In a world where social expectations often dictate who we're allowed to love, a story of unexpected passion and quiet rebellion unfolds.
"Only Just Begun" introduces us to Jeremy Whittaker, a 33-year-old security architect-brilliant, intense, and qu...
Not because he was suddenly passionate about fitness, but because his brain had decided sleep was optional when your heart was tangled in emotional spaghetti.
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He laced up his running shoes and stepped outside, hoping a jog through the London streets might clear his mind.
Spoiler: it didn't.
With every step, there she was.. Carol... like a ghost in sneakers running beside him. Her laugh echoed in his ears. Her scent clung to the breeze. Her face kept appearing in his peripheral vision like his subconscious was playing a cruel highlight reel.
"Focus, Jerry. Just... run."
He picked up the pace, as if outrunning his thoughts was a thing. It wasn't. She didn't leave.
She was there when his foot hit the pavement. She was there when he passed the flower stall that reminded him of the crown she'd worn. She was there when he stopped in the middle of the path and looked up at the sky, now painted in hopeful shades of blue and orange.
It was a perfect day. And he couldn't enjoy a second of it. Because all he could think was:
"What if she doesn't come today?"
They had agreed to meet at Hyde Park to watch the sunset. But after last night's tension, after his argument with Liam and the look of disappointment in her eyes—God, that look—he wasn't sure she would show up.
He could still see it vividly: her glance back before walking away from him, eyes full of questions, like she wasn't sure if she wanted to kiss him again or punch him in the soul.
He let out a long sigh, shoulders heavy, legs slowing.
"You really screwed it up, man."
For a moment, he just stood there, hands on his hips, eyes on the sky. He felt like the universe had placed a heavy weight on his chest—equal parts guilt, longing, and anxiety.
But then... a breeze stirred the air. It brushed against his cheeks like reassurance. The world hadn't ended. He was still here. And he could still make things right.
He started running again. Not to escape—but to realign.
Each step was a promise to himself. Each breath was a silent vow: be better.
He thought back to the confrontation with Liam. How easily anger had overtaken him. How quickly he'd let his insecurities take the wheel.
That wasn't the man he wanted to be—not for Carol, and not for himself.
He was done letting past pain decide his future.
Carol had seen something good in him. She'd kissed him under the stars. She'd smiled like he mattered. He didn't want to let that version of himself slip away.
