jason told me there were two ways of dealing with Matthew, either play along with him or ignore him completely. I chose the latter. Sure enough he stopped. By now though, I had gotten used to him and became immune to his comments. I managed to keep my cool around him and usually reacted by rolling my eyes or sticking my tongue out to him. Jason always laughe
-Jason- I had never seen that look in her eyes and a dagger pierced my heart. She was hurt, I could tell as much. Had I hurt her? How? Why? Had she developed feeling for me too? My heart rejoiced at the thought for a second but I quickly removed the idea from my mind. As much as I wanted it to be true her reaction earlier that day proved she didn’t want me anywhere other than in the friend zone. She freaked out when I jokingly said I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her. From time to time I dropped hints about how much she meant to me and she always said the feelings were mutual and that I was the brother she never had. Except that wasn’t what I felt for her. I didn’t look at her as a sister, I wanted more. I wanted to call her mine. I wanted her to call me hers. God knows it took every ounce of strength of my being to stop myself from punching someone every time we were out and some guy checked her out. It took even more to stop myself from kissing her every time we somehow
- Jason -In the following weeks, our schedules became increasingly hectic as we prepared for our final exams. Joelle and I spent more and more time together either at my place or at hers. I lived alone. I had arrived in Malta with my parents and older sister when I was three years old and grew up here. I started school here having no clue about the languages spoken. We spoke Italian at home, the languages spoken here were English and Maltese. Kevin and Matthew were two of the first friends I made. It didn’t matter to them that I didn’t speak their language. We somehow found a way to communicate and before long we were inseparable. Along the years many people came into my life and left. Matthew and Kevin remained steadfast. There were maybe five or six people in the world I would have trusted with my life and my secrets. Matthew and Kevin were two of those people. Over the years, we had stuck together through thick and thin and knew they would have my back just like I would have their
-Joelle -My much awaited holiday finally arrived. This year Minna and I were meeting in Norway. It was a country I had never been to and I was looking forward to the longer days, the midnight sun and the milder climate. With Norway being so close to Finland, Minna had visited it multiple times. She knew exactly where to go, what to avoid and what to visit. We normally planned our itinerary together. This time round however Minna offered to plan the trip herself. I was glad. I had been too busy with exams and all that had been going on around me to think about the trip. Having someone plan the trip for me was a luxury I greatly appreciated.When I arrived at the airport, I spotted Minna waiting for me. She had arrived earlier that morning and had already picked up our rental car. In the Arrivals lounge, she held up a placard with my name on it, grinning from ear to ear. I rushed over to her, dropped my bag, and enveloped her in a tight embrace. We held each other for a moment, basking
- Jason -There have been very few instances in my life where I can recall being left speechless. Tonight was one of them. Standing in front of Joelle's house, I was taken aback as she emerged, looking like a star from a Hollywood red carpet event. "Where is my Bugs, and what have you done to her?" I thought to myself. Her hair was elegantly styled in a simple bun, and her makeup highlighted her beautiful eyes. Wearing a stunning royal blue halterneck dress, every slight curve of her body tempted me to reach out and touch her. She smiled at me shyly, our eyes met and my world stopped. With every step she took towards me, my heart raced faster. It was going to be a long night, I anticipated. "Well?" she said, awaiting my response. "Well, what?" I replied, caught off guard. "I'm waiting for you to offer me your arm," she teased. "Oh, right, my arm," I mumbled, quickly extending my arm and tucking hers underneath. Her smile widened as I escorted her to our waiting cab. Although the bal
Joelle"So where does this leave us?" he asked, his voice carrying a hint of uncertainty, as I took slow sips from my cup of coffee. "I don’t know," I replied, the words slipping out hastily, carrying the weight of my own confusion. "Us." The word echoed in my mind, carrying a weight that stretched far beyond its simple letters. Could there truly be an "us"? The past weeks had woven a tapestry of emotions, where he had become a haven, a sanctuary in the midst of my chaos. Each visit to him had turned into a lifeline, a respite from the challenges of reality. But was he more than that? Or was he merely that, an escape, a temporary refuge from my troubles? I felt butterflies in my stomach every time I was about to meet him. It was a familiar sensation, one that had surfaced years ago, igniting my memories and emotions. Without thinking further, I looked into his eyes, closed them, leaned closer to him and kissed him. He didn’t push me away and reciprocated. At that moment in time, it f
Chris Joelle's cheeks flushed as my words hung in the air like a bridge between the past and the present. In that moment, time seemed to fold back on itself, carrying me to a place of memories and emotions long buried. As she blushed I remembered what a brilliant student she had been, how I’d been unexpectedly drawn to her, the kiss we had shared and the hell that came after that. I knew it was time to apologize to her. I knew I would like never get another chance. “Joelle, I need you to hear me out,” I told her. “I’m sorry for…” I implored, my voice tinged with sincerity. My intention to apologize hovered in the air, caught between the gravity of past mistakes and the possibility of healing wounds. But before my words could find their path, she silenced me with the gentlest of gestures—two slender fingers pressed softly against my lips. Our eyes met, a silent exchange laden with emotions. There, within the depths of her gaze, I glimpsed not only pain but also a reservoir of kindness,
I spent the next two days in self care mode. I took some time for me, something I hadn’t done in months, ever since I’d come back from Norway in fact. I organized my room, spent hours in the bath and I visited the hairdresser. I asked her to add a hint of purple to my hair, and had it cut considerably shorter. The change felt invigorating and revitalizing. After that I went for a long walk by the sea and simply sat there hearing the waves, and watching the occasional seagull. I found solace in the soothing sounds of the waves and the graceful flight of seagulls. It was a moment of tranquility, a chance to clear my mind and reflect on recent events. I thought about Jason, Norway and the previous night in the ER when Chris came in. I reflected on all that happened during the past six months. Up until a couple of weeks ago life had been good. Then I’d had that argument with Jason and my life flipped itself over. I realized that I had been so busy with work that I hadn’t really had time
- Joelle -The first patient came in and he was passed on to the first resuscitation room where my senior, another colleague and a team of nurses were waiting for him. As soon as the first patient was transferred, the second patient was wheeled on a stretcher in the second resuscitation room. “Get started Joelle, you’ve got this. I’ll be with you ASAP,” my senior shouted from the adjacent room. Right, I thought. This is my day. The day I prove I can do this. I saw the patient coming in and in spite of him being wheeled in fast I swear I saw it happening in slow motion. Everything seemed to slow down, despite the urgency. “Forty five-ish year old male, involved in a high velocity head on collision. A and B were stable at all times. I am suspecting a femur, right lower limb externally rotated and shortened. Right upper limb severely deformed, and bleeding. Tender at T4 and T5. Also tender left upper quadrant, possible splenic trauma. Hypotensive at 100/60, tachycardic with a pulse rate
- Jason -“That was delicious,” Joelle said as she licked her fingers. She’d eaten an entire Ftira with tuna, olives and marinated vegetables. “I’d forgotten how much I missed this,” she continued as she sipped her cola. She looked at the time. “Right, I need to run. I’ll meet you guys here as soon as I’m done,” she told us, planting a tender kiss on my lips before setting off at a brisk pace. I watched her until she was out of sight. Then turned to Kevin. “Things seem to be going well between you,” he told me. I nodded. “Rumor has it you’re a jealous guy,” he continued. “Now wait a minute…” I interrupted. He lifted his eye brows as he sipped his beer. “Is this about Aksel?” I asked him. “Hmmmm…. Yes!” he answered. “Who is the dude anyway?” I asked trying to sound less interested than I was. He took another sip, pausing for a moment before answering. “Let’s put it this way,” Kevin said. “He has absolutely no interest in Joelle. Zero. Nothing. Nada. At least not in THAT way,” he emph
- Jason -What was I missing in the whole sitauation? I was aware nothing romantic was going on between Aksel and Joelle, if it had, she wouldn’t have answered my call while he was there, but it pissed me off that he was there in the first place. They were obviously close, otherwise he wouldn’t have been there helping her pack! And what was the deal with Kevin? Ever since she’d moved there they had become the best of friends. There were moments before Joelle and I started seeing each other when I felt replaced. I felt like I had lost my best friend to one of my other close friends. She had become closer to him than to me. Admittedly though, I had been in a relationship at the time and I myself had restricted contact. He appeared quite comfortable around this Aksel guy too. I assumed he knew what his role in her life was. I made a mental note to ask him about him the next time we met over a beer…. Rephrase…. I made a note to interrogate him about him the next time we met over a beer.
- Joelle -The final week before my return to Malta was a whirlwind of activity. With only three days between the end of my contract and my departure, I had numerous loose ends to tie up and people to see. My colleagues had kindly organized a farewell party for me, although it meant sacrificing valuable time for running errands. Thankfully, Kevin arrived a week before my flight and, as had become customary, he stayed with Aksel. Their relationship had grown increasingly serious, and it was heartwarming to witness Kevin finding someone who respected him and allowed him to be his authentic self in public. While Kevin was open about their relationship here, I suspected that very few people back home knew about Aksel. The fact that he hadn't even disclosed it to Jason, a close friend, concerned me. I empathized with Kevin's hesitation but hoped Aksel would be understanding if the truth ever came out. On the third day of his visit Kevin called me. He apologized for not calling earlier but
- Joelle -He moaned as I massaged his head, and his moaning turned me on. He turned around and kissed me and I found myself moving my hands all over his upper body. He left me breathless. My hands wondered further down as I stroked his shaft. He nibbled my ear, then went down to my neck and found the perfect spot. He held my head with one hand and played with my breasts with the other as he sucked and nibbled on my neck. I ached for him down there and he knew it. He moved his hand in attempt to slide a finger inside me. “No, I want all of you,” I whispered in his ear. He smiled. He lifted me up with one hand as I wrapped my legs around him. He guided his shaft inside me and I let out a moan as I whispered his name. This was amazing. He held me with one arm as he placed the other against the shower wall and trusted in and out somehow finding the perfect rhythm. It wasn’t long before I dug my fingers in his arm and he knew I was about to climax. He let go and we climaxed together. Aft
- Joelle -I woke up to the delicious smell of toast and the sound of sizzling bacon. The bed was empty and cold. It seemed Jason had been up for a while. I got out of bed, following the enticing smells, and made my way towards the kitchen. There he was standing at my stove frying bacon shirtless. The smell was divine and the view heavenly. “That’s not a very smart move,” I told him. Frying bacon shirtless… what was he thinking? I quickly opened one of the drawers and retrieved one of my dad's t-shirts. Over the years, my dad had accumulated spare clothes at my place due to his frequent issues with lost luggage. I handed the t-shirt to Jason, who eyed me suspiciously before putting it on. He was a size larger than my dad, and the material stretched over his chest and back. I pulled him from his flanks and kissed him. “I might just hide your passport and keep you here under lock and key, I’m sure nobody would notice,” I told him. He smiled and kissed me back, then resumed tending to th