If he knew a picture of June in a wedding dress could fulfill his every desire, he would have had her wear it ages ago. Her beauty was so captivating that he could gaze at her endlessly. The moment his eyes landed on the picture, it ensnared him, and he found himself unable to look away.“You’re smiling,” Logan said as if as a question. Ollie fixed the smile on his face. He hadn’t realized he’d been smiling at June’s picture. “Oh, my god.” With a high-pitched tone, Logan said. “Oh, my god. It’s the apocalypse! Ollie is smiling. It’s the end of the world, Max.” His voice progressed into a shriek. “It’s the end of the world.” Ollie raised his head. “Quit being dramatic. I’m not some sadist who never smiles.” Logan stared him dead in the eyes. “You’re a sadist. I’ve never seen you smile before. Well, except now which is terrifying.” “That’s a lie. I do smile.” Ollie said. Then looked at Max. He was focused on the distant flag. “Don’t look at me.” Fucker. Logan grinned mischievous
The remainder of the evening following their departure from the bridal shop was a disaster. It wasn’t a literal disaster. But it had been a whirlwind of chaos for her.The drive back to her apartment had been cloaked with heavy silence so palpable it choked her.When he’d finally got to her apartment. Ollie had simply waved her off with a goodbye that sounded more like a discontented sigh. As if he couldn’t wait to be out of her sight.At least, he hadn’t dropped her by the roadside. With how much he gritted his teeth, she braced herself for the possibility.Did the idea of having feelings for her piss him off so much? Was she that unlikeable?His sudden change in attitude had hurt her initially. But she pondered on it constantly, it slowly weaved into anger and pure bitterness.And what was worse was that he’d gone radio silence. He hadn’t called her or texted her. Which was unusual because there hadn’t been a day he wouldn’t send a silly message to her.Everything cocooned a big rag
Ollie’s body stiffened for a brief moment, his heart quickening, as he was taken aback by the wide, beaming grin that spread across his face.Like an eleven-year-old who’d just laid his eyes on his crush, he felt a rush of adrenaline at the mere sight of June. She confidently donned a crop top that complemented the baggy pants she wore with a pair of comfortable Crocs. His eyes moved slowly down her figure pausing to appreciate the exposed skin between the waistband of her trousers and the edge of her crop top. His hands itched to caress her smooth, flawless skin. As she approached, the overwhelming urge to bridge the gap that separated them crawled up his sleeves. He desperately wanted to envelop her in his arms, to breathe in her scent, and to taste the softness of the crook of her neck with his teeth. He yearned to press his lips against her plump, inviting ones and confessed how much he’d missed her, to the extent that he couldn’t function properly.As these thoughts mired him
Ollie wasn’t a heavy drinker. And every single time he’d drank had been because of June. Their dynamics remained the same. June still ignored him like a plague. She’d been indoors throughout the day. And he couldn’t stop running a loop in his head about how she’d said they would go their separate ways. It was fair since he’d signed the deal and that was when they agreed the contract would come to an end. It was fair that they went their separate ways. But he didn’t want that. After they went their separate ways. He would have no reason to call her. He would have no reason to see her. He would have no reason to be with her. He would have no reason to see her smile. He would have no reason to breathe her air. The thought of it was driving him crazy. He was going insane. He headed to the bar to drown himself in alcohol. He’d spent his days drowning himself in loads of work but it didn’t seem as effective anymore.In a disarrayed state, he staggered out of his study room and traverse
Desperately needing to leap off a cliff because of how embarrassing she was. She needed to disappear like a squirrel into a hole and never show her face again. No one deserved to see her face after the embarrassment she’d caused. The memories were mostly a blur, but a single vivid snippet that flashed through her mind, made her wish the ground would open up and swallow her whole. Honestly, she wouldn’t be pissed if the ground swallowed her. At least, she wouldn’t have to face Ollie again for the rest of her life. It was one thing to ask Ollie why he wasn’t attracted to her. And it was another thing to beg him to have sex with her. And she’d done both. Imagine how embarrassing both were on their own. And she'd asked for both. Her hands rose to her head and clutched it tightly. She let out what bordered between a scream and a cry when she remembered how whiny she had been about it. What the fuck had she done? Why couldn’t she keep her mouth zipped? She used to have a very high to
His desperation grew until he contemplated rallying a search party and employing every means possible to locate June, even resorting to tracking her phone’s location.He had been trying June’s number and it wasn’t going through. Just as he was on the brink, the call finally connected. He heaved in relief which was immediately short-lived when an unfamiliar voice pierced into his ear exacerbating the raging inside of him. “Hello,” the voice intoned. He clenched his teeth and maintain a tense silence, as though he were stalling to brace himself for the inevitable tragedy that awaited him on the other end of the line. The unsettling realization settled in that a stranger answering June’s phone could only imply one grim outcome. After agonizing seconds of silence, the unfamiliar voice resumed speaking, its words searing into his ear with each syllable. Drawing every harsh breath out of him. “The owner of the phone has been taken to Careggi Hospital. She’s sustained severe…” The
Guilt wrapped around her heart like a tightening coil, feasting on the heavy silence between them, squeezing with each passing mile as they made their way from the hospital to the penthouse. It was a weighty chain, dragging her thoughts into the depths of shadow.It didn’t help that she couldn’t get a read on Ollie. As if the repeatedly grinding of his teeth was a way to prevent him from combusting and spewing fire all over the place. He was definitely angry at her. And she didn’t blame him. Anyone would be.The need to apologize gnawed at her like an insistent hunger until she couldn’t take it anymore. It was the right thing to do so when they slipped into the penthouse, she quickly chimed up.“I get it. You’re pissed. If I had to drive such a long distance I would be too. And I’m so sorry.” God and she was sorry. She was so sorry.With his back turned to her, a bitter laugh that caught her off guard clawed its way up his throat, punctuating the already thick and charged atmospher
While spring was the start of something beautiful and warm. To Ollie, it had been the start of unending nightmares and haunting memories. Spring had always been tainted to him. He’d always associated it to the death of his mother. And the beginning of his father infliction of unending painSo while others had a brilliant outlook to the beginning of spring, Ollie did not. Because it came with all it baggage and thorn. And though, all those times of torture had long gone, the memory still stuck to him. The nightmares. The gnawing feelings. The sleepless nights. But today, it changed. For the first time, Ollie slept without memories of the pasts haunting him nor to his demons lurking behind the darkness waiting for him to shut his eyes. He didn’t wake up to a banging headache nor did he had to listen to the tick tock of the clock because he couldn’t sleep. He didn’t have to bury his head in load of works because he couldn’t shut his eyes.It looked like a simple concept, insomnia but
Two years later. She did it. Finally, she was a certified interior designer. Today was another great milestone for her. With the help of the twins, her friend, Lola who couldn’t be here because she was several countries away And most especially her man. Who’d been with her through thick and thin. Whose loyalty never waver. Whose patience never ran thin. Whose love multiplied daily. Even when she moved across the country, to California, he’d followed her, he’d took charge, he’d been there for her. He’d stayed with her. He’d and made her take the backseat which she was very much pleased. He’d made her the happiest woman on earth. Her heart swelled with the ceremonial gown on her. “Oh my fu—“ Aiden’s exclamation was abruptly cut off when his eyes locked with hers. “Oh my.” He muttered under his breath. He’d become grumpier as he grew older. “What happened?” Amy’s puzzled gaze scanned the surroundings, searching for the cause of Aiden’s displeasure. A gasp escaped her lips, and she
Ollie had been practically glued to her side. He hadn’t been apart from her for more than a minute. And that was a stretch. He followed her around the house like a lost puppy. Whenever she took a step, he was around by her side. “What did you want? What do I need to do? Where are you going?” He would say with so much love and care. She wasn’t complaining at all about his clinginess. As a matter of factly, she loved so much. She missed him so much. Now that he was finally with her, she was never going to let go ever again. Being with him felt like she could finally breathe. She was genuinely happy. She couldn’t explain the level of joy his presence alone brought to her. They’d been indoors for four days without a pint of curiosity for the outside world. It could be burning down and they wouldn’t even care. As long as they were with each other. During those periods, they’d caught up with each other’s life. They’d shared their deepest insecurities. They’d made love so many times. Th
She was just out of the restaurant she worked part time when she bumped Rachel, Ollie’s step mother. When Rachel’s eyes met hers, the smile on her face broadened and Rachel instantly enveloped her into an embrace. “Isn’t this a pleasant surprise?” Rachel’s voice carried a warmth of genuine delight. June returned the hug. “It is.” As Rachel withdrew, she added, “How have you been?” “I’ve been good. Thank you. What about you?” June asked. “I doing well dear. What else can this old lady do?” a shared laughter echoed between them. “What are you doing here?” “I work here.” June answered, her eyes meeting Rachel wrinkled corners. Rachel said with a low hum. “I’m a regular here and I never stumble across you.” “I work the evening shift.” She’d switched shift with one of her colleague who’d pleaded with her. “Must be the reason.” Rachel said, her hand resting on June’s shoulder. “By the way, I heard you broke my son’s heart.” June tensed up, unsure of what to response. “I…” She st
Max: Are you busy?Ollie: Yes. Max: See you by 7. At Eden.It wasn’t hard to make out Max in the bar. His blond hair stood out like a beacon in contrast with the subdued ambiance of the bar and his outfit. A black turtle neck with matching trench coat. When he flopped on the chair opposite Max, he said. “This has better be for a good reason or I might just kill you. ” Max leaned back, no words just a raised brow as Ollie’s hand sought for bottle positioned between them. Not caring what it was, he poured himself a generous measure into the glass. It felt dull as it slid down his throat. He’d gotten accustomed to the taste of liquor. They almost tasted like water to him. “Take another swig, you will need it.” Though, Confused at what Max was implying, he took another swig. The burn of the drink a familiar comfort. This was how he kept his sanity. This was how he kept going after June. She ruined him and he couldn’t even hate her for it. He'd accepted June the type of love he co
She’d been an unfixable mess since the breakup. Firstly, because there had been an unending swirl of chaos within her. Secondly, because life was still life. A colossal mess. She had no luxury to mourn a broken heart. Every morning, she rose to her feet, not because she wanted to but because she had to. She showed up at multiple part-time jobs until she broke a nail because she had to. To top it, she had to read for the exams.When she’d told the twins and Lola about her ambition, they were so proud of her. They mattered to her but deep down she wanted someone else praise. The persono who’d told her it was okay to dream and instilled this confidence into her to take a step towards her dream. The actual person who’d motivated her to take this risky step wasn’t there. At 2 am or 6 pm, when she ate, when she slept when she worked, when she studied. He was a constant pillar in her mind. She had no right to think about him but she couldn’t help it. He was everywhere. He was in every
It always worked. Work had always been a perfect distraction for him anytime he needed to push something aside and not think about it. Until now. Workloads upon workloads. It couldn’t stop the image of June burning the pages of his mind. It haunted him with vividness that made it impossible for him to concentrate. Her anguished voice echoed in his ears, refusing to fade. Her cruel words whipped him like a lash. Her pained face that he wanted to console even after everything.His brain had been on a maddening repetitive loop. We’ve had our fun. Fun?The word taunted him. All he wanted to do was drown thoughts of June out of his mind but everything he’d done proved futile. Seated at his cluttered desk, surrounded by towering stacks of paperwork, but the weight of his workload did little to divert his thoughts. Three days. Twenty hours. And June hadn’t left his mind for a millisecond. Twenty hours of work a day had done little to distract him. June, even in her absence, was a r
He’ll leave you. He’ll regret ever being with you and he’ll leave you. Ollie’s father's words stuck to her, not leaving her mind for a tiny moment just like the ghost of his hand on the skin of her neck, she could also his word strong invisible vise choking her. That’s all it is to you. You don’t deserve him. Shaken by the incident, June’s hand trembled as she extended an arm to the car’s window control panel, her index finger pressing down as if seeking escape from the stifling words that had choked her She’d hoped that the breeze would ease the ache she was feeling. No, it didn’t Instead, it stung her skin with its painful lash. June was quick to wind up the window before slumping into her seat. The more her mind pounded on the words, the more it churned her inside and broke her into pieces. Her insecurities build with thick layers.He would leave you. Soon. He would. The words echoed once more, cutting deeper than any physical wound. An involuntary sob broke out of her m
A week later, June was meeting John at the said hotel. June found it weird that the hotel was deserted, and her eyes darted around in search of signs of life. They were just an old red peacock car and a surprisingly manicured lawn in sight. Before June could change her mind, she made a beeline to the lobby’s entrance. She just wanted to be over it as soon as possible. When she entered, her eyes glanced through the person seated in the corner of the lobby. He wore a fedora. John waved to her from the far end of the lobby. His face was hidden behind a baseball cap, casting a shadow over his features. She hadn’t recognized him at first, her eyes narrowing as she squinted to make out his identity.She sighed with relief and made her way to him. The creak of her footsteps on the grimy floor echoed through the desolate lobby. John’s eyes met hers as she approached, and he smiled croakily, the lines of worry etched on his face evident even in the dim light.“Hey,” she said as she droppe
A sense of uneasiness swept over her when she pulled open the door to reveal John. Her brother whom she’d forgotten existed until now. John's hand shot up, his fingers moving in a stiff, awkward wave as his lips formed a tight smile. “Hey.” “What are you doing here?” June raised a brow. It was a surprise that John had stayed away when she asked him to. But she was determined to report to the cops if he showed up at her doorstep back then. Now, three months had passed. It would be a big joke if he thought she would let him in again. John chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. “Our reunion went a lot better in my head.” His eyes darted through the dimly lit porch. Her lips pulled into a deep line of scowl. Reunion? After what had happened? The memories of the past twisted her inside into a tight knot.Her grip clenched around the doorknob. “Can you at least invite me in?” John raised a hopeful brow.“No.” she gripped the door’s edge and closed it in on her body, leavi