𝐋𝐎𝐌𝐋², jack champion

044, 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮

044, 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮
irl + social media

THIRD PERSON +
december 11, 2024

Juniper tucked her knees under herself, clutching her phone as she settled into the corner of her couch.

It had been several hours since Jack left, and the quiet of the apartment felt too loud, filled with a whirlwind of emotions and unanswered questions. So, she did the one thing she knew would ground her: she started a FaceTime call with her closest friends—Jenna, Mason, and Vinnie.

Their faces appeared on her screen, each of them looking cosy in their respective spaces. Jenna, fresh-faced and wearing an oversized sweatshirt, immediately arched a brow as if she could already sense something was up. Vinnie was stretched out on his bed, AirPods in, wearing a soft smile. Mason looked halfway through his second cup of coffee.

"Alright, what's up, Juni?" Jenna demanded, barely giving her a moment to breathe. "You look... like you have a lot to say."

Juniper exhaled, not even knowing where to begin. "I ran into Jack. Yesterday. In Central Park."

The immediate silence on the call was followed by a collective, "What?!"

"Yeah," Juniper replied, laughing a little at the incredulity on their faces. "I was just walking, you know, taking in the city. Then I see him there, standing on the path like it's something out of a rom-com." She hesitated, her voice softening. "We ended up going ice skating."

"Hold up," Mason interrupted, his eyes widening. "Ice skating? The two of you?"

"Yes!" Juniper chuckled. "And... I fell. I mean, hard."

She held up her hands to the camera, showing off her palms wrapped in gauze. Jenna gasped while Mason and Vinnie shook their heads in disbelief.

"Juni, you and coordination are... not best friends," Vinnie joked, eyes twinkling with amusement.

"Oh, trust me, I know," she replied, rolling her eyes. "But Jack helped me up. He even wrapped my hands with some gauze he had at his place."

"Wait," Jenna interrupted, raising a hand. "He took you back to his place? After ice skating?"

"Yes," Juniper said, her voice barely a whisper. "And we... almost kissed."

Jenna's jaw dropped. Mason let out a low whistle, and Vinnie gave her a surprised look.

"Almost?" Vinnie finally said, tilting his head. "Like... how almost?"

"Like, inches away, looking right at each other, practically holding our breath," Juniper replied, feeling her cheeks warm. "But then he pulled back. He said he wanted to do things right, starting with earning back my trust."

She paused, trying to make sense of her own emotions. "After that, we just... watched a couple of movies, had food. It was nice. Natural. But also confusing."

Jenna studied her friend through the screen, brow furrowed. "Juni, I'm going to say this because I love you: be careful. He hurt you, and it's okay if it feels right to be with him again. But don't rush things. Let yourself feel whatever you're feeling, but at your own pace."

"I agree," Mason added. "It's clear you still have feelings for him, but don't let that override what's best for you."

Vinnie, unusually quiet, nodded along. "Yeah, you need to be sure, Juni. And if he's serious, he'll wait for you to be ready."