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30 Days Writing Challenge Reflection

Ummmm so. It's officially over.

When I first started the 30 days challenge back in February, it was done entirely on a whim. I had trouble finishing stories, so I told myself I'd make it a habit to write for 30 days. With the minimum word count being 500 words and the maximum being 5000 (though, looking back, it was a pretty ambitious goal to set for the maximum haha). This was a challenge for me to stick to something and use my brain creatively. It also was a way for me to hone my writing skills because they've gotten extremely rusty after storing them away for years.

I don't think I ever remember having this much fun writing something out. Chat GPT's writing prompts were pretty interesting, albeit, a little repetitive, which helped a lot. I definitely feel like I write with more flavor now, because it used to take me a lot longer to format the story and let it flow. Now, I would like to say that I've gotten better. Granted, I do attribute part of my success to the Miraculous Ladybug fandom writers. They were the reason why I wanted to get better at writing. Hopefully, one day I will sit down and write a MLB fanfic to give back to the fandom. I still have a very long way to go if I want to be satisfied with my writing choices, but this proved that I can be consistent.

Now as a source of data-keeping, I ended the challenge with 47,403 total words, with my shortest being 509 and the longest being 6481. It really came down to motivation and a good prompt for me to write long pieces. I'm glad I pushed myself and stuck with it because I was able to discover more genres and try to build characters that were different from one another.

All in all, I might do it again, but it will really depend on the time that I have and the desire. :)

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Day 30: Early Dates

Writing Prompt: Write about two people getting to know each other. 

Usually her days started out a little mundane. She’d always wake up at 8 a.m., go on a morning run by the lake, get a light vanilla latte, come home, drive to work, and come back in the evening. Some days, she would make adjustments according to the weather, with rainy days being her least favorite, but still complete the day the same. 

She was completing her morning run when she spotted a white and brown border collie sprinting owner-less towards her. Its eyes shining from the adrenaline rushing through its veins, Eleanor braced herself to grab onto the abandoned leash that was hooked onto the purple chest-strap of the dog. Crouching down, she wondered briefly if it would be better to try catching the dog with her arms instead, and opened her arms wide, hoping it looked inviting enough. In a matter of seconds she found herself falling back onto the floor from the impact of the dog barreling into her. Thankfully, she was able to grab onto the leash and wrap it around her wrist twice. There was no way she was going to have someone else experience this force. Picking herself back up, Eleanor looked at the dog, which had decided to sit beside her. 

“Are you okay?” The dog blinked with a lopsided smile. She mirrored the expression, extending the hand with the leash to its nose, and waited to pass the sniff test. A lick was returned as a peace offering, and she proceeded to ruffle the fur on its chest with a laugh. 

“You’re a strong doggie, aren’t you? Now, let’s see what your name is.” She brought her other arm forward to part the fur, which revealed a nametag reading “Pita.” 

“Pita, where’s your owner?” 

Another few licks and pants answered her. She playfully rolled her eyes at the gesture. “Of course, you don’t know. Your poor owner is likely looking for you.” 

Thankfully, whoever owned Pita seemed to know that it loved running away from them. A phone number was engraved on the backside of the name plate. Dialling it, she didn’t need to hear it ring more than thrice before it was answered. 

“Hello? Is this Pita’s owner?” 

“Hi, yes.” Eleanor smiled. They sounded out-of-breath. 

“I have her. We’re at the lake. Where should I meet you to return your dog?”

“Do you know the Peak?” 

“I get my usual coffees from there. Sure, I’ll see you there.” 

“Thank you, you are a lifesaver.” 

Hanging up, Eleanor looked at Pita staring at her and gave her another scratch before tugging gently. 

“Let’s go meet your dad.” 

—

There weren't a lot of people at the Peak, and Eleanor wanted to laugh at the irony of its name. The coffee here was delicious–it was just the weekends that brought the slower mornings. 

Another thing that Eleanor found comfort in with her ordinary life was how she spent the quiet days looking out the window with her favorite drink. 

“Pita!” A man’s voice sounded from the left. She turned her head towards the source and found blue eyes widened as it took in Pita. Eleanor had to hold on to the leash tight to prevent another accident from happening. 

“You silly, goofy dog. I told you to stop doing that!” Pita aggressively greeted the man, darting left and right as he attempted to hold it still.

“I guess I was right to observe this wasn’t the first time?” She took in the playfully annoyed look on his face as he held Pita in his arms, examining its body for any signs of distress. 

“You have no idea. Thank you so much for finding her. She’s just so fast and thinks a walk outside is a game of tag.” He rose from his crouched position and held his hands out for the leash. Her hands moved forward to pass it off to him, and felt a slight tingle when her pinky made contact with him briefly. 

“I’ll take your order. What do you drink?” 

She didn’t need to look at the menu or speak before Nella, the cafe owner, offered, “Eleanor always gets a hot, white vanilla latte. I only remember because she’s never not come to the cafe ever since she moved here for her job!” 

Eleanor’s demeanor softened at Nella’s words. “It’s because your coffees are the only ones that hit that caffeine spot.” It was true. One of the first things she sought out to do after moving to this city was to try all the cafes within the vicinity. Peak’s was the one for her. 

“Darling, your praise means the most. You, fine man, what will you be having today?” 

“I’ll take an iced strawberry latte.” 

Nella beamed, cashing in the money. “Excellent. I’ll get those ready.” 

“Thank you Nella.” Eleanor replied, gesturing towards a corner seat for her, the man and Pita. They arranged themselves so that they were facing each other with Pita between them.

“So,” she crossed her legs, reaching out to pet Pita. “You know my name, but I don’t know yours.” 

“I’m Darian. Pleasure to meet you.” His eyes were so expressive. She wondered briefly if he grew up in a happy family. It was rare for a stranger to hold so much joy from the get go, but touching on family without previous correspondence was a risky move. Her mind decided to talk about Pita. 

“How old is Pita? And what’s the gender?” 

He looked at Pita’s shiny eyes with a soft smile. “She’s turning three this month.” 

“That is so cute. How did you get her?” 

“She was part of a family friend’s dog’s litter. They wanted to make sure all their little ones went home to the right people, so me, being a natural dog lover, had to check them all out. She stood out, and I took her home.” 

Eleanor realized as Darian recounted his encounter with Pita that he really loved his dog. Pita also never kept her gaze away from him for too long. She hasn’t gotten to know the both of them for long, but the two’s bond was something that kept them alive. 

“Your drinks are ready!” Nella sing-songed. 

Her legs were moving before it registered in her head. “I’ll get them. Stay with Pita.” 

“Thank you.” His eyes smiled at her.

Nella’s eyes were mirthful as she approached her. “He seems like a great guy.” 

Eleanor hoped that Darian was preoccupied enough or had a bad hearing to filter out their conversation. 

“Listen Eleanor, I’ve seen many different couples come and go at my cafe. One thing I’ve mastered is the eye for picking out good men. I’m telling you to give him a chance if he makes the move. The man seems to be indebted to you with the way he bought your coffee.” 

She glanced back at Darian to see him engaging with Pita by crinkling his brows and throwing ugly faces. Biting her lip to keep her laugh away had never been more difficult, but she told Nella, “We’ll see. Thanks Nella.” 

“Of course, darling. I also got a small cup of greek yogurt with blueberries for his dog.” 

Her mouth pouting in appreciation, Eleanor smiled gratefully at Nella before heading back. 

“Our drinks are ready.” She noticed Pita looking towards her direction curiously, sniffing the air. 

“Here’s your strawberry latte.” 

“Thank you.” 

“And this is Pita’s snack.” She removed the small bowl from the tray and showed it to Darian, “Is she allergic to any of this? Nella told me it’s greek yogurt and blueberries.” 

Eyes widening in surprise, he gasped out, “No, she’s not. Oh wow. She loves blueberries.” Twisting his body back to face Nella, he quietly shouted, “Thank you Nella!” and received a thumbs up in response. 

Pita lapped her snack up within a minute and smacked her mouth with her lips a couple times before curling into a lump for a nap.

“How long have you lived here?” Darian asked, eyes trailing past her through the windows that showed the glistening lake. From the distance, soft sounds of violin strings resonated, which let Eleanor know that Mr. Frey was out playing his favorite pieces again. 

“It’s my third year. Moved here initially for work, and loved it so much I decided to save up for a small house here.” 

“You must have worked really hard the past few years to afford your house. It’s definitely not an easy achievement.” He smiled widely at her as he slightly leaned forward. 

“Thank you.” She accepted, eyes gazing into his before moving to take the rest of him in. His blue eyes were slightly covered by his wavy, dark blonde hair. Full lips set a certain kind of weight to his appearance, which was magnified by his sharp jaw. The way his forest green sweater clung to his form stood out, and she willed herself to look back at him. Hopefully, it hadn’t been too obvious that she checked him out. 

“What about you? How did you end up here?” 

His eyes clouded as memories seem to fill his mind. “I’m actually back to visit family.” 

A small part of her couldn’t help but deflate a little at his words.

“How long are you staying?” 

“Two weeks. Just enough to spend the holidays and new years before heading back.” The way the corner of his mouth lifted as he thought of home–his real home now–caused a dent in her heart. No one was at fault for her false excitement. Clasping her hands together, she brought her vanilla latte to her mouth, sipping it. The cup came down onto the coffee table and she glanced down at Pita. No wonder she had been excited. From Darian’s implications, it seemed like he wasn’t back home often. If the only times she saw him were limited to a couple weeks in a year, of course she was going to play tag as much as she could. 

“Say, Eleanor, do you have any plans for the holidays?” 

She shook her head. Hands gripped tighter to the mug as she flitted her eyes down to the vanilla latte. 

“Do you live far away from family?” 

“Yea. We don’t see each other much.” If it was anyone else, she would have kept the last bit out. What good would it do to her if she divulged her personal details to someone she just met? Darian felt like a genuinely good person that wouldn’t judge for her different familial background. Yet, she was already regretting the way she openly talked about it. Back in elementary, people always commented on her broken family, taunting her for potentially becoming the same person as her mom in the future. It would be a lie to say that it hadn’t hurt because she was young, and she still loved her mother. Despite everything she did to break dad, her naivety believed that the two could reconcile with hugs and kisses. 

Lost in thought, it took a while for her to realize Darian’s eyes watching her with concern. Cheeks flushing with heat, she wondered how long she left him to her silence. 

“Sorry.” She threw into the air, and tightened her arms around herself. 

“It’s okay. I’m sorry for asking.” 

Eleanor wasn’t sure how to respond to that without sounding more bitter, so she kept to herself. 

“Can I ask you something?” 

A shrug followed. “Sure.” 

“Will you come to my family’s annual Christmas dinner?” 

Her expression must have been confused and a little taken aback because Darian had his arms in front of him, desperately waving back and forth as he backpedalled to give her more information. 

“Not trying to kidnap you.” At this she rolled her eyes in good humor. “Just suggested it to let you know that you don’t have to spend the holidays alone. My family–it’s a big family– we all love meeting new people. If you come, I guarantee you good food and a fun time getting to know everyone. That way, you have someone to turn to if things happen.” 

It was a little cute the extent to which he wanted to comfort her. She knew what he was trying to convey, even if his words could have been taken out of context. 

“Darian, I’d love to.”

The next action was purely a spontaneous one spurred out of the gratitude blooming for this man. Reaching out to pat his knee, she let her emotions seep through her touch, “Thank you.” 

Rising out of her seat, she let him know she was going to the restroom and quickly walked away. Once the doors closed, she allowed herself to internally scream a little. That was the most out-of-character decision she has made since she decided to buy her house. Eleanor felt the way her hand still hummed from patting Darian’s knee, and she cringed. Hopefully he didn’t find her strange. She wished she had chosen a better running fit. To be fair, she never met anybody, which is why she donned a loose, white, long-sleeved shirt with leggings. She had made a quick decision to let her brown hair loose, but brushing her hands through it let her know it was knotted in some places. Again, she hoped he had not taken too close of a look. 

Coming out of the restroom, she sat back down on her seat with a polite smile. She wondered why Darian looked a little pink, but figured it must have been the small heater in the cafe. 

“Are you okay?” She asked with a napkin in hand. 

“Y-yea. I’m good. Thank you.” He accepted the napkins and dabbed his forehead. 

“Could I get your number?”

He would need it to contact her. Reaching into her small bag for a pen, she scribbled her number on the napkin, handing it to him. 

“Doing it the old-fashioned way?” She couldn’t help but laugh slightly at his teasing look. 

“I like it that way. Better come with flowers for the first date tomorrow.” She bickered back. 

His expression held a weight to them as he said the next words, “Of course.” 

She’d be surprised to find him clutching a bouquet of fresh tulips when she opened the door to greet him the following day. 

“And I thought you were joking.” She laughed, hands touching his again as she accepted the flowers. 

“I take promises seriously.” He smiled back. “You ready to go?”

“Hold on, let me grab a few more items and we can go. You can come in.” She opened the door a little wider. 

It was the day of the dinner, and while she originally was going to head over herself, Darian had insisted they go out on a date first before heading over to his family home. She decided it had been a good call to spend some time getting acquainted with one another. There was a lot more she wanted to know about him. 

It felt a little strange having a new person in her space. The last time she had visitors was also the first time she had them: her family. 

Heading into the kitchen, she grabbed a vase, filled it with water, and placed the tulips in. Grabbing a smaller cup, she filled it with water before heading back to Darian, who was standing unsurely in the middle of her living room. His tall frame made everything else in her house look smaller. 

He looked like a lost kid waiting for instructions from his teacher. Handing the water to him, she sat him down on her couch with a gentle push of his shoulders. He complied and looked at her shyly. 

“I’ll wait for you here, then.” 

She nodded, making her way back to her room. With her full-length mirror, she took in the way her outfit looked. It had taken her a couple hours of planning, but she decided on a maroon sweater dress that gave her legs enough coverage and wiggle room to feel comfortable. Her neckline was adorned with simple gold jewelry with a raindrop-shaped pearl attached to it. In her lobes were dainty studs. She kept her hair down, curled, and sprayed on a bit of perfume that smelled like honey, and went back out to the living room. Eleanor kept a moment to absorb the scene of Darian sitting on her couch. He was wearing a navy sweater with a button-up shirt layered underneath for a cleaner look, and his hair was styled a little into strategic parts that complimented his jawline and deep eyes. On his wrist was a watch and a thin chain bracelet, and she noticed him rubbing it with his fingers from time to time. 

“I’m ready,” she called out as she swung her purse over her shoulder. 

It was laughable how quickly her heart responded to his blatant staring. 

“You look incredible.” 

His blue eyes darkened and his mouth parted a little, bringing warmth to her body.

Feeling a little giddy, she gave him a twirl. “Do I get the parents’ approval?” 

“Yes.” He immediately replied. Twisting his bracelet around his wrists, he admitted, “Actually, they kind of know about you already.” 

“I figured. They’d need a heads-up for a stranger’s visit.” 

“Well, that and some more.” 

Eleanor’s brows rose in amusement, “And more?” 

“They know how we met and how you moved here.” 

“Somebody was eager to speak about me.” She made a move towards her apartment door. 

“I wanted to let them know that I found someone a little special.” His voice echoed in her ear. It was impossible for her to feel too much for Darian, but the heat that rapidly lit up inside her told her otherwise. 

“Come on,” Darian moved towards her door, creaking it open. “We have a date.” 

Out he went, and a part of her heart told her she was in deep, deep trouble. 

—

It took a little coaxing and prodding for Eleanor to find out where they were heading, and she was excited. 

She knew there were lots of hidden places to explore hobbies near the neighborhood, but she had never felt the need to try them out. She had clearly been mistaken. 

Darian had taken her to a little pottery. 

The shop had an unassuming outer appearance, the logo painted in pale blue, the words “Phia’s Ceramics,” faded from time. 

“Have you been here before?” She couldn't help asking as she took in the way his body appeared to hum from barely concealed excitement. 

“Once.” 

Eleanor wondered who was with him that time. She opened her mouth, intent to ask him gently, but was cut short by the bell chiming softly as Darian went in the store. 

“Phia! It's so good to see you.” 

An older lady in her fifties sat behind a potter’s wheel as she looked back at the pair. Eyes lighting up in recognition, she got to shaping the pottery quickly. Satisfied, she stood, washing the mud off her hands at a nearby sink, and greeted Darian with a gentle hug. 

“Good to see you, boy. I see you brought a girl this time and not your brother.” 

Darian smiled, “Yea, this is Eleanor.” 

Eleanor felt her shoulders relax at Phia’s words. So it hadn't been another girl, but his family.

Well, now she felt a little embarrassed for being hung up on something so trivial. 

Phia moved from Darian’s embrace to her. Eleanor gave her a small smile. 

“Good to see you with Darian. Boy has been whining about being a single man since young.” At those words, Eleanor heard Darian release a cry of betrayal, which released a couple of giggles from her. Phia gave a firm grasp on Eleanor’s arm, and chose to ignore Darian’s dramatic reaction. 

 “You have a good character. I see it in the way you hold yourself and interact with others. You’re such a strong, young lady.” 

Eleanor didn't cry or feel too emotional often, but the way Phia’s eyes took her in–the entirety of her in–moved something in her. The kindness that reflected in her eyes was something Eleanor wanted from her own parents. 

Memories brought her back to moments of her seeking constant validation. She never started school with intentions to become the top student in class, but her parents had taken her to the amusement park after she received full marks on a physics exam. After that, it was a constant battle against herself. One full mark hadn't been enough. The next time, she aimed for three full marks. And so the streak continued on. It was this that forced her to realize it might have been better if she had focused on consistency over upping herself. When she only received two full marks over the usual four, her parents refused to talk to her or give her dinner. In her young and confused state, she had tried appeasing them in any other way, completing extra chores and leaving them handwritten letters of apology. 

The next morning, she had woken up to see an unopened letter crumpled in the trash. 

So she became harsher on herself. There wasn't an excuse to settle for second best when she had the capabilities. 

She finished highschool as valedictorian and college as Summa Cum Laude. Others praised her for her brains and achievements. Nobody ever saw her as a hollow shell of who she could have been had she been given the freedom to explore a little. To live life a little. 

Stepping out of her parent’s house had still ripped her to shreds, but the indifference was what really sealed her heart away from them. It was hard leaving the small room she felt safe in, but the move was much needed. Her parents had reached out–she felt out of society’s parental expectations–so she had invited them over to her home once she settled. It was awkward, and something she wasn't going to do again. 

Eleanor swallowed a lump in her throat and slipped her hand on top of Phia’s. 

“That means a lot. Thank you.” 

“Of course, dear. Now, come to the pottery wheel. We’re going to throw our worries away!” She declared as she walked into a room round the corner.

Eleanor stepped forward to follow Phia, turning back when she felt a palm press against her back. Her body melted a little, and she craned her neck to where she presumed Darian’s face was at. 

“You okay?” 

Eleanor sighed, feeling her heart release its tight hold. “It’s a lot.” 

“You can talk to me about it whenever you need, okay?” His voice muttered as it tickled her ear. 

Turning around with a smile, she grazed her fingers over his biceps, squeezing it slightly for reassurance. 

“Okay.” 

Darian walked past her, pulling her hands towards him and tucking it between his arm and waist. The corners of his ears were tinged red, and she laughed, catching up to his side. With a content smile, he led the way into Phia, who was prepping each of their pottery wheel stations. 

“Come, sit.” 

Darian let her hand go, and Eleanor found her hands missing the warmth, but pottery sounded cool. Phia came over to teach her the basics, and she focused, knowing already what she wanted to make. 

—

“You did so well.” Darian spoke with awe as he took in the final result of her bowl. 

“Yours look great, too.” She smiled, taking in the wider plate in the kiln.  

They both decided to let each other pick the colors before painting it on. Darian chose maroon, and she chose navy. It was only proper to pick the colors they decided to wear out today. This whole thing was very “couple” of them to do, and Eleanor savored the feeling. 

“I will contact you in a week for you to pick up.” Phia explained as she busily cleaned up the stations. 

“Okay. Thank you, Phia. I’ll leave the amount in the basket.” Darian shouted. 

There wasn’t much that Eleanor could do, but she voiced out her gratitude before following him out the doors. 

In the car, Eleanor found herself thinking about life if Darian became a permanent member. She knew from the small interactions throughout the day that he was so attentive and thoughtful. If there was one thing she knew from befriending Nella from the Peaks was that she did have good intuition. Phia also mentioned the way he seemed to have been looking for someone permanent, which planted a seed of hope in his heart. Then, there was the small confession he made in her apartment. Spending time with new people has never been this relaxing and fun, but time flew by so fast when she was with him. 

“Eleanor, you have nothing to worry about with my family. Like I told you earlier, they love you already. I should warn you that they can get very excited, though. Tell me if it gets overwhelming. I’ll take the attention off of you.” 

Even now, as he kept his eyes on the road, he was doing his best to put her first. 

She really, really wanted to keep him in her life.

But her mind flashed back to the reason he was back here. 

He had a job elsewhere. His life was not here, but in the city that never slept. 

She wasn’t sure if she had the heart to withstand long distance. 

None of her friendships survived them, and she had known them since young. Even after protecting her from her classmates’ taunting, their friendship grew apart. How could she expect a possible relationship to last when she’s barely gotten to know Darian? Her hands clenched into fists as she pushed the feelings of frustration, disappointment and sadness down. She was getting ahead of herself again. It was her fault for hoping from the beginning. So what if he said he thinks she’s special? Her heart twisted, and her eyes glassed over. She shouldn’t get too attached to him. It would only be today. Tonight, she was going to allow herself to have fun for his family’s sake. Tomorrow, she will go back and set everything back to the way it was. 

“Hey, Eleanor.” She felt the car slow to a stop. His hand covered hers, eyes searching hers with a look of concern, “You okay?” 

“Y-yea.” She forced her voice out, though it cracked a little. 

“You don’t have to keep things to yourself. Talking it out might help.” 

She knew that this was his way of asking her to trust him, that his offer still stood from earlier at Phia’s Ceramics. Biting her lip, she debated whether or not she should tell him. Eleanor did trust him, but the conclusion she reached earlier gnawed away at her mind. Instead of telling him, her eyes evaded forward.

“The light is green. You should go.” 

He reluctantly moved his hand back to the steering wheel, shifting the gear. She leaned against the window with a sigh, her mind a mess and heart in turmoil. Silence fell on them for the first time that day, and Eleanor regretted the way she cowardly took a way out. She really needed to work on allowing herself to trust other people, but it was so hard when her entire body was telling her to run.  

Closing her eyes, she let out a steady breath several times until she was confident with keeping a straight voice. 

“I’m sorry.”

She kept her head turned towards her window. Seeing his eyes on her would make this much more difficult, and she really needed this off her chest, even if it made her feel sick. 

“It scares me how much I find myself caring about you. I…never kept my friendships past highschool. You might have put together clues that I’m not close to my parents. I always kept to myself, but then meeting Pita and eventually you forced me to face my feelings. I think I want to be with you, but the fact that you live away…makes me doubt myself.” She reminded herself that this was not a real-life threat, but a small step towards communication. “I don’t know how we would get through all of this if we aren’t going to be physically close to one another.” Deep breath in, and out. “I’m not really worried about your family. I’m just worried that they will be disappointed in the future if we ever part ways because they sound like amazing people, and I just don’t like bringing them down if they–” 

“Eleanor.” She felt his hand on hers as they stabilized the tremor that went through them. “Eleanor, will you look at me?” When she adamantly shook her head, hiding the tears that threatened to spill over, he shook his palms a little. “Please, Eleanor. Look at me.” 

Slowly turning her head around, she hiccuped. He had parked the car on the sidewalk.

“I care about you. A lot.” He moved his hands so that they were now linked with hers. He held her smaller hands in his and rubbed tiny circles on her palm with his thumb. 

“Honestly, this is new for me too. I’ve never been in a committed relationship, and haven’t even considered long distance relationships. But my parents used to do long distance. They were doing it for five years until they tied the knot, so I’m sure they can share their experiences on how to stay strong.” One of his hands placed her hand back down on her lap, moving to caress her face and play with her hair. “I was going to ask you after our dinner tonight because I didn’t want to pressure you. But, I’d love it if we can get to know each other. I don’t mean a situationship–a real relationship.” Darian’s eyes looked into hers, and Eleanor felt her tears well again. 

“I promise I don’t normally fall for anyone this fast.” She weakly mumbled, a few tears making their way down her face.

“I just got lucky.” Her tears were wiped away gently. 

He was so wrong. “I got lucky.” 

His laugh reverberated in the car. “Pita definitely helped.” 

“She deserves all the belly rubs.” She agreed. He moved his hand rom her cheeks to cup her face.

“Are we good?” Darian asked, eyes dark and shaky. He was just as scared as she was. Seeing him vulnerable like that stirred a protectiveness in her, and she leaned forward to give a light kiss to his cheek. 

“Definitely good.” 

She pulled back, and fought back the urge to laugh when she saw him frozen, a hand raised to touch the place her lips met his skin. 

“You should start driving. We don’t want to be late and make a bad impression.” She teased, feeling a surge of glee rush through her at the effect she had on him.

It seemed to break him out of his trance. With a pout, he muttered something that sounded like, “Not fair,” which caused her to laugh and pinch the same cheek slightly. He side-eyed her, and she leaned in again, this time to his ear. 

“If we’re on time for dinner, I might give you another gift.” 

Satisfied, she wiggled into her seat to adjust herself. Determination locked into his eyes, Darian started the car, kept his eyes strictly on the road and drove safely to his house. Once the car was parked, he crossed his arms, shifted himself so that he was facing her, and tapped his cheek with a finger. Rolling her eyes, Eleanor obliged, coming close to his face. Before she pressed a peck to his cheek, she breathed, “You made it.” Her lips met his skin again, and she let herself linger a little longer than the first time. Darian’s breathing hitched and she closed her eyes. Time stilled as the two enjoyed the moment together. When Eleanor pulled away, she opened her eyes to his toothy smile. 

“Silly.”

“It tingles.” He replied, circling the area her lips had been. “Hold on,” he rushed out, as she made a move to grab the door handles. “Let me get your door.” 

He stepped out of the carseat, striding over to her side to open it. He held her hands as she got out of the car. Under the brighter garage light, she took in his appearance again, appreciating the handsome man. When she looked at his face, she blushed. With a finger gesturing to him to come down, she used a thumb to wipe the side of the cheek she kissed. 

“My lipstick.” Cheeks burning, she looked up to see Darian with a suggestive smile. 

“You know you can do that again.” He replied.  

“Darian!” She whispered. “Your parents might hear that.” 

“I used to film my band performances here. Don’t worry, they made sure this place was extremely sound proof.” 

She gave him a long look, and shook her head. “You are so silly.” 

“Only for you.” He quipped back. 

“Come on,” she tugged his sweater by his arm. “Introduce me.” 

— 

Darian was right when he promised his family’s enthusiasm to meet her. She had never been bombarded by so many questions at once, but it was nice having genuine attention given to her without an incentive. They were all so curious to know more about how Darian met her, and his mom, Seina Woods, cackled when she heard the way Pita had thrown herself into Eleanor. 

“Has Darien told you the story behind Pita’s name?” 

Her cheeks hurt from smiling so much, but she felt positively warm in this family. “No, he hasn’t.” 

“Mom, I don’t think Eleanor needs to know how we named–” 

“Shh, son. She’s going to love this.” 

Mrs. Woods beckoned Pita over, and gleefully elaborated, “Her name is short for pain-in-the-ass.”

Whatever Eleanor had predicted went out the window and she silently mouthed the acronym. Pretty soon, she was grabbing her stomach at the wheezing session that overtook her. 

“That is too hilarious.” She finally made out after calming herself with difficulty. 

She found herself backed up into Darian, and looked up to see him already looking at her. He was so pretty with his eyes glimmering. It reminded her of the moonlight reflecting onto the night sea. 

“Thank you, Eleanor.” He smiled. 

Too late, she realized she had spoken the last bit out loud. 

“Just so you know, I think you are one beautiful woman as well.” 

Things were always moving too fast since she met Darian, but she liked him. He liked her. Did the days really matter when she had this amazing man that was ready to face anything with her? Courage building within her, she linked her hand to his, leading him to an empty room, away from the chatter. Pulling him behind her, she shut the door, locking it to be left undisturbed, and faced him. 

“I like you.” She breathed out. Darian’s hands held on tight. “I like you a lot and I want to give us a try.” 

“Okay.” Even in the dimly lit room, she could see how happy her words were making him feel. 

“I like you too.” He confessed, coming closer so that her back was pressed onto the door. “We’ll figure things out.” 

She nodded, feeling his breath fanning her face. Boldly, she raised herself up, looped her arm around his neck and pressed a quick peck to his lips. 

“You taste like brownies.” She laughed. The high of realising what she has done caught up to her, and she instantly became shy. He used a finger to gently raise her chin, and lowered his lips to catch hers briefly. 

“And you taste like cinnamon.” 

The two looked into each other, and while she wasn’t sure who caved first, all she could feel was the way his lips devoured hers hungrily. 

“You have no idea,” he gasped, “How much I,” a shiver down her spine, “Wanted to do this.” He continued to torture her, pushing her into the wall. 

“Darian,” she moaned, and that sound was enough to have his mouth cover hers again with urgency. 

“It’s going to work out between us,” he promised. She separated her lips and moved to his jawline, taking her time to please him. The grip on her waist tightened, and he leaned down to give her better access. His breathy voice was slowly sending her mind into overdrive, and she groaned, “Mine–mmph!” 

His lips back on hers, he traced her lips with his mouth, and she parted it open, allowing him to explore all parts of her. It felt intimate and nice, and Eleanor had to cling onto him tighter to prevent her knees from buckling. Tangled in a dance of their own, she felt her body arch into his, her mind filled with the desire to get closer to him. 

“Eleanor–wait. We should slow down,” Darian gasped. 

“But it felt so nice,” she whined. A leg was hoisted up his waist as she put most of her weight on him.

“I-I know.” He grimaced, “But I erm. Can’t move if we continue.” 

It took a couple seconds for her to understand. Her entire face flushed red at his insinuation, and she separated herself quickly. 

Darian wrapped his arms around her. “That was amazing, but we can take it slow. I want to savor this moment.” 

Eleanor circled her arms around his, snuggling her face into his chest. “Okay.” 

— 

Eleanor sat down on her sofa, looking outside the window. It was raining outside, but she didn’t mind it now. 

“Penny for my lovely wife’s thoughts?” 

She smiled, reaching out to pull her husband down beside her. As he leaned back, she brought her legs up against her knees, curled up against him, “Just how much everything has changed.” 

Darian’s arm reached around her frame to hold her tighter against him. Pressing a kiss to her forehead, he whispered, “For the better?”

“Definitely for the better.” 

She grabbed his free hand, and placed her hand beneath his so that their fingers lined up together. “You are the best thing that happened in my life.” 

“I could argue the same for you, too.” Darian smiled. “And you are going to be the most amazing mother.” Placing his palm over her belly, he asked, “Isn’t that right, kiddo?” 

“Silly. It hasn’t been sixteen weeks yet.” 

“Well, whether our kid can hear or not, I need to make sure it can recognize my voice.” Rubbing circles on her stomach, he let go of the arm around her to press a kiss to her small bump. “I love you so, so much.” 

He also made sure to press a kiss to her lips. 

“I love you, too.” 

Further years from now, the kids will come to ask about how their parents met each other. 

It would become the most requested story for years on end.  Word Count: 6481

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Day 29: Together

Writing Prompt: Write a story about two people who aren't admitting their true feelings for one another, despite it being obvious to outsiders.

If Violet was going to hear Flora talk about Rowan another moment, she was going to rip her hair out. 

“For the last time, Flora, Rowan and I aren’t like that! I don’t like him that way. We’re friends.” 

Arms crossed and back leaning against the closet doors, Flora’s mouth formed a smirk. “Try telling that to everyone else. You’re so blind, Vi! Even Kyler can tell his best friend is in love with you.” 

She rolled her eyes, dabbing the beauty blender on her face. Tonight was a night out to be spent at Kyler’s house. “Parents are out for the night, so we are partying!” was this response when asked for the reason for this spontaneous event. 

“Rowan also has a girlfriend.” Violet added as an afterthought. 

“Who is far away? Vi, you know long distance never lasts in college.” 

“They’ve been dating since senior year of high school.” She grabbed her eyebrow pencil and started filling in empty spaces in her brows. 

Flora sighed. “You are so stubborn.” 

She feigned ignorance, “No idea what you are talking about. I was only giving you facts.” Satisfied with the semi-arched brows she created, she lightly dabbed on some eyeshadow–just enough to see that there was some color on her lids–and moved on to mascara. 

“Why the two of you dance around the idea of this is bizarre to me.” Flora mumbled, just loudly enough for Violet to hear, “Anyone else can see that you two are more than just good friends.” 

Pausing with a tub of lipstick in her hand, Violet conjured an answer, “He made his choice with Ila.”

Flora’s head whipped around to look at Violet. “You just admitted you like him.”

She did. Violet resisted the urge to groan into her hands and continued, managing to only slightly crack her voice near the end, “No I didn’t. I don’t like him.” 

Once she finished applying a soft, pink color onto her lips, she moved to the closet. Sticking to black skinny jeans and a pink off-the-shoulder knitted top, she gave herself a one-over in satisfaction. 

“Looking amazing as always Vi,” Flora gushed with her fluttering fingers.  

“Now for the hair.” Violet decided to keep her hair loose from its usual ponytail. For added variety, she curled her hair for the first time in a while, and Flora assisted her for the strands that she missed. 

“And voila!” Violet took in her full appearance. The look didn’t deviate from her usual style, but added additional touches to it to enhance her features more. 

“Rowan is going to flip.” 

Flora yelped, and Violet shook her hands to rid it from the sting. 

—

Violet hadn’t expected a party to be devoid of music and people, but standing in front of Kyler’s house’s gates made it very clear that she was going to spend the majority of it out in the gardens or the balcony. 

“Come on, Vi!” Flora yanked her arms. Reluctantly, she followed, entering the open doors, and felt immediately overwhelmed by the music blaring out of the speakers. Her heart pounded along with the bass. A couple minutes standing in the music helped her accustom herself to the new environment. She decided to dance a little and allow herself to let loose. Violet’s arms raised awkwardly above her head as she jabbed her fist to the air along to the beat. This made her feel self-conscious, yet she kept going. Upbeat songs brought out the craziest sides to a person, she decided, when she saw multiple people twisting their body in jarring ways. 

An arm reached out to grab her around the waist, and Violet stiffened. Eyes searching for Flora, she realized she has long lost her. 

“Haven’t seen you around. Are you a college student as well?” The voice drew. Violet looked into the stranger’s eyes and wanted to shrivel into the corner and hide. He hungrily eyed her face, neck, and settled on her shoulders. Pushing her against him, she managed to place her hands against his chest as he asked to “Dance with me.” 

“I don’t dance.” Violet knew that wasn’t going to be enough to deter men like him, but she had to try. Wiggling herself around, she kept her eyes peeled at her surroundings for a familiar face. 

There had to be someone that could help her. No one would hear her if she yelled, and from the looks of it, too many of them were intoxicated to assist. 

“I can give you a private lesson.” The stranger smiled, sending chills down her spine. Whatever she did next, she had to make sure she could get away. 

“Actually, I’m thirsty.” She hoped he’d take the bait and leave her alone. Her arms were sore from pushing against his chest. 

“Don’t worry, that will be arranged shortly.” 

Blood left her face. She was positive of it. There was no other way to explain the way her whole body went numb as she dared to humor the dark things that were going to happen between them. 

“Please, stop.” She was panicking now, feeling herself tremble from the fear. 

“No.” 

Her body was wrapped around the stranger’s arms. She was forcefully lifted up his shoulders so that her feet were off the ground. 

“Put me down!” Why was the music so damn loud! Violet grabbed at anyone, trying to get them to see, but they ignored her. 

“We are going to have so much fun.” 

A flash of grey entered her peripheral vision, and she was tossed into the air before landing into a pair of arms. Different ones. Her form shivered pathetically against this new person. Violet knew the smart thing to do was to keep herself focused: she couldn’t afford to let herself get taken advantage of again. But, her eyes were closing. Vision turning black, the loud music deafened to the sound of a heart monitor’s flatline as she fainted. 

—

She woke up to the feel of a soft, fuzzy blanket. Opening her eyes required some effort, but once she did, she recognized her surroundings as Rowan’s room. Violet was placed on his bed. Surrounded by the faint, earthly scent of moss, she snuggled deeper into his bed. 

“How are you feeling?”

Her head turned towards the source. Rowan entered with a tray of food. Her eyes followed him as she took in the lemon bar, brownie, pretzel and a cup of milk. When did he get all that?

“Fine.” 

The way his fists clenched suggested that he had a lot of things he wanted to ask, but he was choosing to  respect her boundaries. 

“I got you some things to munch on.” 

“Thank you.” 

Her mind forced her back to the stranger. His hungry eyes were still on her skin, and she wanted to rid the clothes off. They felt like an association to the haunting memory now. 

“What can I do?” Rowan leaned in towards her. He was searching her eyes. They’ve always agreed that her eyes were easier to read than his. 

“I want these off.” She mumbled. 

In a minute, Rowan was back with his clothes. 

“I’ll give you a moment.” 

He was back when he heard her tell him it was okay. 

“Violet.” Rowan delicately sat down on the corner of the bed. “Can you tell me what happened?” 

She looked away, rubbing the ends of her fingers. The words clung to the ends of her tongue and she forced the fear down as she briefed the event in detail. By the end of it, Rowan’s knuckles were white from clutching onto the bed sheets. 

“I feel violated. He looked at me, and implied things were going to happen between the two of us if I followed him. Thank you for saving me, Rowan. I would have been…” 

Silence hung in the air as the weight of the alternative reality came to them. 

She was so thankful for Rowan’s impeccable timing. He always came to her help. There wasn’t much that she could formulate into words, but she hoped that the way her hands rested on top of his was a good indicator of her feelings for him.

Violet laughed through the silent tears that fell down her cheeks. 

Of course she felt safe around him. 

He held half her heart. Unknowingly. 

Or maybe he was aware. The way his gaze smothered into hers gave her hope that he might feel the same for her. 

She coughed, took a couple bites of the food he brought over and moved her legs to the side of his bed so that her thighs were caught between his. Heat flushing into her cheeks, Violet admitted that Flora hadn’t been wrong about her catching feelings for his best friend. 

It was because he saved her from that creep. 

Licking her lips, her eyes moved from his eyes to his lips. A strong desire to feel his lips washed over her, and she forced herself to snap out of it. 

He has a girlfriend. She wouldn't stoop to that level. 

All self control went out the window when he was the one that crashed into her lips. If he was intent to devour her whole, he sure proved it with the way he pushed against her. Her back hitting the mattress, she allowed him to press against her. Unlike the previous encounter with the stranger, her body felt like it was lit on fire. Rowan’s mouth was everywhere, from her lips to her face, her neck and the small area above her chest. Breaking for air, the two didn’t wait seconds until lips were locked again for the next few minutes. 

“Ro-wan” she gasped out. His lips reached a sensitive area by her ear and nibbled gently. A cross between a groan and a moan escaped her and he released a shaky breath. “Vio-let.” 

Ringing bells went off in her head as she asked, “What about your girlfriend?”

Pulling back, he pecked her lips. “Broke up months ago.” 

“What?” She placed her palms against his chest, “Why?” 

“She cheated on me.” He replied as his lips reached her jawline. 

“I–I’m sorry.” She whispered, wrapping her arms around his waist. 

“It’s okay.” He whispered back, eyes looking at her with so much adoration it hurt her heart. 

“I’m sorry for not seeing you earlier.” Rowan dropped his head next to her ear. The way he held onto her was tight, but beneath all of that she could sense how much it hurt him seeing her helpless against the stranger. 

“It’s okay.” She repeated his words back. 

Violet wouldn’t forget the way he cared for her that night and many nights after. He changed the way she viewed traditional love, and filled her empty days with glow. Word Count: 1793

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Day 28: Better Late Than Never

Write a story with the line “I’m late!” or “We’re late!” 

Lungs heaving from the full sprint, Courtney wondered again why she never found herself on time for gatherings. 

“I am so, so late!” She grumbled, blonde strands of hair flying behind her. 

She wasn’t trying to be late. It just happened. 

Her hands had snoozed her alarm a couple of times, but she had been confident that she would still rise to get ready. 

Now rapidly approaching the corner of the block, she pushed herself. There was only a block left after the turn so she, theoretically, should be able to get there without being thirty minutes late. She just had to make sure she didn’t trip over her own feet–CRASH. 

Rock hard. Solid. Those were the first things registering in her mind as she felt her body get pulled down by gravity. Arms flung over her head in shock, everything moved so fast. Something caught her. Correction. 

Someone caught her. Moving her eyes to meet her savior, she felt her body jolt at the familiar look of concern. 

“Hayes??”

Her crush from middle school. Someone she absolutely adored, a little ridiculously. It made her day when she saw him laughing with his friends in the corner of the room by the lockers. The day she sat next to him for biology class was one of the happiest moments in life. When she was younger she thought she put up a good act acting cool, but it wasn’t much later when she was told everyone knew. That had been one of the most embarrassing moments in her life. By some miracle, though, she was told Hayes never knew. She wanted to keep it that way. It wouldn’t be as easy to live life knowing that she ruined her chances by being a lovesick puppy. 

“Are you okay?” Hayes asked, keeping his palms on her back. Feeling the slight pressure from his fingers gripping her waist made her mouth dry, and she uprooted herself immediately. Dusting herself, she gave a thankful smile. 

“Unharmed thanks to you.” 

“Where were you headed?” 

Courtney checked the time with her phone. “The movies. Oh shoot! I have to go, I’m so sorry Hayes.”

She turned on her heels, fully intent on running full speed when she felt a grip on her purse straps. 

Looking behind her, she found Hayes grabbing onto it. He looked down at his slightly outstretched hands and tapped his fingers. 

“Are you free for dinner? I’d like to catch up.” 

“What?” Was her mouth open? Please tell her she didn’t look like someone that just got asked out on a date from a crush she crushed on since forever. 

“If you’re occupied, that’s alright.” He loosened his hold on her purse straps and let his hand slip into the pockets of his hoodie. 

“No, no, no, no! I am free. So free.” Dignity forgotten, Courtney leaned forward to Hayes to express how happy she was about the arrangement. 

Shoulders lowering in relief, Hayes’ eyes shined, “It’s a date then.” He dug out his phone and held it to her. “Can I have your number?” 

Dialing her number into the keypads of his phone, she handed the phone back to him with a wide smile on her face. She felt like a butterfly. 

“See you tonight?” She voiced out. 

“Tonight.” He affirmed. 

—

Courtney felt like this entire happening was a dream. 

Else, how would she find herself linking arms with the boy she liked so much? 

Dinner was amazing. For her first date, she felt like it was only fitting for them to end up at a family restaurant everyone at school has been to in the past. It was really nostalgic coming back to eat the shrimp cream pasta. Hayes was always engaged, bringing up memories she had forgotten about. It surprised her that he knew they shared a seat during biology class. 

“You remember that?” 

“We were paired to dissect a frog, and someone had to watch from afar from the queasiness.” 

She felt the wisps of memory entering her mind. Making a face, she pouted, “It was too cruel.” 

“I know.”

Courtney leaned into Hayes’ arm, snuggling herself closer to him. Regret would come tomorrow morning when she processed all of this. Her heart clenched, and she reveled in the thought that she still liked him. Leaving him and this town behind for college hadn’t been enough to forget him. Nights spent checking her social media accounts for traces of him and his new life. Walking out halfway during blind dates because her heart was still set on the same boy. Lamenting to her friend about the chances she should have taken because one could never really know. These thoughts tormented her mind, prompting the next couple words that let loose from her mouth. 

“Is it crazy to admit I still have a crush on you?”

Her hand held onto his arms tighter. 

A hand brushed against her cheek, and she noticed she’s stopped trembling. 

“I knew about it for a couple of years.” He softly admitted. 

“It felt like a joke at first.” His eyes gazed into hers and she saw the swirl of emotions. “I actually liked you the moment I saw you, too.” 

“Shut up.” Courtney whispered. She never thought the feeling would have been mutual between the two of them. 

“Seeing you earlier today reminded me how much I like having you in my life.” 

Courtney’s eyes widened and her mind flashed to the several photos of him at late-night parties. “You seemed happy in pictures.” 

“I tried to move on and tell myself it was a small crush in passing.” His cheeks flushed, but he stared unabashedly into her soul. “Courtney, it was only ever you for me.” Now both his hands were caressing the sides of her face, “Could I have a chance to be with you? I want to take care of you.” 

She really felt like a buffering computer. Try as she might to wrap her mind around his confession, it still felt unreal. 

“Why me?” 

“Your positivity is contagious. You eat your food like a hamster with those squishy cheeks.” At those words, he gave a light squeeze, and she playfully patted his hand away. He ended up grabbing her hands and intertwining their hands. Pressing a light kiss to the back of her palm, she felt sparks flying through her body. His lips felt so soft and gentle. “You’re kind, and always helped everyone even if they didn’t deserve it. You keep people’s moods up by just being there. Courtney there isn’t anyone else that draws me in like you do.” 

This was all real. She felt gratitude and happiness bubble within her, and pressed forward to tug him closer. He responded immediately, tucking his head into the crook of her neck. 

“I’m glad I was late to the movies today.” She told him, and reached up to gently scratch the back of his head. It shouldn’t be possible, but he got even closer to her. 

“Me too.” Hayes sighed. 

It took the two a long time to move from the current position, but neither minded.

Word Count: 1187

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Day 27: Heal, Write with Me

Writing Prompt: A character learns their family has a hidden legacy. What do they do with it?

Disoriented, Clover forced her throbbing headache away to take in the situation around her. Smoke faintly invaded her nose and red covered her vision as she coughed. Something warm trickled out her mouth, and she dazedly recognized the metallic scent of it as her own blood. Eyes darting around her surroundings, she made the startling connection in her mind that she had been in a car crash. Beside her was her brother, who looked to be unconscious and in even worse shape than she was. Lungs pumping shaky air, Clover succumbed to the pulls of sleep. It felt better to keep her eyes closed. — Anguished, Clover’s knees buckled as the doctor’s words slammed into her. Her eyes registered the way the nurses all rushed to her to keep her from falling onto the floor, but everything was too numb.

“I’m sorry, Clover. No one else survived the crash.”

Eyes watering, her mouth opened slightly. This felt too much like the game simulators she used to play with her brother. Charles couldn’t be…she had seen him next to her. His chest had been moving slightly from his breathing. Had she been…taking in his last moments of life? A sick feeling twisted in her gut and she staggered, hands gesturing towards the trash can in the corner of the room. Wrenching herself out of the nurses’ grips, she heaved out everything from her stomach, which wasn’t much. She doubted there was anything left inside of her at this point. Stomach bile in her mouth, her body shuddered until she no longer felt the compulsory urge to empty herself. Eyes closed, Clover scrunched her nose at the sour taste left in her mouth.

Later on in the evening, Clover was visited by her parent’s attorney. He introduced himself as Nate and assured her that he was here to aid her through the process of a will. She guessed it made sense. Truthfully, she felt like she could care any less to whatever he had to tell her. No one has dared to talk her through everything that has happened so far, but she is now an orphan. Life will no longer be the same as it used to be without her parents or Charles. How could she bear to move on when her house was no longer filled with its people?

“This is something Mr. Elliot wanted me to give to you in case anything were to happen to him, Clover.”

Her eyes roamed Nate’s palm, which held a note.

“Read it alone, Clover.”

She couldn’t toss the letter away, even if it physically pained her to bits. There were too many memories that resurfaced whenever she read the first few words of the letter. Her father’s handwriting stared at her. It hit her then, again, that she would never see him fiddling with a pen before jotting his thoughts down onto the piece of paper. There would never be another writing session with him again. Clover bit her lip to stop it from wobbling.

My daughter Clover,

I’m sorry if you’re reading this. Leaving you or Charles was never my intention, and I hope you will forgive me someday and look back at memories of me with a smile on your face.

All of the inheritance of the Elliot family will be distributed amongst you and Charles. If something were to happen to either one of you, it is still by default that my children will get all the inheritance. I want you to know that there is enough for you to do anything you want for the remainder of your life, with the consideration of inflation. Your happiness is the biggest priority in my life, so I hope that this final gift from me will be able to sustain you for the next years of your life until you find your passion.

You’ve always had an eye for writing. I’m a writer, and we recognize each other. Your writing always moves me to tears, and I am so proud to have you as my daughter.

I love you, my lucky pot.

From, Your dad.

“Dad…” She choked out.

The loss of everything hit her again. So she was wealthy now, but she would give anything to go back and live the life of content before the accident. Grabbing her laptop beside the hospital bed, she opened up a new document, letting her fingers type wordlessly onto the keyboard. Clover would spend the next couple of weeks in this routine, and only stop when she finally finished her novel. — “Clover, I want to thank you for giving us the time of your day for this exciting interview with your fans.”

Crossing her legs and placing both palms on her propped knee, Clover gave a small nod, “It’s my pleasure.”

“So we all know that your debut novel, Crash in Time is a time-travelling fiction novel that explores Sallie’s experience with losing her family. What was the inspiration behind this book?”

“It’s a story I lived through.” At the interviewer’s look of shock, Clover gave a pained smile. “I lost my family to a car crash three years ago, just like Sallie. There were so many layers to the grief that overtook me in that period of my life. I needed an outlet to release my emotions in a healthy way.” She took a breath in, hands clasping together now. “Writing my emotions out through Sallie taught me that grief from a loved one is one of those experiences that will stay with you. It doesn’t go away with time like breakups. It’s a constant reminder that reshapes your view of the world.”

“I appreciate your vulnerability. That must have been really hard for you to manage without any adult figures.”

“It was really rough.” Clover bit her lip. “But, I like to think that I’ve grown up pretty well despite all of that.”

“Of course! Your book has been nominated for the Pulitzer Prize. That is an honor that proves your talent in this world of writing.” The interviewer flipped through a couple more cue cards, pausing at one of them.

“Not only that, but you’ve also sponsored several young writers to aid their growth in writing. Could you talk a little about that?”

“It genuinely stemmed out of my father’s love towards writing. I actually began writing because of him.” Clover shifted her eyes to her book, which was displayed on the coffee table. “He told me how talent isn’t always enough to bring fame. My experiences touring schools have affirmed that true. There are young children that are brimming with talent, but their family either has no resources to support them or don’t see writing as a viable career. Becoming a sponsor for those children was a way to make sure they didn’t have to give up their dreams for expectations that were forced onto them.”

“I’m sure these young children are grateful to have you as their sponsor as well. That’s going to be it, everyone. Please thank Clover for her time, and we will find you later at eight o’clock.”

Clover smiled, and handed her mic over to the interviewer.

“Thank you.”

“Thank you, too, Clover. I hope you know that your interview would have inspired many people today. You are a true writer that cares for the future of others.”

Clover would savor those words in her heart even after participating in multiple other interviews.

Word Count: 1238

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Day 26: Blue Glow

Writing Prompt: Write a story with a color. 

Mona’s black hair reflected the cold glow of the moon in the night. Occasionally, the clouds would make their way over the moon to dim the brightness down, but it was definitely still a brighter day than yesterday. 

A light tapping against the bricks sounded as Mona gestured towards him. “Come sit with me, Elio.” 

His footsteps light, he grabbed onto the ladder leaned against the wall by the balcony. Swiftly, he made his way over to Mona, heart beating with anticipation as he found his spot next to her. 

The summer air wasn’t hot like it was in the morning. A light breeze passed through them, and Elio breathed in and out, savoring this moment. With both of them living hectic schedules as business owners, there was barely any time to spend the day together. Elio missed it a lot more than he’d ever admit to Mona. He knew how she felt about him. She only saw him as a good friend that would be by her side at all times. Long ago–five years ago when he first met her in highschool–he swore to himself that if that was the only way to stay beside her, no other choice existed. Being with her and talking about the most mundane things were always enough to keep him feeling calmer in the upcoming week. 

“Were you here for long?” He sighed out. Out of his peripheral vision, Mona shook her head. Her long black hair waved along with her against her back. 

“Only a couple minutes before. I was going to call you, but you told me there was a shareholders meeting today leading into late evening, so I thought I’d ask you for your whereabouts at a later time.” She moved her palms resting on the roof to wrap herself around the arms. “How did it go?” 

“Fine.” He kept his eyes focused on the view in front of him. The mountain landscape stretched out to the unknown dark, and Elio felt it swallowing a part of him slowly. 

“Elio. You really think I’d know you less than that.” A hint of humor penetrated Mona’s voice and he hesitantly turned his face to look at her. She was smiling softly with one corner of her lips raised. 

“It could have gone better.” He shrugged. “It’s the usual argument. I’m not lacking in potential or leadership; they just think I’m too young.” Leaning back, his palms pressed against the bricks as he shifted his weight to see the sky better.

“A twenty-three-year-old CEO overtaking the finance industry. Of course they’re intimidated by you Elio. You’re young and haven’t reached your potential yet.” Mona’s laugh tickled his ear. “Imagine young blood entering and becoming an instant revolution.” 

“You’re the same in the realm of baking too, you know.” He smiled at her. Tilting his head up, his eyes gravitated to the small fireflies in the sky. They were always pretty to him, but each one of them dazzled spectacularly under her presence. It was another particular reason he enjoyed being with her. The usual, shivery blue dissipated with her around. Elio wondered if Mona was aware how much safety she emanated for those around her. He felt like she was home. 

Belatedly, he knew it was a bad idea. Falling deeper into his feelings of unrequited love wasn’t going to end well for his heart. But expressing them now when he has managed to find a fragile balance? No, no. He couldn’t. As long as she stayed happy and safe, it wouldn’t matter. He’ll always protect her glow. 

Word Count: 596

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Day 25: Xuu

Writing prompt: A creature follows your protagonist around. Why is it there?

Mellie supposed there could have been a better way for her to spend the day than talking to an unknown tiny deity.

Don’t get her wrong, she was excited to get to know Xuu better; she did look very cute. It was the first thought that came on her mind when she took in the way it flew around to examine her room. The easiest way to describe Xuu’s appearance was that her body had the translucency of a gummy bear while shaped like a snowball. Small arms and legs protruded out of her pink body, and soft glitter fluttered around her as she swiftly made herself comfortable. Mellie knew Xuu was soft. It was one of the first things she noticed when she mistook Xuu for a new keychain her parents got her.

“Mellie, what’s this?” Xuu chirped in a high-pitched voice. In her hand was a laser pointer, which was on and being pointed towards a photo of her class. 

Making her way closer to Xuu, Mellie opened her palm towards Xuu to silently ask for the laser pointer back. Xuu seemed to understand her intentions and gently placed it into her hands, sitting down in the process. Mellie moved her arms, holding Xuu closer to herself. 

“That’s my class. They’re all my classmates.”

“Who’s this next to you?” 

“That’s George. He’s the class clown.” 

Her finger then began to point towards everyone else, her mouth naming them in order. 

“--and that’s Lily!” 

“Can I come to school with you tomorrow?” 

“Sure Xuu. Just make sure you keep yourself hidden.”

Xuu rose to make a loop in the air and plopped back down onto Mellie’s palm. “Yipee!” 

Mellie couldn’t help but laugh alongside her. The way Xuu shook herself–if she had hips, it would have been a shimmy–was adorable. Small glitters sparkled out from her as Xuu twisted and turned, exuding all of her enthusiasm in front of her. 

Going to school with Xuu felt like a mission to keep her unnoticed. Xuu was naturally eye-catching with her light pink body and contrasted with Mellie’s dark clothing, which was why she decided to change her usual outfit for a lighter color palette. Though she expected some comment on her change in style, she hadn’t expected everyone else to flock over. 

“Mellie, love your pastel shirt!” 

“Where did dark Mellie go?” 

“Haha, guys, I don’t always wear dark clothes.” She stepped back, hands extended towards her classmates. 

“You don’t always wear pastel pink, though! Mellie, you should wear this color more often. It makes you look happier.” Lily suggested with bright eyes. 

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Mellie made her way towards her locker, releasing a sigh when she realized that Xuu was humming softly in her backpack. 

“When it’s lunch time, I’ll make sure to bring you some food so that you keep yourself energized.” 

Xuu nodded with her big, doleful eyes. 

Mellie spent the rest of the school day focusing on tending to Xuu whenever she could. Sometimes she would forget that she was even there with her until she found trails of glitter around her. That part was a little difficult to explain to her friends because she didn’t carry glitter around, but she explained that she started a hobby of arts and crafts and didn’t realize how annoying cleaning glitter could get. Every one of her friends immediately understood. Glitter was hard to get rid of. 

Coming back from home got Xuu leaping in the air from happiness for a good hour. 

Yes, Mellie was covered in even more glitter afterwards. 

Was it worth gaining a random friend that gave curiosity back in her life? 

Maybe. Word count: 611

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Day 24: From the Other Side

Writing Prompt: Your character is stuck repeating the same day. What do they try to change?

The first time it happened, it felt disorienting. 

Because how could you explain the strong deja vu you felt when the same lady that bumped into you near the bus stop said the exact dialogue you heard the day before? 

Not only that, but she saw her co-worker trip over a small piece of banana at the exact same place at the precise time as yesterday. 

Elle felt compelled to deviate from her normal decisions just to test if the day would move on. 

After five days, she was certain she was stuck in this time loop. 

Figures. She thought these things only existed in movies! 

The first couple of days after realizing this was all a time loop prompted her to confess this secret to her surrounding people. 

Everyone told her she must have been going crazy. 

Unfortunately, she had no proof to show them otherwise. She had tried filming her conversation with her friends, but those were immediately erased when the clock went to 11:59pm. 

So, she was left to her own devices. No one could provide her the expiration date to her specific time loop, and she eventually lost count. Did it really matter when she was living every day the same way without others’ knowledge? 

It was comical really, the way this was all affecting her. She found that she could care less about the way other people viewed her. It held no meaning in any way. None of them remembered. 

Maybe this was the universe’s way to let her know she should let herself loose. 

Elle was always reserved and protective because she felt like everyone was out to get her. 

Her coworkers found ways to isolate her. Family relatives couldn’t stand the way she became successful in the field of law. Deep down, she was constantly miserable, feeling the weight of bad influences surrounding her. 

This time loop gave her the new peace she needed to stand up for herself. Being a lawyer didn’t immediately come with a confident boost, but she should really stop downplaying her achievements for other people. It was a disservice to herself to be the only one unwilling to see how far she has come from being a young, naive girl dreaming of law instead of practicing it. Anyone else would do anything to be in her position. At least, that’s what the grandma she spent hours talking to one looping day told her. 

It was liberating, being told to relax. Elle couldn’t recall the last time someone encouraged her to take time for herself. Most of them were fixated on putting themselves in a better position than others. A part of Elle had been pressured into doing that in her earlier years of life. She remembered the way each day felt: suffocating and rigid. A life of set routine was never her taste, but she had succumbed to it willingly. If she could find ways to get herself ahead of anyone else, she felt that her lifestyle was easily justified. 

Now, she knew better than that. 

Word Count: 509

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Day 23: Gotta Crush it!

Writing Prompt: A character gets a second chance, but only one person remembers the past.

“Remember. Our goal is to get Philip to realize Azira likes him, not hates him.” 

“How are we going to do that when the two can’t even hold a proper conversation?”

“Correction: Azira can’t hold a conversation with him.”

“Yes, because she’s so awkward around him. Seriously, can’t you tell your friend to get some confidence boost?”

A smack and an “ow!” sounded. “I wouldn’t be doing this if I’ve been successful trying!” 

“Okay, okay! Don’t come close to me with that thing.” 

Rina looked at Thurn with a glint of amusement in her eyes. “No promises.” 

Thurn rolled his eyes. “So how does this work?” 

Rina’s eyes turned calculative as she conjured scenarios in her head. “What we need is a reason for the two to speak to one another. Mimic their handwriting and write a note, slip it into both of their lockers, and have the two realize it was a set up. All of this should be relatively easy to carry out.” Cracking her knuckles, she fiddles with the pocket watch, setting it up so that it takes them back in time. 

“Once we start the timer, we are allowed to go back to the same time as many times as we want before seven minutes run out.” 

Thurn pursed his lips. “That’s not going to be enough time, but let’s try it anyway.”

“Here we go.” 

—

Azira was a bundle of nerves. 

A week from now was Ombine High’s annual ball. 

It really shouldn’t be this much of a burden to ask Philip to the ball, but she was sure her feelings for him were sorely one-sided. Admittedly, it wasn’t the best feeling knowing that there was a possibility he liked someone else in the grade. Normally, she would be content letting it slide and seeing him with someone else. She could count the numerous times she watched girls after girls chase him down the halls, the weekly parties and after school.

Except, this was her third year of crushing on him since highschool began. This ball was going to be the last one she ever attended, so she bit the bullet and made a last-minute decision to ask him. 

Being an anxious sunshine that she was, she had a plan B, C, D in case all of them backfired in some way. 

“Hey Azira!” 

She turned her head to see Rina bouncing over to her with a note in her hand. “What are you up to?” 

“Mustering up courage to ask Philip to the ball after school.” She moaned. “Rina, I’m not going to be able to do it. I turn so flustered and tongue-tied around him it’s actually unbelievable. I bet he would have an easier time deciphering what a dog’s trying to say than me!” Leaning against the doors of her locker, her eyes landed on the small envelope she had tucked underneath her books. Slipping it out of its jammed spot, she smoothened the invisible creases. 

“What do you think Philip will say?” 

“He’s going to say yes.” 

Azira allowed herself to feel a glimmer of hope weave into her heart. “Really?” Her hand gripped tighter onto the envelope, and she released a sigh. Putting on a brave face, she puffed out her chest, “Alright. Wish me luck!” 

“You’ve got it, A.” Rina reassured with arms folded across her chest. 

Rina glanced at her pocket watch hanging by her belt loops and exhaled. She really hoped that by the end of it the two came out with mutual feelings. 

—

Philip drew comfort from the certainties in life. 

The sky was always blue. His week had a set routine, and his friends were predictable. 

One enigma he couldn’t figure out was Azira Bleu. 

With the bright way she carried herself, he thought his interaction with her would flow a similar way. When he observed her body language with Rina and Thurn, she seemed more relaxed and animated, moving her arms around to connote the bigger picture. 

She was a lot quieter when he talked with her. 

Azira looked more like a captured bunny whenever they had a one-on-one conversation, and he couldn’t really figure out why. It only took him a little investigating and probing to find out that she didn’t hate him. It was the opposite of that. Thurn admitted that Azira has had the longest crush on him. 

It wasn’t supposed to change his perception of her, but he found himself becoming more attentive. Every expression she made had him analyzing it for meaning. He came to understand that the awkward smile wasn’t a result of distaste, but one stemming from nerves. While Philip has never had strong feelings for anyone, he could imagine how scary it was to lay your heart open. It was akin to the time he lost his hold on his parents at the amusement park at the age of ten. The world seemed steady with a pair of soft, strong hands gripping his, but in that moment, everything was a blur. 

Philip’s observations led him to notice the way Azira darted her eyes to ensure everyone felt included in group discussions. He discovered her compassion in the way she carried churu in her bag to feed any of the stray cats. She spent a good thirty minutes feeding three different cats one school evening, petting them for good measure. His heart pounded for the first time that day. 

Pretty soon, he found himself finding reasons to stick around, even if he knew he was causing her mini heart-attacks. Wistfully, he hoped that she would feel more comfortable as he spent more time together. A joke thrown around, a grateful smile before turning around for class, a listening ear… Philip knew he was smitten. 

But there was no way she would know. He rarely displayed such feelings on his face. 

This was why he hoped that the upcoming ball would be the catalyst for something more. Friendship wasn’t enough when it came to Azira. Philip has become unknowingly dependent on her presence in school–one thing he noted when she fell sick for an entire week. Tempted as it was to bring her medicine, nursing her back to health, he stayed back to let her heal. The last thing he wanted to do was raise her fever.

Philip was so happy when she finally came back the week after, he couldn’t help but run up to her to give her a hug. He hoped that it would have been a sign enough to let her know that she was special to him–she meant something to him. If anything, her mumbling and small fingers resting against his chest felt like a confirmation that she knew. Heart pounding a million miles an hour, he held on tight, wallowing in the soft scent of jasmine. 

He found his special person, and needed to find the right timing to let her know.

— 

“Rina, can we push them.”

“Thurn! You know we can’t. Let them figure it out.” 

“That’s the same thing you said 3 trials ago.” Thurn snapped back in frustration. 

Rina understood. 

For the past three times, Azira either fell on her face, stumbled over her words or froze on the spot, all effectively ending with her running away from Philip. 

The two rustled in the bushes with agitation. 

“Philip likes her.” Thurn affirmed. Rina nodded. 

It would take an oblivious fool to say that Philip’s eyes weren’t ones full of understanding and dare-she-say-love. 

“That girl needs to just push through with it!” Rina groaned. 

She clicked on the pocket watch and ran to the corner of the building just before Azira made contact with Philip. 

“Gah! Rina! Where did you come from?” Azira whisper-shouted. 

“Nevermind where I came from, my dear friend. You,” she pointed her finger directly at her chest, “Need to figure out how to tell Philip your feelings without getting your tongue tied. Be confident!” 

Azira deflated, clutching the envelope to her chest. “I’ve rehearsed what I wanted to say so many times in my head, but every time I get the words out of my mouth it’s garbled.”

Rina grabbed Azira’s shoulders, shaking it lightly: “Well, let me tell you this. Philip already accepts you for who you are. Thurn’s words.” She steadied her grip, “Go into this with a different mindset. You’re not making yourself vulnerable. You’re reaching a mutual understanding. Remember why you started crushing on him in the first place, A.” 

She saw the way the words seem to relax Azira, her grip around the letter a little looser. 

“Thanks Rina. You’re right. I just need to calm down.” 

Taking a deep breath, she steadied herself to round the corner before stopping. 

“Wait.” 

“What did you say?”

Rina frowned. “Remember why you started crushing on him in the first place?” 

“No, no. The first thing you said.” 

“What did I–oh! Philip already accepts you for who you are?” 

Azira squeaked. “I-is that. Does that mean Phi-Philip likes me?”

She couldn't be serious right now. “Um…yes?” 

 “Oh.” Azira let out a shaky breath. “Okay. Okay! I-I can do this then.” 

Rina watched her friend get herself together and head towards Philip. 

She made her way back to Thurn, who flicked an eyebrow as a response. 

“I think we did it.” 

“Good.”  Word count: 1547

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Day 22: Back? For Good?

Writing Prompt: Two ex-lovers unexpectedly cross paths again after years apart, and old feelings resurface despite their unresolved past.

“Monica?” A broken voice whispers in the air. 

It probably isn’t meant for her ears to hear. No one around her gives indication of the sound that comes in soft echoes, and continues sliding books in and out of bookshelves. She knows the voice though, despite its low decibel. How could she ever forget the way it whispered promises of a happy future with two kids and a summer house in Paris? 

Her hand shakes a little as it slides the book in her hands back on the book shelf. A soft shuffling of rubber on wood sounds behind her, and she feels the muscles in her shoulders tense out of habit. Is it because she’s nervous? Or is this from the excitement and longing that pools in her stomach? Either way, Monica forces herself to turn around, eyes shining as she pinpoints the man she loves–used to love. 

It’s been a year since they last kept in contact. Two years since they officially broke up. Three years of dating in the beginning sophomore year of college isn’t long by any means, but she feels a part of her twenties in the memories she made with him. They were so inseparable, spending all time outside of class together in either of their apartments. Date nights spent outside at a McDonalds because they were both poor college students, sleepovers during the major holidays to savor each others’ scent and promises to build a life post grad. All of this was their goal. 

Until it quite literally shattered apart. 

She tells herself it’s a misunderstanding. The heartbroken look when she rips herself away from his grips and pleads to hear him out–that “it isn’t what it looks like” tears at her. Her friends try to reason with her in their respective ways. “You know he isn’t like that.” “There must be a reason why he was with Kristy.” “Monica, you have to talk to him.” Yet, she was a coward and shut him out. It was easier to think that there was something wrong with him: that he was the reason they fell apart. 

But staring into the same hazel eyes that used to love her…is too much. She realizes now that her mantra that she is healed is all one fabricated lie. Blue eyes cling onto the hazel eyes and everything else fades away. 

Perhaps she’s doomed to stay with him for the rest of her life. 

Monica had always been weak for him. 

Maybe it’s because he was the first person that taught her she has parts worth loving. The first one that told her to live her dreams and take a leap towards writing her novel unlike her previous exes. She remembers the way his whole body lit up when she told him news about an agent interested in refining her manuscript. 

“I always believed in you and your talent.” 

His compliment had lived in her heart for many months after that. When she faced complications throughout the publishing process, he was always there for her every step of the way. Some tearful nights breaking down after being told that her edits weren’t enough were alleviated by his bear hugs, the ones that fully embraced her. He always smelt so good and warm. 

The corners of her eyes swell with tears and she feels one drop down rapidly down her cheeks. 

“Hi, Vince.” 

Her voice is too shaky and small for anyone else to hear, but the way his eyes water tells her he hears her. 

She scans the library and tilts her head towards the door, asking a silent question. He nods fervently, causing a few tears to slip out of his eyes, and they make their way out. Once outside, she stands close to him, but leaves a respectable distance between the two of them. Her body hums with energy, but she tries to shove it aside. 

“Coffee?” She asks. 

Eyes widening in surprise, Vince bumps his knuckles together as he replies, “Let’s.” 

The walk to their coffee store is brief and quiet. Neither is sure what the best way is to begin this conversation between the two of them. Monica’s mind screams at her to fill the silence or run away. The closer they get to the cafe, that temptation to just leave everything behind becomes overwhelming, but she owes it to Vince. She owes it to them and herself to resolve this. 

Monica and Vince grab a secluded seat tucked away in the corner. Upon entering, the owner looks at them in surprise. She knows why. The last time the two came together was before their breakup. Afterwards, she only visited the cafe once, alone. That had been ten days after their breakup. 

“Do you still drink a cappuccino with oat milk?” Vince asked. 

She stills. Of course he remembers her old order. Shaking her head, she softly corrects him, “I get an americano now.” 

His posture sags, and the corners of his lips turn up into a forced smile. Vince reaches the counter to order their drinks while Monica stares out the window. When he returns with their caffeine, she thanks him, reaching out for her cup. He moves it in front of her with a straw in the drink, and her heart melts. Leave it to him to continue being considerate. 

“How…have you been?” he asks carefully, eyes focused somewhere between her and the wall.

“I’ve been good.” She sighs. 

“I saw your book. Congrats on publishing it, Monica.” 

“Thank you. You were a big help throughout the process. I would have stopped a long time ago without you.” 

She takes a sip of her americano, relishing in the way the cold, slightly bitter liquid runs down her throat. 

His eyes move to her, and she warms. Her hands twirl the straw in her drink–a nervous habit that Vince knows. 

“I never got to apologize properly. Monica, I need to clear the air with you.” 

He leans back into his chair, hands on his knees. “I messed up.” The hands clench into fists. “My stupidity hurt you.” Now his eyes close. “I replay the day in my mind, and can see a million ways it could have gone. But I chose the one way that caused you the most pain.” 

“That night, I was planning on asking you to move in with me. Permanently.” 

Her breath catches in her throat. Was he–could he be implying? 

“I was going to ask for your hand.” 

There is no way she can keep her eyes dry now. Vince’s eyes are genuine as he leans forward, hands clasped between his legs. “Kristy said she knew the best way to host surprises. Her being engaged recently, I thought I’d take her insight and work with her to surprise you. I wasn’t aware that you had bad blood. She made it sound like she was your close friend.”

He searches her eyes earnestly, desperately, as he says the next words. “I promise you I didn’t cheat on you with her. There was never her. I never go for women that are taken.”

A part of her breaks and the dam that barred her tears crack. Deep inside, she knows. Monica knows this problem was never about his crappy timing. It was always her insecurity and hyper-indepence that ruined what she had with him. 

Being the oldest of four, Monica grew up loving and hating the role of the eldest sibling. Loved it because she was given the best siblings that kept her spirits high. Hated it because she was constantly held to standards of perfection. No one told her she had to keep herself perfect. There was just a mental pressure to keep things up to par. Mistakes weren’t allowed for her because she was the role model. 

That’s why meeting Vince had been so freeing. He kept her in touch with her wants and needs. He told her it was okay to look for happiness for herself without regard for others. She felt whole with him, but felt emerging guilt the more she turned her back to her family. 

It is why, despite her friends’ protests, she cut off contact with Vince completely. 

Yes, she regretted it immediately. 

But, she forced herself to move on–the best that she could. 

Of course the emphasis was put on the “best.” How did she ever believe Vince was replaceable when he isn’t. 

This is the thought pulsing in her veins as she voices out her thoughts. 

“I know it’s not you. It was always me. I’m the problem.” 

She hears him protest and make a twitching move, as if he wants to grab her hands, but resists. 

“Three years of dating you had told me I can trust you with my life, but my head didn’t listen.” She laughs bitterly. “I felt so guilty putting distance between me and my family, even though they were always so supportive of our relationship.” She sniffs. “My friends knew I was just finding a way to sabotage our relationship. I should have stayed. I should have fought for us.” Her body shakes and she digs her fingers into her knees to keep herself from falling apart. “I–I should have listened to you, give you a chance to talk. I’m so–I am so sorry, Vince.” 

He’s up and coming around the table to hug her from behind. One arm around her waist, another around her shoulders. Placing his chin on her shoulders, he turns his head so that his mouth is by her ear, whispering, “It’s okay. I messed up, too. Please don’t cry.” His voice cracks as he says the last word, and she realizes how pathetic the two of them are, wrapping around each other in desperation. 

“We can work this out. We’ve always worked this out. Monica, give us a try.” 

She doesn’t know how to tell him how much she loves him, but he understands from the way she grabs on to his arm around her waist and shoulders. The reassuring squeeze as she massages his tension away. 

Many years from now, the two will look back in fear at the possibility of losing “us” forever, because it really was impeccable timing that brought the two at the same place at the same time after two years of being apart.  Word count: 1719

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Day 21: Awake and Married

Writing Prompt: Your character wakes up in someone else’s body. What do they learn?

Brena woke up to the feeling of sunshine lightly bathing her skin. It was a strange sensation that caused her to lazily eye the source. Majestic, tall windows came to view, and she frowned. That was new.

She looked around her room, eyes popping open when she took in the amount of gold. Was it all real?

Folding her arms so that her elbow now pressed onto the mattress, she pushed herself closer to the ends of the bed. This bed was also gigantic. The materials of her night gown came to her attention. It was the silkiest thing she has ever seen. A thought made its way past the haze of her sleep-induced state, but she shoved it aside. This all had to be a dream. 

Brena opened the doors, revealing a bathroom, and stepped forward to check her reflection. She didn’t look like herself. Where her auburn hair should be was replaced with long, thick navy locks. They were so long it almost reached her bum. Her skin was pale, but not in an unhealthy way. Her eyes were aquatic blue, and light freckles dusted her nose and cheeks, looking like constellations. She took herself in with surprise. She was…a lot more attractive now. She could easily become a model. 

When the shock of her appearance wore off, she made her way out the doors of the bedroom. A maid was immediately by her side, and she nervously glanced down at her feet to calm the nerves. 

“Lady Selene, breakfast has been served.” 

Her new name here was Selene. It was fitting, she decided. She unclasped her hands, noticing now that there was a thin band around her ring finger. Was she married in this life? If she was, wasn’t it reasonable to spend the morning with him? 

Clearing her throat, she respectfully requested, “I think I’d like to have breakfast with my husband.” 

Was it her imagination or did the maid’s face pale a little? “I-I yes. Of course Lady Selene. I will inform the head chef to arrange breakfast in Lord Alaric’s bedroom.” 

Beaming, Selene bounced on the balls of her feet. “Great. Could you remind me where his bedroom was? I think I’ll head over first to talk with him.” 

The maid looked at her with a puzzled look, “It’s the furthest room from this hallway. Take a left and head to the last room, Lady Selene.” 

“Thank you.” She turned back, only to face the maid again. “I hope I haven’t asked you this before, but could you tell me your name?” 

“Fern, Lady Selene. My name is Fern.” 

Selene gave a soft smile, gently holding Fern’s hands. “Pleased to meet you, Fern. I thank you so much.” 

With that, she left, leaving a very confused Fern behind. Fern watched Lady Selene go with a bewildered smile. Whatever her majesty has been going through must have finally prompted the two to grow closer. She wasn’t sure what had happened to cause Lady Selene’s change in temperament, but she was happy to see some progress since the knot was last tied three years ago. 

—

Selene found her way to her husband’s room easily enough. It was a little strange that his hallway seemed dull and lifeless while hers was vibrant. Clenching her hands to her fist, she knocked gently on the door. The sound echoed and she listened for any signs that Alaric was there. When a couple minutes passed, she decided to open the door herself. If they were wedded, it was likely she’s visited him a couple times throughout the years. 

It was quiet and dark when she peeked her head inside. The room layout was about the same as her room, and she could see a makeshift study to the side. Documents were stacked on top, and she physically cringed at the amount of work that was left for her husband to complete. Her eyes now adjusted to the dark, she turned her head to look at the mound on the king sized bed. 

Alacris was asleep. Dark hair mussed over to the side, her heart leaped into her throat as she took in his chiseled features. Tip-toeing closer to his side of the bed, she gave herself a few moments to watch him. It might be a little creepy, but she was sure that this was all okay. They were wedded. 

A grunt escaped Alacris and Selene watched alarmingly as the serene expression frowned. His body tensed and she darted her eyes and dropped to her knees to press herself closer to his bed. Cold sweat broke out of his forehead as he mumbled, “No. Stop it. You can’t.”

Selene’s hand made contact with his shoulders as she shook his frame. His mumbling grew louder as he started to physically tremble beneath her hands. She leaped onto the bed, deciding that now was not the time to care about her thoughts on cuddling someone she just met, and wrapped her arms and legs around him. Humming a soft melody, she rubbed circles on his chest, patting her palm rhythmically against him. For a few minutes, Alacris stayed tense, but eventually lost the tension on his body. He sighed, and she took it as a sign to feel relieved. She closed her eyes, making sure to hum the entire time, until she fell asleep to the warmth of his body. 

When Selene woke up disoriented again, she habitually reached her hand to the side for her phone, only to find herself coming in contact with warm skin. She froze, opening her eyes. Deep, ocean-blue eyes veered into her as she processed her position–oh gosh. In her sleepy state, Selene failed to consider that she had a habit of wounding her limbs around anything tightly. A belated blush forming on her face, she whispered a “Hi.”

“Do you know what time it is, Alacris?”

The same look of perplexion on his face, he replied, “Past noon.” He stared at her. “Why did you come to my room?”

“I thought we might have breakfast together?” Her question sounded flat even to her ears, and she subconsciously wound her arms tighter around him. He looked like he wanted to say something, but closed his eyes. She rejoiced at the fact that he was allowing her to hold him still. 

“Fern said breakfast would be served soon. Did she ring the bell or anything?” 

“Yes, but she served it on the table and left. You looked like you were in a good sleep.”

She did have a good sleep. Sleeping on her own bed was nice, but having a warm body wrapped around her made her fall asleep so much faster than normal. 

Mind taking her back to his troubled state before she joined him, she grabbed his forearms, “Do you always have nightmares? This isn’t the first time, isn’t it?” 

Alacris eyes seemed to dim, and she regretted her question almost immediately. She wanted to know, though. Blue eyes searched for his as she desperately coaxed her husband out of his walls. 

“Why now?” His tone borderline icy, she felt him pulling away from her slowly, but she kept her grip on him. 

By now, she had deduced that they had not been close before she entered this body. She didn’t know why that was the case, but she hoped that Alacris and her hadn’t been nemesis. Why else would they have married each other? 

Her blood ran cold. 

Unless, this was all an arranged marriage. 

That would make a lot of sense–why they used separate rooms. Selene hadn’t imagined Fern’s pale face; she was genuinely surprised at the two of them using the room together. There were so many ways to answer him, but she didn’t want to find out the answer to any of them. Quickly hunching herself over and pressing her palm to her eyes, she hid herself, muttering a response. 

“Tell me, Selene.” 

“I had a nightmare!” She blurted out. Immediately, she clapped her hands over her mouth, eyes wavering as she scanned for his reaction to her words. Untangling herself, she made a move to sit up, Alacris’ eyes following her. Vision narrowing on the doors to his room, she slipped herself out of his bed. Selene hated the way her heart hammered against her chest as she swiftly made her way to the door. Her hands grabbed onto the door, but a hand covered hers, forcing her to keep the door shut. She tilted her head up, eyes widening at the close proximity between him and her. His eyes bored into her and she had to remind herself to keep breathing. Only been a couple hours with this man, and he was causing her to feel the strangest things. She tucked her head back down, turning around so that she was now face to face with him. She clasped her hands and held it close to her chest, hearing the rhythm of her own heart. 

“Selene, look at me.” He whispered. 

She swallowed. Peering up at him through her eyelashes. 

“How long has this been going on?”

“It’s just today. I’ll be okay.” She hushed. 

“Tell me when you have them again.” 

She bit her lips.

“Please.”

“Okay.”

“Promise me?”

“Okay, Alacris.” 

Selene guessed her contractual husband might have been more open and caring afterall.  Word count: 1556

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Day 20: Love Chooses

Writing Prompt: A character has to choose between two people they love. What do they do?

If there was one thing that June has learned about herself after twenty-five years of life, it was that she was an indecisive soul.

No really, the extent of her poor abilities to make decisions went past the normal big life decisions one would have to face when they came across a milestone. Making a choice between a matcha latte and matcha oat latte was a hard one to make as well.

Really, it should have become a lot better when she reached half of her twenties. Figures, she thought that with age would come clarity and all that shabaam.

She was sorely proven wrong.

Tell her how she was supposed to make a decision involving her parents and doting boyfriend. How she got herself into this situation was laughable, really. It was a lighthearted question about her future whereabouts. Her parents wanted to know which city she would want to be moving to for the rest of her life. The “rest of the life” portion had actually led to sleepless nights spent mulling on her choices. Being the only daughter in the family, she knew that her parents were somewhat attached to her in ways that she hadn't seen amongst her friends–they were actually allowed to go free. Really, June loved her parents, but wished that they would allow her to make choices without the fear of consequences.

Back to the topic on hand–she had told her parents the possibility of moving in with her boyfriend–ending their long distance relationship of two years. Of course, they were worried about the possibility of things that might happen if she were to commit to that decision. Not only would she be living four hours away from them, she would also have to figure out a whole new level of intimacy and relationship building with her boyfriend. She was fairly confident that they were going to make it out of this new chapter in their life relatively unscathed. By no means was being in a long distance relationship hard. Heck, she had never admitted to anyone how much she cried thinking about the time she was missing out with him. Ugo was an unexpected surprise. It’s funny how adamant she had been being single throughout her college years. These were the first four years of her life when she had more autonomy over her own life! Why would she find someone to settle? She blamed it on her friend, Amy. It was a Wednesday evening when she suggested they attend a frat party. June admitted she had been curious. Hence, she went…and kind of fell in love with him at first sight.

It was comical. The whole thing had hurt her pride a bit because how could she allow herself to fall so deeply for a person she randomly met in a party? A part of her was worried that she had no high standard in place. Was it the lack of socialization that led her to fall for this man? Amy had spent weeks reassuring her that it was not uncommon for people to fall in love when they least expected it. June had been quick to brush those opinions away. It didn’t last long, though. The more time she spent going on dates with Ugo told her that her first reaction towards him was accurate. As the oldest of three siblings, Ugo was a natural caretaker that prioritized her well-being over his. He always made sure she had a ride back home–if he was occupied with previous arrangements, he would call the uber for her to take. Meal times before meeting Ugo were an option. He made sure she kept herself fed, even if she wasn’t particularly hungry. She put equal time into her date nights, but he also initiated many of them to give her the best experiences. Amy had wondered if June was unknowingly getting love bombed, but he respected her boundaries. She learned after that she had gotten it mixed up with the love languages.

Sometimes she would get overwhelmed with gratitude for even getting a chance to be with him in the first place. From what she’s heard from others, he had never been in a relationship–despite being sought out for by many women. So, why her? She got her answers when she went to his room for the first time.

He just loved how she viewed the world.

She thought he had been joking. Was that a quality people looked for in a relationship?

“You always find an optimistic way to view the inconveniences in life, and that gives me a chance to view a situation from multiple points of view.”

Ugo had smiled at her as he trailed his fingers along the side of her jaw.

June remembered how fast her heart sped up at his words. The air had a new layer of tension that brought her butterflies, but in a good way.

That was the day she ended up getting her first kiss.

Yes, she had a moment to freak out with Amy when she got back home.

All of this tied back to the dilemma she faced now. She couldn’t allow herself to choose between her parents and Ugo. It physically made her sick, but there was a decision that had to be made.

Which is why she was here at her favorite brunch place with her parents and boyfriend on facetime.

In hindsight, she probably could have thought of a better set up. It was something she apologized profusely to Ugo after the meal. He had assured her it was fine, and that he was glad the time zone differences worked out for him to talk to her parents via facetime at all. She still felt terrible about it.

Brunch with the four of them was thankfully not as awkward as she had feared it to be. Her parents weren’t mad at her or Ugo. They just wanted to know his intentions with her and their future. To June, it had also been a much needed talk. There were brief mentions of marriage for the two of them in the future, but no concrete plans had been made to put that into action. She learned that day that Ugo had talked about her to his parents, and they were eager to meet her in the future as well.

“Polina, Agathe, I want to make it clear to both of you that June means a lot to me. She is easily the best thing that happened in my life. If you are both willing to entrust your daughter’s hand to mine, I can promise to make her life easier, happier and better with me.”

June had felt like melting, sobbing and laughing uncontrollably at his words.

Her parents had looked the same as they took in the serious way Ugo delivered his words.

“You have my pre-marriage blessing, Ugo.” Her dad replied first.

Her mom needed more time to clear her throat and gather her voice. “I’m glad my daughter fell in love with you. Thank you, Ugo. We are so blessed to find a fine, young man like you to take care of our daughter.”

Now it was up to her to choose her move. In a sense, the answers were already there in front of her. She just…couldn’t find the courage in her to choose. Either way she went with this decision, she was choosing someone she loved over the other. It didn’t mean she had different depths of love with both parties. June knew in her heart that none of them were ever irreplaceable to her.

“Mom, I don’t know what to do.” June looked up from the countertops, hands clutching her mug of hot chocolate.

“June, I think you already know the answer to that question.” Her mom looked at her with a smile. She moved from the kitchen to sit beside her, placing her palm on June’s knees. “Deep down, I think I needed time to realize too that you are not my child anymore. I think about the way your father and I raised you when you were just born, and that image of you is what I see when I see you. You will always be my baby.” Her mom moved her hand to cover June’s hand. “Life is about making choices, and I think choosing a life with Ugo will gift you so much happiness. Your father and I will always be here whenever you need a home to come back to, but you can build a life with the people you love as well. Just be sure to invite us to your wedding.” Her mom laughed, filling the air with warmth. June felt herself relax at her mom’s advice. Standing to wrap her arms around her mom, she felt tears spring to her eyes as she whispered her thank-yous.

The week after, she found herself in a new state with her boyfriend–soon to be fiance–feeling happier and more content than she thought was ever possible. Her mom had been right to encourage her to make this decision. Home was where her parents were, but she could always make new homes for herself to go to. A life with Ugo was something she could see happening, and she was honestly really excited for it to come to life.

“Ugo, I love you.”

He placed her boxes down on the floor, spreading his arms wide. “Come here.”

Wrapping her into his chest, he held her close, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

“I love you so much, June.”

Life was going to be okay.

June smiled. Word count: 1605

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Day 19: Catalyst for Life

Your protagonist finds an item that belongs in their life, but doesn’t belong to them.

Something about the gold watch caught her eye. 

It wasn’t special–quite the opposite. There were scratch marks from obvious wear from the previous owner, and the glass surface was broken. As a somewhat superstitious person, Iphine didn’t bring home broken objects. 

But, she just couldn’t leave it sitting there at the flea market. 

So she paid a good twenty bucks for it to refurbish. 

It was a weird sensation, knowing that she was likely never going to wear it outside because of its broken state. Yet, her gut feeling told her that this was the right thing to do. She never ignored what her heart told her. 

With the watch in her possession, she found herself examining it in various lighting. Whenever she was free or felt a little stressed from work, she would play around with the watch in her fingers. Each day would bring her a small revelation to the state of the watch. She could recall the way the clasp closed without sparing it a glance. A crack on the glass surface was easily identified by her fingertips. It was really, really unlike her to get this attached and familiar with the object. Iphine knew that someone, this watch was going to find herself in a better place than before. 

Truth was that her life lacked color. Every day the same, she found herself mechanically entering the subway to commute to work. Small talk with the coworkers was always a polite necessity, but it became another level of annoyance when she came to question the purpose behind it. Life was dull and boring, but felt exciting after finding this watch. 

Since then, she found herself going to different flea markets every weekend to search for other watches. She didn’t need any new ones, especially when she could easily buy herself one with the monthly remuneration she received from being a corporate woman. But, visiting these places were fun and gave her a new way to kill time without staying inside. So, she began her small hobby of collecting watches. With time, she found the easiest ways to get the best deals. Building relationships with the booth owners became a lot easier when she showed her face weekly. Truth be told, it was a joy to find something that made her feel happier. Watching her watch collection grow, she knew that this was a new thing that would stay with her. Watches were the holders of time, and acquiring new watches that came from different eras of the world fascinated her. She would wonder about each watch’s history and how they eventually came to end up in the hands of these flea market owners. Some, she would hear directly from the owner themselves, but there were many watches that were left a mystery. It piqued her curiosity a lot. 

Iphine had always felt like time was a useless concept that reminded people of their imminent doom–life was short to some after all. Yet, when she got to collect these watches, she came to realize that while the length of life seems long, it came down to the holder of life to decide whether they were going to live a boring life or take a chance. She found life a lot easier to navigate when she found a side passion to explore. Her work hours with her coworkers became a lot more interesting when she decided to ask about their passions as well. As silly as it was, finding out the golden watch at the flea market had acted as a catalyst for her to take control of her life.  Word count: 601

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Day 18: Resurfacing Memories

Writing Prompt: A character tries to escape their past, but it keeps catching up with them.

“You have got to be kidding me. She’s the one that’s involved with Ryan?”

Chelsey held her breath, heart speeding up as she processed the words in her head. 

“She doesn’t even look that impressive. I mean, with her plain looks, I’m surprised someone even wanted to be with her in the first place.” A scoff followed. Her arms pressed tighter around the books pressed against her chest; this couldn’t be happening. 

She promised this time that there wasn’t going to be anyone that found out about this. That had been the plan anyways. Who had been the one to leak it? Mind spiralling, Chelsea found her feet taking her to the back gates of the school grounds. On the way, she saw others’ gazes, but focused on getting herself out of here. Anything could happen with her, but she wouldn’t be able to stomach the rumors that will undoubtedly come out from people’s speculations. 

It wasn’t a long walk home from school, but she didn’t have the confidence to face the person that would bring her to tears the most–her mom. Instead, she chose to walk to the hidden bakery nearby to clear her head. Surely, devouring a few pieces of croissants would be enough to let her feel like everything was going to be alright. At least, she hoped that it would be able to. 

The bell rang softly as she pushed the silver handles, the sweet aroma of freshly baked pastries calmed her heart, and she allowed herself to close her eyes for a moment of solitude. Thankfully, there was space left in the bakery, which meant she could take a table to herself. Chelsea got herself a cheesecake and threw her bag next to the wooden seat next to her. Her hand stabbed at the cheesecake halfheartedly. 

Truthfully, she hadn’t contacted Ryan in years since that accident. It still haunted her. 

He told her it was alright, and that he understood. Earning his forgiveness was not the concern for her. 

She couldn’t find forgiveness for herself. 

Another ring rang out at the bakery, signalling more customers’ arrivals. Chelsea hunched over to hide herself. There was no guarantee that these customers were from her school, but she could never be too safe. 

“Chel?” A voice questioned, snapping herself out of it. 

It was–no, it couldn’t be. Chelsea’s eyes wavered as they scanned the bakery for the voice’s source. 

The same denim jacket that haunted her at night, the nike air forces that shuffled against the floor, the one hand that continuously messed with the brown strands landing on his face. 

“You can’t be real.” Chelsea gasped out, the fork now stabbing into the cheesecake. 

A look of amusement on his face, he took his steps to stand directly in front of her. She tilted her head up to look at him. Has he always been this tall? Of course not, she answered for herself. The last time they saw each other was back in middle school. Ryan hadn’t gone through the full stages of puberty back then. 

“You’ve grown, Chel. It looks good on you.” He smiled easily, eyes scrounging her face. What he was trying to look for was beyond her. She kept her eyes on the cake now, feet squirming from discomfort. He’s always been able to see through her well when they were younger. Was she still that easy to read?

“Why are you here, Ry?” She deadpanned, unintentionally calling him with the childhood nickname she gave him when he dared to tickle her one night at a sleepover. Her body stiffened at the memory and she shoved a piece of cheesecake into her mouth. 

“You should be back home. What are you doing here?” Chelsea asked when his staring got too much. 

“My family moved to this neighborhood. I’m supposed to be attending your school beginning tomorrow.” He gestured to the outside scenery, “I figured it would be a good idea to figure out where the best goods are in this place so I was making it a personal goal to tour all the bakeries in town. Didn’t know I would run into you here at this time. I thought classes were still in session?”

Chelsea sighed. She wasn’t sure she could hope for the rumors to die down when he officially started his first day. “I did have class, but I ran out.”

“Still a risk taker like before?” Ryan laughed. She glared at the cheesecake. It wasn’t amusing at all. 

“It’s not risk taking, Ryan.” She made it a point to emphasize his full name. A bit of mirth left his face when he registered her change in addressing him. “I just had some personal things come out. School felt suffocating.” 

“I’m sorry Chel.” Ryan made a move and sat down on the chair across from hers. “You need someone to listen?” 

She gave him a polite smile. “I’m good. Thank you.” She grabbed her bag beside her and looped her arms through the backpack straps. “I’ll see you around. Have fun with your bakery tour.” 

“Wait.” Ryan’s hand reached out, almost as if he wanted to grab onto her wrists, but it faltered. Maybe it was the standoffish way she was reacting to him almost five years after the incident. Ryan had always been perceptive. He knew from the way she was behaving that it was Chelsea that wasn’t able to move on fully from what had happened between them. Time was supposed to be enough to heal all the missed opportunities between them, but Chelsea didn’t want to address the elephant in the room. It was a stubborn and irrational decision to make, especially when Ryan was prepared to talk about it, but she couldn’t. 

“I have to go, Ryan.” Now she looked apologetic at the hurt that flashed his features. “I’m sorry.” 

She left him sitting there alone, not for the first time.  Word count: 985

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Day 17: Painting Feels

Writing Prompt: A character is in a room where they can’t speak, but can communicate in other ways.

Elara flicked the paintbrush over her canvas, watching as the maroon red paint seeped into the white canvas. Alone in the room with a few other people, she listened to the way the bristles made contact with the surface. After a long week of work, engaging in artistic activities like these felt therapeutic. People around her worked silently on their chosen canvas, streaks of purple, blue and forest green decorating their art piece. She decided it had been the right choice to choose a class that forbade talking. Living in a bustling city, she was constantly stimulated by the sound of passersby, cars, and people that occupied the space. It made for a productive environment that also contributed to her frequent burnouts. Elara supposed she couldn’t have the best of both worlds when she decided to commit to this city a few years after graduation. 

Her canvas continued to fill with more colors as she let her hands roam free. This time, she dipped her brush into a sunset orange color and created a gradient from the maroon she painted previously. She kept her mind blank, focusing only on the colors that splashed onto her canvas. 

Orange has always held a special meaning for her because it reminded her of the vacation she spent in Greece with her family. They didn’t get overlapping days off, which was why this trip continued to surface from her memories. There had been so many things to see and do, and it reminded her of the reason why she had suggested Italy as their destination. She had never spent so much time close to the sea before, and having access to that was just a surreal experience. Her return flight home was drowned by the anticipation of going back someday so that she could explore more of the area. 

A dash of blue joined the painting. This was incredibly therapeutic. 

Elara continued to create strokes of color on her page until she ended up with a finished painting. The final step was to apply glaze and let it dry, so she completed all the necessary steps before stepping into the museum connected to the little studio. Standing in the room, Elara was surprised at the variety of emotions that were portrayed in each of the paintings. With varying levels of expertise, she could still sense the intentions behind each of the colors chosen. One particular painting showed a silhouette standing by the shores at night, which provoked sadness. Seeing the shadows blend into the sand made her feel like the artist may have been lonely or burdened. She could relate to this feeling well. Another one was of a rose, and traces of glitter decorated the petals, which caused it to reflect gently in the light. 

When she was notified that her painting was done, the owner of the place asked whether she wanted to put hers up in the studio or take it back home. Impulsively, she decided to leave it in the studio. It seemed fitting and would serve as a reminder of the way she felt as she completed the art.  Word count: 520

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Ladynoir Enemies AU:

Hidden in Moonlight

I had a need to see these two dancing and being cute for once!

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Day 16: Heartbreak

Your protagonist is asked to do something against their morals. Do they comply?

Audrey's eyes wavered as Mrs. Ureil shoved a thick envelope into her hands. 

“Leave my son. He can do much better than settle for a girl from a family restaurant.” Her voice laced with distaste, Audrey clenched her fists to disguise the trembling from her. 

“I don’t make it a habit to let someone else decide my life–especially my love life.” Audrey steadily replied back. 

“You disgraceful girl!” Mrs. Ureil took a step forward, a scowl on her face as she gave her a look up and down. 

“Jacob gains nothing from being around you. You don’t know anything about the way our world works. Don’t you dare try shoving your way into this realm. This world has nothing to offer you, and it certainly doesn’t need you to ruin its reputation. The Ureil family has spent too long fabricating the perfect family tree for a commoner like you to contaminate it.” Mrs. Ureil spat the final sentence out, her arms crossed as she continued to scrutinize the young woman. Audrey held her gaze, her body feeling numb hearing it all. She has never been treated this way in her life. It was like her entire being was so easily…disposable. Filtering the words that sat on the tip of her tongue, Audrey opened her mouth to reply back, only to be cut off by a ringtone. Her ringtone designated for Jacob.  

“I wouldn’t pick that up if I was you. Need I remind you that I know everyone in the industry. I can easily end your family’s business. Blacklisting you all requires nothing but a flick and a signature from me. Think. Wisely.”  

Audrey froze at those words. Anything aimed at her, she was willing to fight because it only concerned her. If Mrs. Ureil wanted to make her life a living hell, she would take that over leaving Jacob without a word. She heard stories of how he was forced into this life. He hated being a puppet, and wanted to find the right timing to leave. “I’m so glad I met you.” His confession echoed in her mind. His eyes had been a delicate blue as he poured his heart out to her that night on her couch. She felt his heart ache. 

But she would never be able to forgive herself if she was the reason her family went out of business. It took them years of labor and effort to establish their reputation in the neighborhood. Audrey alone couldn’t be the reason they went back to their life full of debt. She knew how much her parents were looking forward to the trip to Italy over the summer. For them to enjoy their full break, they would have to save up as much as they can to spend generously during their days off. Looking into Mrs. Ureil’s eyes, Audrey saw the hidden glee, and realized that she knew Audrey’s weakness was family. She was forcing herself to give up on Jacob so that she could protect her family. It angered her beyond words. Her phone continued to buzz and sing from her purse. She let it go to voicemail. Closing her eyes, her fists shook, no longer from fear, but from rage. Jacob’s face came to her mind, and she inhaled. She swore she could hear her heart break as she dug her nails into the envelope in her right hand. It disgusted her. 

“Don’t threaten me or my family ever again.” She demanded. 

“As long as you stay out of our family’s business, dear, nothing will ever touch you again.” Mrs. Ureil smirked, gesturing to her secretary to open the car door behind her. “You made the smart choice Ms. Leigh. I know you’re smart enough to keep this,” she looked pointedly at the envelope in Audrey’s hand, “will stay between the two of us.” 

Audrey swore she could almost taste bile rising up her throat as she affirmed, “Jacob won’t know.” 

With a roar of an engine, Mrs. Ureil and her limousine were gone. When Audrey was sure she could no longer see her, she turned around to make her way back into her house. Turning the keys to her apartment with shaky hands, she held her breath to hold her hand steady. The key slipped in, and she twisted it to open her door. Shaking off her shoes, she trudged over to her sofa, but not before putting the envelope of money on the coffee table. Her breath caught up on her, and she moved to remove her jacket and purse, setting it down beside her. Audrey climbed onto the sofa, and curled her knees into herself. She wrapped her arms loosely around her thighs, massaging them gently to relieve the tension from her body. Dark blue spots appeared on her light washed jeans. She didn’t notice she had started to cry. All the bravado was leaving her, and Audrey felt herself shake violently as she gasped for air. Her heart felt like it was being squeezed, and her eyes blurred  with her own tears. Tucking her head into the space between her knees and chest, she closed her eyes shut. A sob broke out of her as she sobbed and wailed. Was it from the loss of Jacob? Yes, it was partly because of him. She didn’t want to choose between him and her family, but when it came down to one choice, she had to pick the former. Guilt ripped inside her as she wondered what Jacob’s reaction would be. What would his mother tell him about her? He probably hated her now. There was no way he would want to stay with her when he inevitably found out that she made a conscious decision to abandon him. Because this was what it really narrowed down to. She gave up on him when she promised him to be his family. Jacob had been so excited when he found out she wanted a family of five. Another wave of sorrow slammed her as she grieved for the future she lost.

Was she the pathetic one for ever hoping his family would accept her in the first place? 

Audrey didn’t know how long she'd been crying for, but at one point, the tears dried and her pain dulled. Glancing at the digital clock by the wall, she found out it was past dinner time. Nearly two hours have passed since Mrs. Ureil confronted her in front of her house. Her hands fumbled inside her purse to pull out her phone. Just like she suspected, she had missed calls and messages from Jacob. She rubbed her eyes to get rid of the blurriness from her vision. Looking at her notifications made her want to break into tears again.

3 missed calls from Jacob <3 

48 new messages from Jacob <3 

I miss you so much, I can’t wait for our date this weekend. 

How was your day? 

Honey, are you okay? 

Your location says you’re still at home. Did something happen? 

Audrey? Can you please pick up the phone and tell me you’re safe? I worry about you. 

10 missed calls from Jacob 

Call me back, love. 

Did my mother confront you? 

Audrey, please. I can’t let things end like this. 

Audrey sighed, shutting her phone off. She couldn't find the strength in her to tell him. A thought made its way into her head for a brief moment, but she brushed it aside. He had a day of interviews with the press team today–Mrs. Ureil would never allow him to abandon it. She uncurled herself from her tucked position and tried to release the tension she felt in her shoulders. A grumbling sound rang out the room and Audrey shut her eyes with a groan. There wasn’t anything in her fridge; she rarely cooked. The one time there would be food was if Jacob cooked meals for her. Thinking of him humming in the kitchen made her want to cry all over again. Audrey forced herself up, dragging her feet to the kitchen. She just entered when she heard her doorbell ring. Was she hearing things? She frowned, eyes glued to her door. Quietly making her way to the front door, she slipped the chain lock and held her ear to the door. 

“Audrey, are you in there?” 

Her heart skipped a beat, and her foot took a few steps back. 

“Audrey, please, can you give me a chance to talk?” Jacob pleaded. She imagined his tousled hair–he would always run his fingers through them whenever things get stressful. 

She wanted to see him, but she wasn’t confident enough to say that she would be able to let him go afterwards. Turmoil in her heart, she wrapped her arms around herself. Deciding to throw caution to the wind, she let her heart win. Hesitantly, she cracked the door open, peering out. There was barely enough time for her to react when she felt his frame rush into hers, embracing her in a tight grip. Her arms unwound and reached for his back. He was trembling, and she could feel her shirt getting wet. Out of habit, she started humming the melody she sang to him every time he fell asleep on her bed. It wasn’t perfect because she was tearing up as well, but they didn’t point it out. Savoring in his hold, Audrey’s surroundings filled with the scent of cedar wood and musk–her favorite cologne scent on him. Her hands reached up to the back of his neck, and gently massaged the tension in his scalp away. Jacob responded by holding her tighter so that she was pressed against him completely. 

“What did my mother tell you.” He growled out. 

She stiffened, remembering the earlier threat, and let her hands fall. Audrey placed her palms on Jacob’s chest to lightly push him away, but he refused–keeping her there with limb arms. Sighing, she stalled, wanting nothing more but to go back to the way life was before today happened. 

“Audrey, please. I–do you know how broken I felt when my mother came back and told me I was never going to see you again? I kept telling myself that she was lying. Why would she tell me that when she knows how in love I am with you?” Jacob’s wobbly voice felt like stabs in Audrey’s heart. She immediately placed her arms around him again to rub circles on his bicep and back, and was relieved to feel some of the tension leave him. Even then, he hadn’t stopped trembling like a lost puppy in her arms. 

“She threatened my family for me to leave you.”

Jacob froze, his head whipping to meet hers. She took in his puffy, bloodshot eyes and reached up to cup his jaw. It was tense, and Audrey knew from the fire burning in his eyes that he was not going to forget about this any time soon. 

“She had no right to do that to you. Especially not you,” his low voice vehemently stated. 

Audrey sighed, feeling a wave of anger, frustration, sorrow and a whole other lot of emotions come up before whispering, “I’m sorry.” 

Indignance seemed to fill Jacob as he opened his mouth to protest, but Audrey beat him to it. 

“I made a promise to stay with you…to fight for you and our future. You have no idea how much I loved our dream of starting a family.” Her eyes implored him to search for any traces of resentment, “Your mother said she’d cut my parent’s business out and I just–I couldn’t–I” her breath caught up in her throat and she gasped for air, “I wanted to choose you. I never wanted to give up on you, but my parents–they…They sacrificed so much to give me this life.” Her heart was racing so fast and a wave of nausea came over her as she struggled to explain herself. Why was it so hard to just breathe? 

“Audrey. Audrey! Love, breathe with me.” Jacob’s voice pierced through her mind and her eyes met his. He looked terrified. “I don’t blame you.” 

She shook her head, rasping out, “You should hate me.” 

Jacob sternly looked at her, “I can never hate you.” He gently placed his chin on her head and reaffirmed, “I love you, Audrey. I will never make you choose between me and your family. I know how much Mrs. and Mr. Leigh cherishes their restaurant. If they were forced to go out of business because of me, I would never be able to forgive myself as well.” He traced her cheek with the back of his palm, and she grabbed onto his hands, pressing it into her more. “I’m sorry I allowed my mom to find you at the place you should feel the safest.” His eyes hardened, “I won’t let her near you again.” 

Audrey’s heart clenched. “I can’t put you through that.” 

“Love, if there is anything I learned living under her is that I can ask for favors from others to make sure you stay safe. I’m not old, but I am a young adult with a decent amount of power in my hands.”

Tension began leaving her as her body fell limp, and she had to lean into him to stay upright. He seemed to sense her exhaustion and picked her up, bridal style, heading into her apartment. Slipping off his sneakers, he carried her onto her sofa. Bending to place her into the cushions, he kept his elbow propped next to her face as his eyes soaked in her features. Now, her heart raced for a whole ‘nother reason, and she gulped. His mouth looked enticing and she licked her lips in anticipation. The two of them stayed trapped in the moment, neither sure to make the first move. Audrey’s mouth trembled as she felt his warm breath near her mouth, and she sucked in a breath. Shyly, she reached up, cupped his jaw with her hands, and kissed the corner of his mouth. That was just the motion Jacob needed to move into action. He put his full weight on top of her as he crashed his lips into hers. Passion and frustration ripped through him as he nibbled her bottom lip, occasionally running his tongue on it, evoking a moan out of her. His hands moved from her cheeks to her waist, and she moved to do the same, running her fingers through his abdomen. Every gasp and moan from him added to the spark, and she found herself pressing herself into him. She wanted–needed to be closer to him, now.  

“Audrey, you are going to ruin me.” Jacob whined, pressing kisses to her forehead, between her eyebrows, her cheeks, the sensitive spot below her earlobes, and her mouth. “I love you so, so much.” 

“Jacob.” She could barely make out between his kiss frenzies. “I don’t want to give this up.” She pressed her mouth against his neck, and he let out a breathy moan. “I love you.”   

“I’ll find a way. Audrey, I promise I will not let my mom get in the way. Trust me.” 

The kisses eventually slowed to a cuddling session–Audrey had to scoot over into the sofa to make space for both of them. She was still worried about the aftermath of her actions, but she felt safer knowing that Jacob was on board with finding a solution together. Toying with his fingers, she locked hers into it. Tilting her head back to look at Jacob, the corners of her mouth lifted. 

“Thank you, honey. I love you.” 

His eyes burned into her. “I love you more.”  Word count: 2609