Begin Again

Chapter 17

Later the same day...

I've been thinking about nothing but Joe for the last 8 hours. I had to leave him for work cause I couldn't have taken a third day off this month, I would have gotten fired by the end of it. But he has been taking over every part of my soul throughout the entire shift. I couldn't help myself from giggling every time I'd remember what he did for me this morning while restocking the shelves, and I even got a death stare from the assistant manager for that...It was embarrassing! But still, I wouldn't have wished this day to go any differently.

Good thing I asked him to stay in my flat so I get to see him once I go back. I know I should probably be keeping things a bit more lowkey given how much he had hurt me...But I can't handle it. I've missed him. I missed him terribly and I'm not that good at hiding my emotions. And even though if I'm still slightly mad at him, I can't wait to get home and see him again. There're just 30 more minutes for my shift to be over!!

-

"Hey..." I smile at Joe softly as he opens the door of my flat, he greets me with a more beaming smile then places a kiss on my left cheek, so I push him inside the room playfully and close the door. There'll be some time before I approve of such affection again.

"I missed you," he smiles holding his hands together in front of him like a kid who got to see his mother after a long day at school.

"Where's Benji?"

Joe chuckles seeing me doing my best to act uninterested yet failing in hiding my smile, "alright..I get that you're still mad at me."

I look away with a ghost of a smile still gracing my lips. I'm not sure why I'm doing this when it was obvious this morning that I've forgiven him, but I'm enjoying it, it's a fun game! I don't mind watching him struggle for some time...

Joe keeps starring at me lovingly for a few minutes before he starts walking towards the sofa where he's left a medium-sized rose box. WAIT DID HE PREPAPRE ANOTHER SURPRISE FOR ME?! I watch him closely as he takes out a bouquet of white dried flowers and a glass photo frame, then he starts walking towards me again.

I eye the dried flowers confusedly as he reaches the bouquet out to me to hold it, "what's this?" I ask gently.

"I bought these flowers for you the day I went to your old flat to apologise and confess my feelings, but then I came to know that you weren't living there anymore. So when I went back home, I made a promise to myself that I'd do whatever it takes me to get you to smile at me again, then I'd place this bouquet in the hands where it belongs, yours..."

A gentle smile lights my face, warm-hearted, I take the bouquet in my hands looking down at it. And Joe doesn't miss the chance to feel the touch of my hands while handing me the bouquet..

"I know it looks pathetic right now, but it means a lot to me, and that's why I decided to do this!" He lifts the glass photo frame in his hand up so I can see it more clearly. It's a glass frame with thin golden borders, and there're pressed flowers from this same bouquet inside it. It looks so simple yet beautiful!

"The dried flowers here from the bouquet are to remind you, and myself of course, that I've struggled to get you back with me, and that I'll never hurt you again. There should be a polaroid of you inside among the flowers, but I don't have any pics taken of you so..."

The shy part of myself keeps moving her eyes around the room to avoid looking into his deep indigo eyes. I'm overwhelmed with happiness, I can feel my whole face blushing. A few moments later Joe leans in to kiss me on my cheek for the second time tonight, it's so sensational feeling his hot breath hitting my face so I close my eyes, then I decide to come up with a random question to stop him from going further,