𝐒𝐇𝐄 𝐀𝐋𝐖𝐀𝐘𝐒 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐃 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐄

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐈𝐕

I feel like I'm moving too fast in relationships. But then again? I'm terrible at developing romances. I hope to have at least two more introductory chapters before to go to the canon plot.

Anyway, enjoy the chapter!

❝ The cold wind blows the lone wolf dies but the pack survives.❞ - 𝐉𝐀𝐈𝐌𝐄 𝐎𝐋𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐑 𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐂𝐄

People are creatures of infinite complexity, far beyond what Jaime could imagine in his deepest reflections. Deciphering them, reading them as if they were open pages of a book, is almost always an impossible task, for they are composed of layers upon layers of contradictory thoughts, convoluted logic, and motivations that defy any attempt at full comprehension. Charlotte, however, was different. Charlotte had always been an exception to the rule. Her eyes revealed more than they concealed. It was as if she didn't care about hiding what was inside her soul. Yes, there were secrets there, of that Jaime had no doubt. Everyone has them. But Charlotte, in a way, seemed not to care much about keeping them. She kept them there, in plain sight, like mere shadows in a dark corner of the room, without the pretension of casting them into the light of day. And Jaime? Jaime never cared to know those secrets. He was content to stay on the surface, floating in a comfort zone where the depth of the sea was unnecessary.

It was precisely for this reason that his meetings with Matthews became more frequent as the days went by. They were moments of tranquility, free from the ties that bound him to expectations or judgments. Charlotte would visit him during lunch and leave as soon as he finished, never staying longer than necessary. Their conversations were light, devoid of depth, a perfect antidote to the turmoil of everyday life. There was no need to talk about their lives, to expose their souls as if they were in a confessional. There were no demands, only the pleasure of sharing a fleeting moment of distraction. For Jaime, that was more than enough. It was all he needed, all he wanted at that moment.

Shauna, however, was an unfathomable mystery. While Charlotte was a book of few pages, whose words were simple and straightforward, Shauna was a voluminous tome, full of words that intertwined in endless paragraphs, with hidden meanings and implied truths. Jaime tried to read her, tried to understand what her eyes meant, but he always reached the same frustrating conclusion: friend. Over time, this certainty became almost palpable, a truth that sank deeper and deeper into his heart. And yet, he enjoyed Shauna's company. He liked to close his eyes and just listen to her talk, letting her words lull him like a lullaby, even when the topic of her conversation was as mundane as the gossip of a small town. And that was exactly where he found himself now: lying on his back on her bed, tossing a small tennis ball up and down, while Shauna talked endlessly about how Jackie, the nosy friend, wouldn't stop meddling in her life. Her words reached him like a distant murmur, and his mind, unable to focus on that topic, wandered to a single thought: Charlotte.

Not that he, Jaime Prince, had any kind of romantic feeling for Charlotte, or at least that's what he kept telling himself. He liked the simplicity of their encounters, the dialogues devoid of any emotional baggage or personal problems, without complaints about how a best friend controls you to the point of dictating even the color of your clothes. It was selfish, he knew that. Shauna trusted him, opened her heart, poured out her secrets, and there he was, laughing inwardly at the situation. The thought made him sigh, and inadvertently, a discreet laugh escaped his lips.