Bloodline (The Golden Boy )

Chapter: 6

•Jessica:

  I don't think anyone will ever match Kristian's standards. My heart swelled with joy as I reached the surprise launch he had prepared.

My hair and dress fluttered in the wind as I stood at the edge of the beach, struck speechless.

Before me lay a long red carpet flanked by posters featuring cartoon paparazzi. One poster depicted a cartoon figure holding a camera, another showed a character with a microphone, and yet another illustrated a figure with a camera surrounded by flashing lights. The carpet led to a charming Yatch adorned with balloons.

"What is this?" I asked, placing both hands on my cheeks, still in awe.

"Welcome to your birthday surprise, Miss Thurman," Kristian said with a warm smile.

"What are these posters about?" I asked, trying to stifle my laughter.

"Well, you're going to be famous soon," he replied, taking my hands and turning me to face him.

*Thump, thump, thump...*
I hoped he wouldn't hear how loudly my heart was racing as our eyes locked.

"And I know how anxious you get, so when you face such situations in the future," he paused for a moment, "I want you to remember this moment."

...And Some of my friends still question why I fell for him. For heaven's sake, this boy seems unreal. Every time I vow not to let my feelings consume me, he does something so incredibly sweet that it's impossible not to fall further.

I've struggled with anxiety since childhood. Diagnosed as severely anxious, I couldn't even go to the bathroom alone until I was twelve. When situations become overwhelming, my hands sweat uncontrollably and my breathing falters.

Though years of therapy and practice have helped me manage my anxiety, it flared up again when I received my acceptance this morning. Yet here was Kristian, once more noticing things about me that no one else ever could.

"Heads up," he said, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Walk steady. Don't let them, or anyone, ever intimidate you. You were born for this—this is your world, and they just live in it." He gestured towards the paparazzi caricatures on the posters lining the side of the carpet.

"I..." I muttered, but the nervousness was crawling through my veins, the thought of the real crowd making it hard to breathe.

"Shhh," he whispered, squeezing my hand as though he could feel the tremor of anxiety surging through me.
"This is your world," he repeated, a genuine smile softening his face. "And everyone else is just living in it." His eyes stayed locked on mine, a playful smirk dancing on his lips.

I smiled. "This is my word and they're living in it."

We walked down the red carpet, hand in hand. The anxiety melted away. No more worries. Just calm and a sense of safety as his six feet figure shielded me like a mountain beside me I can't fall, he's here to catch me, always.

"Miss Jessica is it true that you have the hottest bestfriend in the world?" he said playfully imitating a paparazzi question.

I chuckled, rolling my eyes. "Not if Theo James is in the room,"

He gasped in shock, "Ouch!!"

"Sorry Mister Paparazzi,"

"Moving on," he gave me a playful side eye, "How a gorgeous woman like you is still single?"