joelle | d.m

71 | white bow

June, 1995.

It was his birthday today.

Today, Draco turned twenty, and Joey had only remembered that she'd bought him a gift weeks ago for this special day.

It was the big two-oh, so obviously she wanted to get him something special and big and shiny. Albeit, she didn't expect they'd be broken up on this special day.

So, now, as she stared at the pair of diamond studs that sat in the black velvet box, she had an urge to just return it or keep it for Devonte's birthday since he also had pierced ears. He usually wore black studs and small hoops, so perhaps he could wear these diamond ones too.

She wasn't giving it to Draco. Not a fucking chance. He fucked her over twice, and each time hurt like hell was reigned upon her.

She nodded at last, deciding to keep it for Devonte's upcoming birthday. She rose from her bed and went to hide it at the bottom of her trunk that was hidden beneath her bed.

It'd been a few days since Joey finally began to pull herself together. It was a lot easier than she expected—slipping into her routine before the relationship even happened. A lot more steady.

The only hard part—apart from the tutor sessions with the blond—was trying to escape her mind. Everyone knew the hardest prison to escape was your own head.

Memories were constantly floating within her head and she caught herself reminiscing about them. It hurt to think about them, but she figured that it would be a lot easier for her in the long-run if she just allowed herself to think about it now. Now rather than later.

So instead of feeling hurt and sadness about the memories later, she'd feel wistful instead. Instead of her lips frowning and her eyes welling with tears, she'd smile faintly to herself, maybe chuckle softly under her breath, as something warm coated her heart like powdered sugar sprinkling over fresh waffles.

Now that she wasn't riddled with heightened and vivid emotions, she honestly believed that Draco's intentions were there—keeping that from her. He thought he was protecting her from hurt, and perhaps it would have worked if Theodore Nott hadn't interfered with business that had nothing to do with him.

She also truly did believe that Draco was in love with her and he legitimately loved her. At some point throughout his initial game, he unintentionally fell in love with her. And he fell hard.

Because why would he tell her that he loved her if it was just a game? Why would he tell his mother about her and introduce them if it was just a game? Why would he tell his father and risk triggering him if it was just a game?

Why did Draco's pupils dilate to the point where there was a thin rim left of silver left, and glisten with raw love whenever he laid eyes on her if it was just a game? Why did he hold her like he never wanted to let her go if it was just a game?

She was even able to pin-point the exact moment she knew he had developed a crush on her.

It was before the Halloween party—before he even realized himself that he fancied her—and then he stopped approaching her suddenly. He left her alone for a bit before he became gum stuck at the bottom of her shoe.

It was when he stopped being so annoyingly persistent about a date. It was when his arrogance and presumptuous comments stopped coming. It was when he became rather baffled by the fact that guys were asking her out when they apparently had no right to.

It was when he would ask to sit in the empty seat next to her, even if it was silence that consumed them. Then he'd spark up random conversations she did not take part in. Say some random things that had no relevance to either of them.