𝙖𝙙𝙤𝙧𝙚 || 𝙡𝙚𝙤𝙣 𝙙𝙧𝙖𝙞𝙨𝙖𝙞𝙩𝙡

chapter 4

CLAUDIA

Just before I could attach my favourite earrings to my ears, looking myself in the mirror, the doorbell rang.

I ran towards the front door and opened it, a cold breeze hitting through my warm apartment. A smile quickly widened across my lips as I spotted my best friend of-now-eight years.

"Hey!" I said, looking down at the flowers wrapped in his hand, one of my favourites-to add on. Leon smiled and came through, giving me a tight hug and a small side kiss on the cheek before handing me the white lilies. "Thanks."

He responded with a 'you're welcome' once I grabbed a vase and filled it up with tap water before placing the lilies into the vase. Finishing that, my palms on the edge of the counters, I turned around and glanced at Leon.

"You came early," I spoke calmly, getting and attaching the other earring onto my ear, locking eyes with him. He chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck.

The original time I asked was seven o'clock and he came at six, just an hour away.

"I had nothing to do. It was better to come here anyway." He shrugged his shoulders and grabbed an apple, taking a big bite.

Today was Leon and I's eighth friendship anniversary. Just two more until ten. But it's mostly to be a different situation than it would've been. We first met at a local restaurant near my high school in Richmond Hill.

We quickly took draw into each other and had a lot in common, surprisingly. He loves hockey as much as I do. He was a hockey player just drafted a year before we met and a year after, my older brother just happens to be on the same team as my best friend.

During that time, the three of us were closer than ever. Connor and Leon were roomies in Edmonton and I wasn't really surprised, they were only the good ones on the team. Over the first year of our friendship, it mostly happened on the phone.

We FaceTimed, called, and sent emails to each other, every single day. When I eventually turned the legal age and the third year of our friendship, I was able to move to Edmonton and settle there.

We basically felt like we grew up together in our friendship. I was there when he first got his heart shattered by his ex, scored his first national hat trick in the league, and bought his own house, all the moments that he always called me to include in it.

Just two months ago, Leon broke up with his ex-girlfriend of four years for absolutely no reason at all-or that's what he told me. I was shocked when I found out about it-I mean I supported them, gave Leon many recommendations to encourage himself and hang out with his girlfriend a few times.

She was such a nice, caring woman and I wanted to figure out why Leon had broken up with her all of a sudden. I first thought that they were having difficulty spending time together as the two had different jobs.

"I'm gonna go to the washroom." I excused myself and headed upstairs, going to the one in my bedroom.

As I finished, I wiped my wet hands with a towel near the mirror and exited the washroom, letting out a quiet sigh. I looked up, stuttering as I spotted Leon at the doorframe.

"Leon, what the hell are you doing here?" I rolled my eyes and he chuckled with a dissatisfied look. Then, I slightly furrowed my brows and glanced at him, confusingly. "What's wrong? Did something happen?" I asked.

Leon walked towards me without saying anything and hovered over me with his tall figure and broad shoulders. I deepened the frown and waited for an answer.

"Claudia, I have, uh, something to tell you..." he slowly spoke, taking a deep breath and I nodded, pursing my lips into a thin line.

As soon as he opened his mouth again, one of my other best friends and my brother yelled from downstairs. I gasped happily. "They're here! What the-did I spend an hour in the washroom? Come on, let's go!" I laughed and headed downstairs, spotting Phoebe and Connor in the kitchen.

"Hey, you guys." I smiled and quickly widened my arms apart as Phoebe gave me a tight hug.