Joslyn couldn't seem to rid herself of that same immovable lump that remained ever present in her throat any time she visited the hospital. No matter how much she tried to swallow it down, it remained ever lodged there, choking her with the familiar heaviness in her chest.For a moment, Joslyn sat completely still in the cab parked on the curb, staring out the window at the building that seemed to loom over her; a building that held the last thread of her sanity. If that thread were to snap, she wouldn't know what to do with herself.A sudden honk caused Joslyn to jerk in the seat as her head snapped towards the front, her gaze clashing with that of the cab driver through the rear-view mirror. He shot her a meaningful look as he spoke, “I haven't got all day, Miss.”“Right. Sorry.” She quickly rummaged through her purse, handing him some money. “Keep the change. Thank you.”“Will do,” he replied and zoomed right off the curb immediately she alighted from the car and shut the door.Wit
Joslyn stepped into the lobby of her apartment building, her mind still swarming with thoughts from her earlier visit to the hospital. She let out a sigh, offering a weak smile to the receptionist, Eunice, who returned it with an equally tired smile of her own."Hey," Eunice greeted her, presenting a brightly wrapped box of chocolates and a bottle of sparkling wine."Good evening, Eunice. What's this?" Joslyn questioned, peering curiously at the box."The new building owner asked to share these gifts with each resident to celebrate his acquisition of the building and foster a cordial relationship between residents and the landlord," Eunice explained, her voice tinged with rehearsed politeness.Joslyn accepted the gifts with a polite thank you, but couldn't shake off the feeling of uncertainty. She glanced around the lobby, noticing that the other residents didn't seem to be receiving similar packages. With her brows furrowed, she decided to inquire further."Have all the residents bee
Gabriel arrived at his mother’s house, feeling a wave of comfort as he stepped through the familiar doorway. The scent of his childhood lingered in the air, mingling with the aroma of his mother's cooking. Despite his demanding role as a CEO, he never missed their biweekly dinners—a sacred tradition he cherished dearly.“Hey, Mom,” he greeted warmly, presenting her with the strawberry and banana trifle, one of her favorites.Nora's face lit up at the sight of the dessert, and she enveloped Gabriel in a warm hug. “Gabriel, dear, it’s so good to see you. Come on in.”After exchanging pleasantries, they set the table together, the rhythmic clinking of dishes a familiar melody of their routine.As they settled, Nora gently broached the topic. "Why haven’t you been picking up your calls, Gabriel? I've been trying the home phone. You know I worry when I can't reach you."Gabriel sighed inwardly. “I’m sorry, Mom. I’ve been preoccupied with work, and I moved out of the mansion for a change of
Joslyn woke up to the morning sun streaming through her window, casting a warm glow over her room. With a groan, she reached out to silence the blaring alarm that had jolted her from sleep. Rubbing her eyes, she sat up on the edge of her bed, staring blankly into space. Despite feeling reluctant to leave the comfort of her bed, she knew she had to start her day.After a moment of blankly staring into space, Joslyn pushed herself to her feet and made her way to her dresser. With a sigh, she rummaged through her clothes for a suitable outfit for her morning gym session. Eventually, she settled on a comfortable set of workout clothes and made her way to the bathroom for a quick shower, even though she knew she'd be taking another one when she got back.After gathering her resolve, Joslyn headed to the gym just around the corner of their block for her morning workout routine. Upon arrival, she exchanged pleasantries with familiar faces, exchanging nods and smiles with fellow gym-goers and
“You are my best friend's boyfriend, Gabriel.”“Ex–boyfriend,” he corrected.“Whatever. It still changes everything,” she wrapped her arms around herself, suddenly feeling tiny underneath his scorching gaze.“It changes nothing, Joslyn,” he took a step closer to her. “Nothing at all.”She looked up into his eyes, sweet honey orbs colliding with the coral combinations of greens and blues. The colour harmony couldn't be more explosive.Clearing her throat, she looked away from his captivating imprisonment of a gaze before straightening her posture to match one of confidence and determination, a total contrast to the tornado of feelings overwhelming her insides. His proximate presence was making her feel weak in the knees.“No matter what, I refuse to betray Sigourney. It is an unspoken rule between best friends to not have anything to do with each other's exes. You're off limits, Gabriel.”“Fuck such rules! Whether they're ‘unspoken’,” he gestured in an air-quote, “or in the fucking con
|| Three Years Prior To The Present ||Being an air stewardess was very thrilling and exhilarating for someone as adventurous as Joslyn Patel, but unfortunately, as exciting as it was, it also bagged a lot of stress, lots of legwork, i.e. standing and walking around, lots of sweet smiles (whether faux or genuine, but mostly, faux) and lastly, lots and lots of jet lags.The belief that if you continued to do something perpetually, you would eventually grow accustomed to it, was a lie. A big one at that and Joslyn was a living witness. No one ever grows accustomed to jet lags. So, imagine the magnitude of irritation she truly felt when her best friend, Sigourney Lapointe, had tenaciously dragged her jaded and jet-lagged body down to the clubhouse, two hours after she had landed from a 50hr+ flight to and from Kathmandu, Nepal.Joslyn groaned loudly when the words, The Airliner, illuminated in neon lights at the entrance of the club blared in her line of sight. She had had enough of air
Sulking alone while seated at the bar, Joslyn sipped from a glass of water as she scrolled through her phone; precisely through the international dates and times application.Oddly, Joslyn sometimes liked to see how different countries in different regions and varied hemispheres had distinct times from one another. She didn't know if it was as a result of always traveling around, but the idea of the dissimilar time zones between countries always intrigued her.She had just finished informing her parents and twin brother, Joshua who was serving in the Canadian Marines but was currently on one of his rare military leave, of her arrival in their resident city, Vancouver, when the air suddenly shifted and she vaguely noticed someone settling two barstools away from her.From her peripheral vision, she could make out the person's figure; it was a guy or perhaps, a woman who had spent way too much time in the gym to possess such bulging muscles and towering physique even while seated.Befor
|| One Year Prior To The Present || Feeling the uncomfortable and seemingly neverending strain in his pants, Gabriel Nicholas Reid stood stiffly in front of the bulletproof, two-way floor to ceiling mirror glass doors standing between him and his personal office balcony, which overlooked the entire city of Vancouver, British Columbia. Trying awfully hard, but to no avail, he struggled to divert his attention from his carnal thoughts and on to the beautiful and vast view of the city displaying right before his very eyes. With the mountains to the North, the Pacific Oceans to the West and the huge Stanley Park right downtown, Vancouver was well known for its jaw-droppingly beauteous landscapes. And from where Gabriel currently stood, he could see the boundless space of the blue ocean lined with different sizes of ferryboats and yachts mooring by the docks. He could also see the lines and lines of smaller buildings stretching across the city as well as the bridge that connected his si