The days following, JB began to come home later and later each night, always on the phone when he entered into your home. Listening in on the one sided conversation that you could hear, the upcoming date was always the topic of the conversation that you could hear. The time that JB did spend at home, his eyes were glued to his phone as his thumbs worked quickly with each reply.

“Who are you texting?” You asked after seeing him constantly texting someone over the course of a few days

“Matilee, the girl I am taking out” JB responded as he sent another text to the conversation between the two of them.

With the end of the end of the week rapidly approaching, every time you tried to talk to JB, he just asked you questions about the date and if his date would like this or that. Slowly distancing yourself from him, allowing him to focus on his date and knowing that you had given your permission.

JB stood in front of the shared closet a few hours before the date, thumbing through his clothes that were neatly filed away in the closet. You laid on your stomach against the soft duvet that was covering your shared bed. Glancing up from your book, you watched JB shift his weight from one foot to the other and then back again.

“Need some help?” You questioned, wanting to be supportive and for this date to be over so that everything can go back to what was relatively normal.

“I just can’t decide… the white t shirt with the blazer or the black polo and a silver vest…” JB tapped his lips in thought as you watched him knowing which one you would choose for him.

“Why is this so difficult…” Frustration lined his words as he closed his eyes and grabbed the black polo with the silver vest. Stepping into the walk in closet, you waited a moment as you turned the page in your book before the door reopened to see JB standing there in his chosen outfit.

“Does this even look okay?” He sighed, judgingly looking down at his outfit as he tucked in the bottom hem of his ebony polo into his stone washed jeans.

“It does” You nodded your head, almost in shock of how good he looked in the outfit. “Do you mind if I do a few touch ups?”

“Nope, be my guest” JB held out his arms straight out to the sides as you slipped the bookmark in between the pages before you crawled to the edge of the bed and slid off the side.

Approaching him, you lowered his arms as he began to pose like a model causing you to laugh as you adjusted his belt, buttoned up his vest buttons then fixed his polo collar. Your touch lingered on the collar as you pulled them down and laid them flat over the vest that showed his shoulders and chest off well.

Glancing down, he caught the emotion in your eyes as some tears threatened to fall from your eyes. Lifting up his hand he gently held your face in place as he leaned in and kissed your forehead before wrapping you in a hug.

“Don’t you worry, you are still my girl” He whispered into your hair as his hand slid through the strands of your hair and gently rubbed your head. Your arms slowly found their way around him as you took a small step towards him. His familiar scent enveloped you as you he held you close to him, lightly swaying from side to side.

The loud doorbell rang through the apartment as you felt yourself pull away and look down at your socked feet.

“Are you going to be okay tonight?” JB questioned as he tilted your chin upwards so that he could see your eyes.

Trying to speak, your tongue swelled in your mouth as you couldn’t formulate any words so you resorted to just nodding your head.

“If at any time, you need me, just text me and I will come right home okay?” JB looked directly into your eyes as you nodded softly. “I love you”

A hard knock on the door pulled him away from you, his lingering touches fading the further he got from you. Trotting towards the door, he rounded the corner and reached out for the handle of the front door as you got to the bedroom door. Peeking your head around the corner, you could see the front door as he opened it up to his date.

“I was wondering if I got the right apartment or not” Matilee joked as JB chuckled

“You got the right place, I was just making sure everything was in order for tonight” JB smiled as he allowed her to come in for a moment while he grabbed his things for the night ahead.

Watching the woman enter into your home, her heels clicked against the hardwood while her long hair was twisted into beautiful loose curls, her makeup was flawless while a tight dress hugged her figure and curves flawlessly. Biting your lip in worry, you dropped your eyes down at your sweatpants and your tank top not knowing how he could still find you beautiful even though she was right in front of him.

“Are you ready to go?” He questioned her as she nodded, heading towards the door, he allowed her to go first as he looked back at the master bedroom doorframe to see you standing there. Giving you a soft kiss through the air, he smiled and closed the door behind him in an attempt to remind you not to worry.

The silence instantly filled the apartment as your figure slumped into the door frame that you were leaning against. Taking a moment or two, you closed your eyes before you pulled your phone out of your pocket and checked the time, mentally taking note so you would know when to expect him home. Your attention shifted from the time to the picture of the two of you smiling and laughing in the background, his arms wrapped around you as he hung over your shoulder.

Allowing the screen to fall black, your feet shuffled across the hardwood as you moved through the hallway to the kitchen. Grabbing a drink from the fridge, you retreated to the bedroom as you grabbed your laptop and started watching a tv series in hopes that it would pass the time when JB would come home.

Minutes ticked by like hours as you kept checking the time more and more than actually watching your show that was playing. After five episodes of your show, you heard the front door open to the sound of a key twisting in the handle. Perking up instantly, you jumped off of your bed as you poked your head through the crack of the bedroom door.

A loud feminine laugh filled your apartment instantly as she passed through the front door. Kicking off her heels, your eyes began to stare at her trying to infiltrate her thoughts with your own, asking her to leave.

“How do you like your coffee?” JB questioned as he kept his shoes on and headed into the kitchen to make a fresh pot of coffee.

“Just how you like it” Her flirtatious smile dripped from her lips as she slowly made her way into the kitchen, her wandering eyes taking in the apartment while JB closed the lid on the coffee maker with all of the ingredients inside.

Opening up a cupboard, he pulled out two matching mugs and placed them on the island. She made her way over to the bar stools on the adjacent side of the island. JB pulled out the sugar and milk as he placed them on the island alongside the mugs.

Hearing their chatter, her smile was broad as her fingers kept twirling her hair between her fingers, her legs crossed underneath the countertop as you watched her wandering eyes scan JB as he turned to pour the finished coffee into the two mugs. Adding milk and sugar into her coffee for her, JB rounded the island and sat on the far side of Matilee, allowing for you to have a clear view of her and him.

The two of them continued chatting as a hum spilled from her lips at the first taste of the coffee hitting her tongue.

“I wish I could take you home with me to be my personal barista” She placed her hand on his thigh, sliding her hand upwards sensually while moving closer.

“I already have a day job” JB chuckled as he shifted in his seat

“What about a night job?” She flirted heavily as she drag her fingers on her other hand across his arm while keeping her other hand on his leg.

Not being able to take this anymore, you pushed the door closed as you headed over to your favorite place, the window seat. Folding your legs underneath you, you hugged a pillow against your stomach as your eyes followed the traffic below as their brake lights became blurred from the tears building in your eyes. Grabbing your phone, you plugged in a pair of earphones and put on a random playlist as you continued to watch the traffic, allowing tears to fall freely down your cheeks.

Hearing the bedroom door open a little while later, you held the pillow tighter as you didn’t dare taking your eyes off of the traffic. Soft footsteps shuffled across the carpet in your bedroom as light filled your room from the closet, pulling out one of your ear buds, you turned your head slowly to see JB exiting the closet.

“Hey sweetie, how was your evening?” JB cooed as he walked over towards you with his grey sweatpants and his black t shirt that hugged his shoulders perfectly.

“Fine” You returned your eyes to see the night unfold before you as JB took a seat beside you, his back towards the window.

“Just fine? Did you do anything fun?” JB questioned feeling like something was off with you.

You shook your head, your knees pulling to your chest as your chin rested on top of your knees.

“Anything you want to do tonight?” JB probed trying to read you better if he could.

Shaking your head once again, you turned your head away from him as you rested your temple against your knees. Confirming his prediction with that simple action.

“Something’s wrong, isn’t it?” JB whispered as he leaned back against the window to try and look at your face. Giving you a few moments, your quiet voice finally cut through the silence.

“Did you have fun on your date?”

“I did, but something wasn’t right.” JB replied as he watched you nod knowing that this is a tender subject for you, “You said that I could go out with her”

“I did say that but I didn’t think that you would pull out all of the stops for her” You told him, your eyes meeting his

“What do you mean?” JB sat back as his eyes widened

“All of the texts, phone calls, being all touchy feely with one another, all of the laughing and the smiles and not to mention the cute goodmorning texts you send her while I just sit over here like chopped liver trying to do everything I can to make you happy.”

“You make me extremely happy” He whispered softly as you turned away from him heading over to the bed. He comes over and lays on the bed going to eye level with you. “Wanna know something?”

Taking a moment, you eventually nodded your head, lifting your eyes to peer into his eyes, “On the entire date, I kept thinking of you, I kept reeling over our dates around the city that we have had. From the ice cream date where I dropped my ice cream in my lap but then you shared your cone with me. Or when we went dancing and you broke your heel and I gave you my shoes and I walked you to your home in my socks. Or when we went to the park and watched the sunset with the babbling of the stream beside us while you read a chapter or two from your favorite book.”

“There wasn’t a single millisecond that went by when I was with her that I didn’t wish that she was you.” He whispered ever so softly as he leaned over and kissed your forehead sweetly, “I love you, more than ever.”

“You might have to do something to make it up to me…” You trailed off finding him incredibly sweet but still not giving in easily.

“I’ll do anything to make it up to you.” JB pressed a kiss on your cheek, “And no more dates with any other girls but you. That’s a promise.”