Sliding Doors - 2 (English Version)

Chapter 102

Josephine

"Shouldn't he have gone with Robert?" whispers Arielle, taking me aside.

It is freezing cold outside, it snowed a little last night and the streets are covered with a thin layer of snow that makes everything very magical, I have to admit.
There's hardly anyone around and the sounds are all muffled, it's like being in a fairy tale.
I must say that Sofia has something fascinating about it, in the alleys, in the stores, everything seems to belong to another era.
Castille and a group of actors went to explore the city, while we are on a special mission today!

"That was the idea indeed!" I push open the door of a store I had marked on the list I wrote down last night.
I have a few ideas of what Hero might like as a birthday gift, and I offered to be an assistant personal shopper for our friends.

What I hadn't calculated was the fact that Hero wanted to hang out with us instead of going to play soccer at some field with Robert.

I know, it all sounds crazy given his unbridled passion for the game of soccer, but he wouldn't listen to reason and I didn't want to make him suspicious.

What could I answer him when he candidly admitted to me that he wanted to spend the afternoon together with me at all costs?
I could not reply, partly because I love spending time with him!

We'll have to buy his gifts with him snooping around like crazy!

"Why are you whispering?" he whispers amusedly as he approaches us.

There, indeed. We were saying?

"Nothing, why?" I turn toward him nonchalantly.

"Hero I didn't think you were so nosy, you know? It's girl stuff!" Arielle laughs as she drags me away inside the store.
This woman is a whirlwind of energy and she cracks me up.

"If you do that, he'll know we're on a secret mission!" I whisper to her, checking that he hasn't followed us.

We are inside an electronics store.
I thought he might need something to take with him on the endless transoceanic flights he regularly takes and which I hope he will take to visit me when we are far apart again.

I sigh at the thought that sooner or later we will be apart again, but I have decided not to think about it until the time comes and so I will!

I want to live one day at a time and I will not let fear cloud my mind, not this time.
I commit an endless series of screw-ups when I get caught up in fear of getting hurt and I don't want to.

I feel that he is the one, the person with whom I could really build a future and I will never, ever let this opportunity pass me by just because I'm afraid it might go wrong.

"Are you listening to me?" Arielle turns to me questioningly.

I didn't hear anything she said, immersed as I was in thought.

"No sorry, you were saying?" I look around for some particular object.

"You had thought of something to use on the plane, right?" she hands me a pair of headphones like air pods.
"I have these too, they are comfortable because they never get lost, they have this protective device!" she shows me a device I had never seen and I probably think it could be the right gift for him.
Nothing fancy but something he could definitely use!

I nod in conviction "That sounds like a great idea!" I smile at her as she sneaks a look and motions for me to follow her to the checkout.

Hero is hanging out with Chance, they are laughing in front of some video games and it's the perfect opportunity to go and finalize the purchase.
We were very quick, I have to admit!