The Almost Lover
Lapis' P.O.V.
I'm going to kill him.
I swear I'm going to kill Prince Charming.
What the fuck goes on in his mind for him to end up in a holding cell at the local police station?
As I walk into the police station, I keep my stare to the ground hoping the police officers don't wonder what a seventeen-year-old girl is doing here. My phone vibrates in my pocket, but I ignore it. My only priority in this moment is finding out why Peridot is here and whether he actually was crazy enough to do it.
I walk up to the front desk where there is a woman who talks in the phone. She asks me to give her a moment. And so I do.
She takes her sweet time before hanging up.
"How can I help you?" she asks.
I give a forced smile, "I was told Peridot Diamond was put in a holding cell here?"
She types something onto her computer and does some shit before looking back up at me.
"Yes, " she says.
"Is there any chance I could see him?" I ask her.
"What is your relation with Mr. Diamond?" she asks.
"I'm his girlfriend, " I say. She raised an eyebrow.
"Can I see some sort of Identification, "
I take out my wallet where all of my cards are. From my hands, she takes my school ID and my regular identification card.
Her eyes look over my cards before putting them down and typing something on her computer again. A moment passes before she gestures to another officer.
"Renina, take her to see Peridot, "
It seems like Prince Charming is a household name here in the police station.
A Hispanic police officer approaches me. Dark skin with short black hair and light brown eyes.
"This way, " he gestures for me to follow.
I follow through crowds of officers with and without uniform plus other people.
"So it's true that Peridot has a girlfriend, " Officer Renina says. I don't say anything.
"My name is Carlos, señorita, " he says with a sort of Latin accent though I can't exactly put my finger on it.
"Lapis Lazuli, " I respond.
"Pleased to meet you. I must admit, when Peridot told me to call his girlfriend, I had my doubts, " he says.
"I had my doubts on whether to say he was my boyfriend or not, " I say, annoyed. Not with the officer, but with Prince Charming. Officer Carlos Renina seems like a decent person. But I swear Peridot will want to stay behind bars to protect himself from me.
"Now I understand why we haven't seen him here so often anymore."
"And you can keep him if you want, " I say.
We walk the rest of the way in silence. We reach the end of the station where the holdings cells are divided into two. The women's and the men's holding cells.
Carlos leads me into the men's holdings cells. I hug myself as some stare. Prince Charming looks right at home. He sits comfortably while talking to his cellmates. I don't think he is in a hurry to get out of here. In fact, I don't think he would notice if he were to spend the night here.
"Lazuli, " he calls. He stands up and meets me where the metal bars separate us.
Someone makes comment behind me but I don't turn around.
"That's my girl you're talking about, not your sister, " Peridot calls back. One of his cellmates laughs.
How can he talk so casually and in such a manner? Especially in here, and with people who are in cells for who knows what?
I would smack him if it weren't for the bars, "What the fuck did you do?"
"I didn't do anything, " he answers.
"Then how do you explain ending up here?" I ask him.
"There was a confusion, " he says.
"Lazuli, I didn't do anything, I swear, " he says, taking my hand.
"A confusion?" I raise an eyebrow.
"Yeah, " he says.
A confusion. I almost laugh at the ridiculousness of his excuses.
"What are they accusing you of?" I ask. Officer Renina intercedes.
"Vandalism and death threats, " Officer Renina says.
I turn back to Prince Charming and I don't know what is worse. The fact that he threatened someone's life or the fact that had has the audacity to touch me. I take my hand back from him.
"Lazuli, I didn't do that I swear. I've been with you the whole time, " he clutches the bar in front of him.
It couldn't have been him.
The fact that I even doubted him for a split second makes my skin crumple.
He has spends all his time with me. When would he have had the time to do any of that? And why? Peridot isn't the kind of person to go around damaging other people's property and threatening people.
"When?" I turn to Renina.
"Uh, yesterday. Yesterday after, four I think, " he answers.
"See, it couldn't have been me, " Peridot states.
"Will they let him go if I can prove he was with me?" I ask Officer Renina.
He thinks for a moment. I hear the other men in other cells speak amongst themselves. People of different colors, different clothes, different ways of speech, yet still here, in the same place.
"If you can prove he was with you, and neither of you were at the scene of the crime, that will probably help with letting him go, " he states, making sure to phrase his words correctly.
"So they won't let him go?" I ask.
"I don't think so. He has charges for resisting arrest, " Officer Renina looks at Peridot.
"Because I'm innocent, " Prince Charming asserts.
"That's a first, " Renina offers a smile.
I shoot Peridot a glare, "Shut the fuck up because they probably had their reasons to believe it was you."
He shuts up.
"I see why she's your girl now, " Renina says, "You both have a way to shut people up."
I turn back to the Hispanic officer.
"Can I speak to him, alone for a minute?" It's more of a demand rather than a question. He nods and leaves.
I turn back to Peridot, "So this is why you disappeared after lunch."
He doesn't joke. He simply looks at me, a little red, embarrassed.
It isn't my intention to make him feel bad. I am simply telling him what happened. If the truth makes him feel bad, maybe he should rethink what he does next time. It's not my fault that what he does doesn't make him look like the model person I know he can be.
I don't know what he's done, and I don't want to know. I trust what he has told me as I trust he is trying his best to change. Not only for me, but for himself too. Surely he must know that a life in a holding cell, with alcohol and with flirtations wouldn't lead to anything good for his future. He must know it. I know for a fact he is smart enough to understand.
"I didn't know they were going for me. I didn't want to call anyone else and I didn't want to interrupt you while you were in school, " he takes me hands.
"I swear I didn't do anything, " he says.
"I know you didn't do it, " I finally say, "But how am I going to prove you didn't do it?"
He thinks for a moment.
The truth is, I haven't a fucking clue on what to do. The last time I was involved in anything having to do with the legal system, I don't even want to remember it.
I wonder if I still have my statement.
That's not important right now.
"The person who put the report hasn't come yet, " he says.
"Do you think when they come, they might recognize that isn't you?" I and him.
"Or maybe I look like the delinquent, " he says.
"What are the odds that the delinquent looks like a senior high schooler with blond hair and green eyes?" I ask him.
"As rare as green is, it's all the possible, " he says.
"It's our only shot, " he adds.
Officer Renina comes back, "We'll have to leave you Peridot."
I don't want to leave him. But what can I do? Get myself arrested? Even then, we wouldn't be together.
Looking back to my locked up boyfriend, I hold the bars, stand on my toes, and give him a small kiss. Half of the jail whistles and says stuff I don't understand. When I turn back to Renina, he looks surprised but holds a smirk on his face. Not like Prince Charming though.
"I won't leave, " I promise Peridot as our hands intertwine one last time. He nods and watches me as I leave back to the front of the station.
I sit for a moment and evaluate my options. What much can I do?
Renina stands in front of me as if having heard my thoughts, "I can't leave. I have duties to attend to, but maybe you can do something for Peridot."
He has my attention, "What can I do?"
"We haven't been able to contact Ms. Woodhull, the woman who filed the report. But I know where she lives and you can go ask her kindly to vouch for our guy, " Carlos suggests.
Kindly? I'll do more than ask kindly to get Peridot out of here.
I nod. Carlos gives me the information he has and assures me that last time they called Ms. Woodhull's work number, home number, and cell phone number, it went straight to voice mail. He adds that some officers who speculate Peridot is in fact innocent, which he is, think she may not have answered because the real delinquent has already gotten to her and they can't take immediate action since there wasn't any report of physical violence that would suggest actual violence and kidnapping and stuff. But again, those are only speculation. And I hope they're wrong.
I hope that the work number, the home number, and the cell phone number were all the same number.
Once I have the information, Carlos sees me off. He waves and wishes me luck. I'll need it.
I dial Ms. Woodhull's cellphone number, twice. Neither times does she pick up. Instead, it goes straight to voicemail. The same happens with her work number and house number which to my dismay, are all separate numbers.
I clutch my phone after calling for the seventh time without receiving a response from a human being. My finger nails wish to be able to dig into the screen and my knuckles turn white, hoping to crush my phone with strength I have failed to achieve in my seventeen years of life.
The scorching sun has no pity on my pathetic mortal soul. The shade is cooler, but not cool enough to relieve me. Birds chirp above me and make me wonder what on the fucking planet can make them so fucking happy every shitty day.
There has to be some explanation right? They can't just be happy because they are. Can they?
At least they don't have to give a fuck where they're going to take a shit.
Shut up and walk faster!
Ignoring my internal screams of hellfire and bottled up rage, I continue to walk, gritting my teeth.
I open the little paper Carlos gave me with Ms. Woodhull's address and workplace. I look at her job first. I'm out of school, but people with jobs probably aren't out yet. Hopefully, I'm not wasting my time.
The sooner I get Prince Charming out of jail, the sooner I'll be able to beat the shit out of him for getting into trouble in the first place.
Ms. Woodhull works at the bank. Of course. My mom works at the fucking bank.
I avoid her easily although it is still stressful to know that if I am seen, I will be caught in the act red-handed. How am I going to explain being here? I don't think she will believe me when I tell her that I came to say hello to the best mother in the entire world. I'm not stupid enough to say it and she isn't stupid enough to believe it.
Ms. Woodhull isn't at work, though I am asked why I am looking for her. They probably know about the incident she reported yesterday. The same incident my boyfriend is being held accountable for regardless of his innocence.
Instead of telling the truth, I say that I'm the daughter of a friend from high school. My mother is in dire need of her phone which she left over at Ms. Woodhull's place. Since I was passing nearby, I thought it would be a good idea to ask Ms. Woodhull for it on behalf of my mom.
They believe it.
And so now I am off to Ms. Woodhull's place. Will the walking ever end?
Only when I am on her block do I begin to search the house number, one by one. Thankfully Ms. Woodhull doesn't live an apartment building which I would have to climb. She lives in a small house.
As soon as I get on the porch, I hear dogs barking. Hesitating but ignoring my better judgment, I ring the knock on the door.
There is silence.
I knock again before I see the shadow of two feet in front of the door in the little space between the floor and the bottom dimension of the door. Yet still, I get no answer.
Knocking again, I get frustrated.
"Ms. Woodhull?" I ask, praying to God it's not the criminal for whom my Prince Charming was confused for.
My heartbeat accelerated and burns through my skull. The sound which is nothing but a constant beat now resonates through my eardrums. If you don't get an answer one last time, run.
"Ms. Woodhull, are you home?"
I don't have the energy to shit all over myself over my stupid question. I'm far too stressed right now as too make myself feel inferior to myself.
"Who are you?" I hear a female voice.
"Are you Ms. Woodhull?" I ask back, not knowing if to be relieved for an answer or not.
"Who's asking?" she asks.
I stare at the little eyehole embedded into the door. She can see me, but I can't see her. How convenient.
I have no other choice. I either risk it, or lose it. If I don't try, I'll lose it either way, "Ms. Woodhull, my name is Lapis Lazuli."
I know this person is a stranger, but I don't give a shit.
"I heard about the report you kade yesterday, about someone with threatened you-" she interrupts me.
"If you're from the news, I already told them I wasn't going to say anything," she says. It catches me off guard for a second before I continue.
"No. Actually, there has been a confusion-"
"A confusion?" she asks.
Why don't you just let me fucking finish?
"Yes. The police arrested my boyfriend, thinking he is the person behind the threats, "
"Your boyfriend?" she asks.l, "What's his name?"
"Peridot Diamond."
She scoffs, "I know exactly who it was, and it was not Mr. Diamond."
Mr. Diamond, huh. Now Peridot isreally in trouble.
I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding back, "Would you come to the station, to tell then its not him?"
"I am in my house for a reason, Ms. Lapis Lazuli. If I may remind you, my life, and my dog's life, was threatened. And you expect me to just leave and go clear up a confusion at the very place where I feel most unsafe?" she asks me.
"Yes," I answer plainly, staring straight into the eyehole.
She asked for it.
I'm just answering her question honestly.
"That is exactly what I expect you to do, " I tell her.
Minutes later, Ms. Woodhull emerges from the safety of her apartment. She wears white jeans and a blue elbow-length blouse. Her wavy blond hair reaches her shoulders. The white leather strap of her purse hangs over her shoulder and reaches her hips.
A Beagle and a Yorkie come out and sniff me before Ms. Woodhull hurried them inside. She self-assured them she will be back soon and reminds them to care for the house. That is very weird for someone like her. I don't know her much, but she doesn't seem like the kind of person to talk to animals.
She sizes me up before perfecting her posture and walking down the stairs. I follow her. Ms. Woodhull asks me to explain the entire ordeal to her. Which I do. She doesn't interior but listens thoroughly. Afterward, she simply rolls her eyes.
"Typical, " she responds.
"If you know who threatened you, why not you tell the police who it was?" I ask her. It would have saved me a lot of walking and sweating.
"Little girl, I know who it was. It was some obsessed stalker. But I met him through the internet. I don't know his real name and there had been nothing I could find, " she explains, "All I could do was give a physical description of what he looks like, screenshot all our messages, and give them all the information I had which was not much."
"So it's a goose chase, " I state.
"Yes, it is. But tell me, how is it that a reasonable, decent, pretty, strong-headed, girl like you ended up with Mr. Peridot Diamond?" Ms. Woodhull asks honestly confused with my poor taste in men. I offer not much more than a sheepish smile.
"To be honest, I don't know, " I respond. She smiles.
"His honest affection is hard to find. I'll let you know if he really means what he says, " she says. I smile at her offer.
A silence overcomes when there is nothing more to say.
"Men are very complicated, aren't they Miss Lazuli? They always cause trouble, " Ms. Woodhull says, staring at the concrete tiles making up the sidewalk in front of us.
"I guess, " I answer.
When we arrive at the police station, Officer Carlos Renina is there to welcome us. He offers to show us to the reception but Ms. Woodhull is far too smart to need to be walked a few feet to the reception by a police officer. Though of course not smart enough to not talk to fucking stranger online.
But then again, I did company Peridot to a party and on a walk having known him for barely a decent amount of time even after he nearly ran me over. And I guess I did start talking to him across the fence even though he was clearly older, a boy, a complete stranger, I was five, and I had no proof he was who he said he was.
So I'll let Ms. Woodhull be Ms. Woodhull.
She demanded to see the man they arrested to dictate whether or not he is in fact the stalker. Obviously she'll say it wasn't him. But we must continue on with the formalities.
A detective comes out and greets Ms. Woodhull. They exchange a few words before he asks her to follow him. I move to follow too, but Ms. Woodhull stops me.
"It's best if you stay here. They may say you're influencing me somehow, being his girlfriend, " she explains. I nod.
Renina approaches me once again.
"So what do you think?" he asks me.
"About what?"
"Do think she'll testify in his favor?"
"Why wouldn't she? Peridot had nothing to do with it, " I explain. Perhaps Ms. Woodhull is a little proud, but she seems like a very reasonable person.
"Hopefully Peridot doesn't kill me. But a while ago Peridot played a prank on her. It was innocent enough, but she didn't see it that way. And-" Carlos hesitates to continue.
"And?"
"Well-"
"Carlos!" I cross my arms and look at him expectantly. A face Ms. Woodhull would be proud of.
"He might have lied about his age, bought her a drink, and almost or kind of made out with her, " he says.
How well do I know my boyfriend?
Is there anything else I should know about?
I told myself I didn't want to know what he's done and that whatever he has done, I wouldn't care. But standing in a police station, waiting, depending, on someone else to help me again, it gives me a new perspective to look at the life I've imagined.
I don't say anything. I think that worries Officer Carlos more than any insult or threat.
Instead of working things out in my head and deciding on what to do, I try to clear my mind of any thoughts at all. Thinking will only make things worse.
I take a seat without saying a word. The receptionist asks Carlos to do something, and he leaves without saying goodbye. He only gives me a worried glance. But I don't want it. I don't need it. I don't need the Officer's pity.
I fidget with my fingers as I wait. Conversations go on around me. A man is brought in with his arms handcuffed behind him, two woman and another man following the arrested man and the officer. One of the women says stuff I don't hear and sobs.
My mind is oblivious to how long I sit doing nothing until I see the detective, Ms. Woodhull, and Peridot emerge from the door leading to the back. On instinct, I stand up.
Peridot smiles when he sees me.
He smiles.
I smile too.
When he is closer all I can bring myself to do is hug him. Hug the man I've loved for so long unconsciously. He hugs be back.
For a moment, I want to ask him about what Carlos said. But I cant bring myself go do so. The words can't seem to form in my lips. Instead, when we separate, he kisses me and I kiss him back.
"Excuse me but you'll need to take it outside, " the detective breaks our moment. We separate and I take his hand.
We head outside. Ms. Woodhull followed us outside as she takes out her phone.
"The problem has been fixed, now if you excuse me, I have two children waiting for me in my house, " Ms. Woodhull says as she puts her phone back into her purse.
"Those children are fucking banshees, Catherine, " Peridot responds.
Catherine? He called her by first name.
It shouldn't bother me. He calls all of our friends by their first names. But it does.
"You say it as if you knew what any of it meant, " Ms. Woodhull says plainly and without interest.
"Thank you for everything Ms. Woodhull, we should go, " I tell Peridot as I take his hand.
"Call me Cat, " she tells me.
"Farewell Cat, " Peridot says. Ms. Woodhull's face dulls again.
"Not you, " she responds.
"I'll miss you too, Catherine, " he says.
I tug on his arm. An act far too childish for someone of my age. But there is no other way to get my point across without being rude.
We're going.
Peridot looks at me before turning to Ms. Woodhull once again.
"Bye, Ms. Catherine, " he says as he turns around.
"Bye, " one little word and a forced smile are all I can muster for her.
I am able to act normally. Peridot doesn't suspect that I know of his little liaison with Ms. Woodhull, but I somehow wish he did.
But there is absolutely nothing I can do to change what had happened, all I can do is hope he loved me enough to stay with me.
Homework is the easy part. Jane mostly just lies down next to us just staring, sleeping, and occasionally sniffing our papers and phones. Peridot gives me some of the answers to the homework we have for the same classes. Social Studies, however, I can do myself. I'm not completely dependent on him.
Peridot likes playing games. Games that include a kiss as a reward. I don't mind them. I just roll with it. Every time he is able to do something, he kisses me and stuff. They're very stupid games and rewards, but I don't say anything.
My timer goes off as I work on my Social Studied homework. Peridot throws his pencil down on the floor as Jane lifts her head and stares at him. Peridot then proceeds to put his face in front of Jane's. She tries to stretch her neck in an attempt to sniff his nose, but he turns back and so she licks her own nose before turning to me.
"I finished all of my math homework in under five minutes Lazuli, " he says.
He said my last name.
Instead of pointing it out to him, I let him kiss me. I put my arms around his neck as he pulls my hips closer. We both too lost in our kiss, we lose balance and fall over.
I fall on top of him, my arms buried beneath his neck. He laughs. Jane gets down. She makes her way to the door and using her paw managed to get it open.
"You don't have to push me over, I'll willingly stay right here, " he says once he manages to get his laugh in check. I smile.
I struggle to break my hands free from beneath him. But once I do, I don't move to her off of him. Putting one arm on the side to keep balance, I use my free hand to trace his lip.
"I know you would, " I whisper.
His lips welcome mine as our tongues collide. His hands tighten on to my waist, beneath my shirt.
"Ah shit, " he says.
"What's wrong?"
"I forgot I had an appointment with my eye doctor, " he says.
"Don't go, " I ask him. He grins.
"You are asking me not to go to my eye doctor's appointment just to stay here doing nothing with you?" Peridot asks with that grin that makes me feel guilty even when I've done nothing wrong.
"Well when you put it that way it sounds like I've asked you to kill my mom, " I tell him.
"You kind of are, " he says.
I trace his neck.
"Can I convince you to stay?" I ask. He pretends to think for a moment.
"You can try, " Prince Charming grins.
I kiss him, softly at first, slowly gaining confidence. Then, things pick up the pace.
We both sit up straight and I curl my fingers around the hem of his shirt. My attempts at lifting it are caught short when he puts his hands on mine.
"What're you doing?" he asks me between our kiss.
I don't respond. He let's himself go too after a moment of holding back. When his shirt is off, his skin seems to grow warmer under my touch. He tugs at mine though doesn't push it.
His hands curl around my waist and he lifts me, only to pull me onto his lap. I kids his neck. Unlike him, I take my time and I'm not everywhere. He makes a noise between a scoff and a sigh. Regardless of what it is, it lets me knows he likes it.
Prince Charming tugs a little more at my shirt before I curl my fingers around the hem and lift it off and over my head. I throw it to the ground.
Peridot puts his hand on my back and lowers me down. Before I know it, we're both sliding under the bedsheets. We both throw our jeans away. He is left in boxers and I am left in a mismatched bra and panties. Reaching out uncomfortably, I unclip my bra from behind.
This is going to be awkward.
But I do it anyway.
It feels right. His tender fingers are in my hair and his breath is against my neck. I've never felt so good. I've never felt so loved.
For a moment all of my fears cease to exist. My underlying fears of being touched and ruin are not mine. The shyness of anything to do with sex and anything intimate are far gone and I am another.
That is until he stops.
His breath is shallow against my collar bone, "We can't do this."
"What?" I open my eyes as he brings his head to my eye level. Peridot stares at me for a moment. Maybe he searches for something in my eyes, but he doesn't find it. Instead, he puts his hand on the side of my face.
"Did I do something wrong?" I ask him.
Peridot shakes his head, "No, just think about it for a moment."
Is that supposed to mean I don't think? Was I impulsive in thinking he wanted to have sex with me?
"Lazuli, " he hesitates for a moment, probably not sure on how to tell me he can't screw someone like me.
"First of all, neither of us have a condom on, " he says.
"I'm not saying just about you, I'm saying about both of us, " he adds.
I fucking hate it when he's right. Perhaps I am impulsive. Some people tend to do things they never would do when they're afraid, when they feel threatened. Sometimes it's a good thing, sometimes it's something we live to regret.
There have been many things I regret, but pushing myself to give in to this because I'm afraid to lose might live to be my ruin. It's easy to lose even to the most simplest of battles. My fear and impulsivity will push him away. And I'll lose. I'll lose again as I have lost so many times.
I hug him, and dig my head into his bare chest.
"You're still considered underage, " it's almost funny hearing him use the law to justify why he can't have sex with me when barely hours ago he was in a holding cell.
"And you're nineteen, " I finish. He nods.
Nobody needs go find out.
His fingers are in my loose hair and on my bare back. He traces my backbone and my spine, passing through where the clip of my bra should be. It's a little uncomfortable and weird to have his barr chest against my uncovered top, but his massaging fingers on my back and neck compensate for it.
"I love you, Lazuli. And I want our first time go be special. We don't need go rush into having sex the first time we feel like it, " Prince Charming explains.
I let out a breath I didn't even know I was holding. A moment of silence passes with only the seducing whisper of his fingers against my naked skin.
"You're cliche, " I finally whisper. He chuckles lightly. A laugh far too innocent for him.
Maybe deep down he is only the nerdy child he once was. His feelings too much for him to handle, and his passions unexplainable.
To see someone not give a fuck of other's expectations is truly a sight to behold. Some people are reckless and don't care what other's think or feel. Other people let other people have their opinions but simply don't give them importance. Its something I always have admired from him. His direct honesty and his undaunted spirit have always picked at my curiosity.
Prince Charming gets off me and lays down beside me, staring at the ceiling. Lost in thoughts, we remain silent for a while. Neither of us move or say anything.
After a few minutes, I catch him staring at me from the corner of my eye.
"You're beautiful, " he says. My face reddens and I give an awkward smile.
"You're not so bad yourself, " I reply.
His hands play with my hair. Braiding long blue strands, only to unweave them once he's done. I simply watch.
Jane jumps on to the bed and goes straight to Peridot and begins to sniff him. When she sniffs and licks his ear, he moves away, toward me.
"I'm taken, " Prince Charming tells her.
Jane steps away and sneezes.
"Bless you, demon, " Peridot says. I smile. Then, she comes over to me and tries to sniff under the covers.
"Jane, no!" I clutch the covers over my bare chest.
"Down!" I say. All Peridot does is put his hand on his mouth in an attempt to control his laughter. An attempt at which he so miserably fails. Jane just stares at me with her paw against her chest and her ears down.
"Down Jane, " I repeat. She gives me on last glance, hoping I change my mind, before she jumps off.
"That's harsh, " Peridot whispers with a smile on his face.
"Funny you say that because you're next, " I tell him. He comes closer and puts his hand on the space between my neck and my shoulder, his fingers touching my neck.
"If you let me stay, I'll kiss you, " he bargains.
"You'll kiss me either way, " I respond. And he does. He kisses me and I kiss him back, putting my hand on his back.
We hold on to each other as if we needed the other to survive, to live. We're not dependent on each other, but having Prince Charming as my lover makes life tolerable. And I wouldn't change that if I could
Hello! It's been a long time, right?
Don't kill me.
So what did you think of this chapter? Did you like it, did you not, was it far too intimate, not intimate enough? Let me know.
I've been very busy, but of course, that is no excuse because writing is my love and all of my readers are also waiting for an update. So, as previously mentioned, please don't kill me.
Anyway, hope everyone has a wonderful day/night, it really depends. You all know the drill.