NO DOUBT [bwwm]

EXTRA CHAPTER • The Washing Machine 🔥

* This story takes place before Josie's abduction but after Christmas *

Thursday was usually laundry day in the Valentina-Ricci household.

Both Josie and Orlando dreaded that day... for much different reasons. The boyfriend hated it because it meant his girl never reached the point where she ran out of her comfy panties and had no choice but to wear a thong. The view was pure magic.

The girlfriend hated that day because, well, she was the one who had to deal with the laundry in question. She once let Orlando take care of it, and he had somehow turned her favourite pink shirt into a third-grader's tie dye project. Never again.

Therefore, on that lovely Thursday, Josie was stuck with the much less lovely chore of laundry. She picked up the dirty sheets she had gathered into a big puddle on their bedroom floor. It barely felt like theirs anymore seeing as she was the only one spending more than five hours a day in it. She brushed away the little voice in her head begging to start another imaginary argument. It's too damn early for this shit. Besides, he promised they'd go out in the city later tonight.

Pulling the curtains open, the basket she held under her arm, she let the 10AM sun in and took in the pretty sight of the snow. No matter how much Orlando's family tried to encourage her to give into their collective hatred for all things winter, Josie couldn't help but let her Californian eyes joyously feast on the pearly white landscape.

Her phone buzzed pulling her out of her reverie.

Felishh: Hey how was your interview yesterday?

She juggled her laundry basket in her left hand and her phone in her right hand as she made her way down the stairs. Rather clumsily, she attempted to recount to her friend the half hour she spent trying to convince the dentist for whom she was interviewing to become his assistant that her resume was worth more attention than her chest. Texting and climbing down the stairs, don't try this at home, kids. Barely two steps from the end of the staircase, the weight of the basket and lack of coordination caused her to stumble at first, then fall with a violent thud as everything she once held in her arms hit the floor.

"Fuck!" Her left ankle slightly throbbing, she observed the laundry spread all over the floor. The commotion she created alerted her boyfriend and his brother who came out of wherever they were to check on the origin of the noise.

With eyes full of worry, Orlando spoke first as he kneeled next to her. "Dolcezza, are you ok?"

"Shit, Josie, what happened?" Luca asked next.

Josie exhaled, feeling dizzy, "I'm okay, just lost my balance for a second." Both brothers lent her a hand so she could get up. "Thanks."

The younger Ricci frowned in concern, "You sure you ok? Just last week you practically crashed from the foot-tall stool in the kitchen."