close to my dialling heart

30🌹the beauty of first love

🎶cause when you love someone, you open your heart. When you love someone, you make room🎶
                     ~Lukas Graham~

DOVE 🕊

All I did was roll over, kick my feet in the air, and blush all night. I couldn't agree to the reality - was this what it felt like when your dreams came true? Butterflies multiplied in my stomach, threatening to burst. I missed him already so much that I considered texting him, but I hesitated, holding my phone between my palms. What if he was asleep? I thought being anxious and desperate was only for drama queens, but my behavior proved me wrong.

Mal's mischievous voice intruded, "Spill it out." My eyes widened as I turned to her. "What?" I asked in my lowest tone, trying to sound nonchalant.

Mal raised an eyebrow. "You left with Xavier last night and came back all excited, kicking your feet in the air." She chuckled, and I laughed, feeling a bit silly.

"How did you know I left with Xavier?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

"He brought you back," she replied, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "And, well, there's this." She pulled out her phone and showed me a picture of Xavier carrying me. My eyes widened in shock.

"Some college gossip team, I guess," she said with a shrug. "Xavier's pretty famous, so people are interested in what he does, who he dates... even what he eats."

I felt embarrassed but also relieved that someone understood my excitement. "I confessed my feelings to him when I was drunk," I admitted, covering my face with a pillow.

Mal's eyes twinkled. "What was his reaction?"

I blushed again, unable to control it. "He... uh... told me he liked me too."

Not necessarily what he said, but he told me I drove him crazy. Which was... he liked me back, right?

Mal gasped, her eyes wide. "You're dating!"

I nodded, feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness.

After our chat, I decided to text him. My fingers were itchy, and I couldn't wait any longer. "Hey, are you asleep?" I sent the message, hoping he'd respond soon.

XAVIER 🥀

I sat across from Mr. Meadows, who glared at the three men kneeling before us, their hands tied. Mr. Meadows, one of the most feared mafia godfathers, was not a man to be trifled with. His friendly demeanor could turn icy in an instant, and I knew to keep my distance when he meant business.

The issue at hand was money laundering. The three men had attempted to deceive my father and threatened to report him to the police. A bold move, considering no cop would dare cross Mr. Meadows. He felt shame, not fear, and that was a dangerous spark to ignite.

Without a word, he grabbed a gun from the nearby table and loaded it with bullets. The first man to speak was the first to fall, shot in the forehead. I watched for a moment, then decided to leave, knowing there would be more killing that night.

As I got into my car, my phone rang. A business call. When it ended, I noticed a text from Dove, sent a few minutes earlier.

Hey. Are you asleep?

I smiled, knowing I was most awake at night, like a vampire. I pulled out my Louis Vuitton air pods, a gift from Wilder, telling me they were in style or whatever term he used... and called Dove. She answered on the first ring, and I said, "Hey, baby girl," as I started my engine.

She was quiet for a moment, and I wondered if she was still there. "Yeah, I'm here," she said finally. "I was just wondering if you were asleep."

I shifted into gear and began driving, ready to tackle the task ahead.