Capturing Memories

°•°Chapter 11°•°

"Try to be a rainbow in someone's cloud."

- Maya Angelou.

Chloe's POV.

"I've got an extra bedroom so why don't you move in here until you find your own place?" the question rolls out of my mouth and I mentally slap myself for asking him that. He removes his arm around me before turning to face me, "Let's go, I'll grab my stuff from the Air BnB,"

A giggle escapes my lips at his excitement, "What? I'm serious, let's go!"

He grabs my arm and pulls me up making me stand, "It is going to be fun,"

"Well I don't know about fun but I sure do know that I can stop from doing something stupid," I point out making his smile drop at my reference to last night. Sighing I pat his chest, "But yeah, it's going to amazing to have you around,"

His face glows again with a heartwarming smile which I return, I can't believe I let him have it his way today but again he clearly could use a day without all the sadness. And honestly, I needed a good day too with my best friend whom I thought, I would never get to see again.

Two years ago, I walked out of that rehabilitation center with that letter he left behind with certainty that I hate him but again hate is a strong word and I could never hate him. Hell, I could never love him any lesser, but that is also the feeling that is going to be hidden deep inside me because I didn't want to lose him again.

"Stop thinking, sugar. Let's go, we could grab dinner at the restaurant on our way back," he shakes me by my shoulders, forcing me to look up "Sounds like a plan!"

My voice laces with excitement making him grin before pushing me towards my room to get dressed, "Get dressed!"

"What's wrong with this?" I asked him raising an eyebrow before he scans my body making me blush, "That shorts,"

He finally says making me roll my eyes, "Are you being protective now?"

"I've always been protective over you, sugar. I'm not trying to hide it," sighing in defeat, I scoff at him before turning around to head into my room. Well, I can't blame him, I guess? These shorts are really short, something I didn't pay attention to.

But clearly, he always paid attention to what I wore, the over-protective best friend that he was, correction - is still an over-protective best friend. It's weird how things feel so normal when last night, I was still so mad at him or so I thought.

~•~•~•

"Oh no," I slap my forehead with my palm, "What's wrong?"

Zach asks me as we continue walking into his restaurant gaining stares of the staff members and a few people waiting at the reception, "Hey! Chloe, right?"

My eyes shut tight and both me along with Zach stop dead in our tracks, "Hey,"

I say turning around to face the guy whom I had an almost one-night-stand with a month ago now. It was fucking embarrassing when I ran out of his house right before we did it, "And who are you?"

Zach asks raising an eyebrow at Ethan, who's actually tried contacting me several times, "Oh, Chloe and I are...friends," he says it almost like a question making me shake my head in embarrassment. I'm pretty sure my face is flushed red by now.

"Ethan? Could we talk later?" I ask him trying not to meet Zach's curious gaze, "Yeah sure,"

He says awkwardly probably wondering how awkward I actually am. Waving at him, I grab Zach's hand and pull him in the direction we were headed before, "That was quite interesting, sugar,"

I could feel him smirk next to, "Shut up,"

"This way, sugar," he directs me into the elevator, "So, who was he?"

"No one important," I mumble still feeling embarrassed as we step into directly onto his office floor. Following him, we enter into his office, which is dimly lit, and he closes the door behind us, "Pretty sure he's no one important because you were so mean to the poor guy,"

He says dramatically making me roll my eyes, "My most recent, almost-one-night-stand," I sigh looking around the plain office. Light gray walls, a couch, and the usual office set up with... the same photograph of both of us I have on my fridge.

"Well what do you mean by almost?" he blocks my view by stepping in front of me but a smile continues to dance on my lips, "That picture,"

I point out at the photo on his table making him shake his head with a heartwarming smile of his own, "Of course I have it, told you it's my favorite,"

"You still didn't tell me what you meant by almost," rolling my eyes, "I backed off right before we were about to do it," my eyes are closed shut, feeling my face burn in embarrassment.

My eyes snap open as I hear his laugh, "What are you laughing about?!"

"Poor guy," he bursts out laughing making me laugh along too while smacking his arm. I lean against his table controlling my laughter with Zach next to me, "I missed this,"

A chuckle escapes my lips at what he said, "I sure did too," he pulls me close before placing a kiss on my forehead making my heart beat faster than ever before. He lets his soft lips linger there making me never want to move away.

"Let me just grab some stuff and then we leave," he says breaking the silence and I just nod staying there in comfortable silence but missing his touch. Today was unexpected and the day I felt content after two whole years.

"I think I've got everything, let's go," he finally says and I follow him out before he turned off the lights. His hand gently grabs mine tugging me forward to follow him and I'm pretty sure he didn't notice himself doing it, old habits die hard. We get into the elevator in comfortable silence and wait for the elevator to ding while he rests his read on mine.

Walking out of the elevator, we stop at the reception desk and I sigh in relief when I don't find Ethan anywhere around, "Here you go Mr. Russell,"

"Thank you, I'll meet you guys tomorrow at eleven," Zach gives a few more instructions to Mr. Phillips who keenly eyes me along with a few other employees. This wasn't such a good idea.

I wave Mr. Phillips an awkward goodbye before being dragged away by Zach, "That was so awkward with you dragging me around,"

I deadpan making him chuckle as he puts the bag of food and the other stuff he picked up from his office in the rear seat of the car, "Well, they better get used to it then and so should you,"

He looks at me with a grin before opening the passenger door for me making me raise my eyebrows, "How gentlemanly?"

"Hey! Just appreciate me trying to be nice sometimes," he says dramatically before closing my side of the door. Damn, Chloe, you need to stop feeling this way for everything he does.

I sigh shutting the voice in my head as he gets into the driver's seat with an everlasting smile before driving out of the driveway carefully. Checking the digital clock flashing on the dashboard, I realize it is only 7 pm and I'm already starving.

~•~•~•