Unforgettable Feelings

Prologue

They say you never forget your first; your first crush, first love, first kiss, first time, first heartbreak, the list goes on. Out of all these firsts, Josie O'Callaghan has only ever had one first; a first crush. Well, at least that's what she claims it was. The thought and the memory of the first time she had let herself feel something romantic for someone was something she had buried in a black box somewhere she didn't even want to know, along with the feelings that came with it.

Josie grew up in her version of a perfect family. She was the third of three girls, her sisters - Jasmine and Rosa - were an inspiration growing up and she still looked up to them even though she was the tallest of the three. Her parents were an example of the kind of relationship she wanted when she grew up and was ready to settle down. She knew what she wanted and she didn't get swayed by anyone, peer pressure was something she had gotten over at an early age. She grew up in a Catholic family; her parents instilled in her and her sisters the way of the church so she grew up with a lot of religious quotes; Always put God first being one of them.

When she got into high school, she had a pact with God: She wouldn't have a boyfriend throughout high school if he made her the best in everything she did. Which thinking about now was stupid and silly.

But oh, it worked!

Boys were very easy to ignore after that. She wasn't a nerd, she wasn't miss-popular, she was just a basic teenager; another random girl, she always said. She had a handful of friends, Izzy and Mia being the only ones she connected with. They were inseparable until Mia left in Class 9 and Izzy followed after. She was heartbroken about their departure but she was also very happy for them, they'd always talked about going to the UK to be with their mums. Josie didn't have any other friends she connected with as well as she did with them until she graduated high school. She didn't think she'd meet anyone like Izzy and Mia, not like anyone could ever replace them, but she connected with Andre and Fred on an entirely different level.

She hated those idiots before she liked them, then loved them like brothers she never had. Then there was Zena, her amazing College roommate whom she still hung out with once in a while when they could.

College.
Josie thought.
It seemed like a lifetime ago.

Josie's pact changed after she graduated high school. She realized that she didn't need to have an ultimatum before God worked his magic. He was always there for her regardless of if she had a boyfriend or not. She hid behind that pact in high school because she wasn't ready for anything more complicated than school.

Relationships took time and work and she hadn't been ready for that kind of commitment in High school or college or even now that she was at the top of her game in O'CE - O'Connell Engineering - as the head of the IT department. She had worked as hard as she could to get to where she was and she still didn't feel deserving of the position, so she kept going so she could feel worthy enough to take a breather.

Speaking of taking a breather, she had to take some time off work again. Mia was getting married to the one and only Frederick Zahn. She couldn't help smiling just thinking about it. It's been close to a year since Fred's almost proposal at the rooftop of the new AFTech building in Chicago, of course, Mia had called with details. Fred's official proposal happened a month later, in Leicester at the Library. Their spot, Mia had told her.

Soon both of her best friends would be married. She was happy for both couples and she would have never thought two of her old friends would ever meet two of her new friends, but now one was married and the other engaged to be married.

It was perfect.

Everything seemed to be going great except when her mind drifted off and went into the forbidden zone. She had promised herself not to think about or dwell in the past but sometimes she caught herself thinking about him. He was the only one that had come close to destroying her walls and completely at that. She had found it easy to keep her walls up to protect herself from letting anyone get through and it worked until college...until him.

Josie sat up in her seat and cleared her throat.

Today was her last day at the office before she had to take the break she had requested; to join Mia in Chicago and prepare for the wedding happening in a month. She had to be there for it all; the planning, the dress fitting, the tasting, the rehearsal, and maybe a few days after the wedding before she had to return back to the office.

She smiled just thinking about it.

Another wedding.