THE SECRETS WE KEEP.

- JUST NOT READY FOR THIS. (PART 1).

hey everybody, hope you're all having a great saturday and this week has to be good to you all! this chapter is a little longer than i was hoping for it to be, i got a little carried away with the writing so i'm sorry if that's not what you like!! but thank you all so much for 9K reads, it's such a great thing to start the new year with and i cant believe i'm nearing 10K which is crazy!! again, thank you so much and please leave any story recommendations in the comments of this post. i've been having a few issues with wattpad recently (it started working properly last night actually!) so i'm sorry to anybody's story i was reading, once i get the chance i will read on more! thank you all, stay safe🤍

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DIANNES POV:
"I have to admit, you two look amazing.." Looking back on the photo Byron had taken of our foursome group, and as much as we could continue to deny the inevitable compliments thrown our way, our outfits were much better than anything we could have whipped up on our own."The perks of having your girl as a part of Strictly.." Joe's comment, as true as it may be, still burned my cheeks to the dark red colour to perfectly match with the spots of the same hue spread across the fabric, my head dropping to the convenient creases on my skirt. To be able to wear this delight of a dress on the true Halloween night, with the sight of a handsome devil stood next to me, was a privilege and exactly how Joe put it - a perk. Two years in one place causes bonds to form stronger as each week passes by, whether they are applying a second layer of eyeshadow to your lid or sticking one final painful pin into your hip to make the skirt stay put. Luckily the girls, the angels they are, can never put down their materials for two seconds to give themselves a break, meaning these beautiful outfits were already on the mannequin, waiting for their second pit stop of the wardrobe to be forgotten about until being sold off to the next lucky owner.

Our chatting stopped at the ping of the elevator, the doors opening indicating our arrival. While Joe and I had taken the precautionary decision to create a distance between us, our precise timing meant this was not needed. "Great, we've just caught the empty hour.." My clearly foreign term earned me three as equally confused glances into the side of my head. "Guessing this is just a me thing?" Each head nodded along like a figurine on a car dashboard. "Empty hour is the time for a party where nobody is leaving or arriving.. all of the action you want to see is going on inside.. leaving the whole corridor empty.. but usually when people would notice this, it would give them a chance for some privacy" While in my mind, this made perfect sense, their confused glances was something I'm sure would stick, despite a thorough explanation.

"Well on that note, we're going to head inside" Byron told a hold of Emily's hand with his thumb brushing light strokes across her knuckles. In response her free arm lay across his stomach, a twinkle in her eye the moment she looked up at his face. The cuteness of their physical display of affection for one another was another painful reminder to my aching heart that this was not possible for Joe and I. If I wanted to kiss the boy I was falling for after a few too many drinks, or even just wrap my arms around him for a quick hug, it would have to be hidden away where the guarantee was for nobody to see, as if it was a biblical sin. They waved to us their final goodbyes before disappearing through the cloud-smoked entrance way, but the sight of their kissing outlined through this harmless gas, only worsening the aching in my heart.

"I guess we should-" My intention of getting to the party, a hopeful distraction, was interrupted by a pair of hands on my waist spinning my body around, immediatley to Joe's lips crashed onto mine, loosening the tightening feeling beginning in my chest. While the moment only lasted a few seconds, this kiss was filled with so much desire and passion, yet a certain gentleness behind it, more than any other kiss we had shared. "Joe.. I-" Our lips apart didnt stop him from laying his forehead against mine, with those piercing blue orbs staring right back at me, as if in his mind he was peeling back each layer of my being to find the true Dianne underneath. "You said couples use the empty hour for privacy right?" My snickering and playful eye rolling was stopped by his finger being placed over my lips as a way of not allowing any interruptions going to fall from my mouth.