Incandescent | H.S

Part Forty-Nine: Lost Leather & Love Letters

You thought of him almost every second of every day, and so you'd finessed the art of distraction- by throwing yourself into your work.

It was almost as if you picked up from where you left off. Of course, your work had still thrived during your relationship with him, but you had been a little derailed and blissfully unaware of all the opportunities you missed out on.

You accepted a large variety of events. More galleries openings, fashion events, charity events. And so, your already booming reputation became adored. Your pay increased to an insane amount, and you were most pleased to give your employees a pay rise.

Your entire mindset changed. Not because of your newly increased finances, but because of the success. You enjoyed working more than you ever had before. You had found yourself, and loved who you'd grown into.

A couple of the men you'd hired to help move your stuff into your new home dropped off a couple more boxes per your instruction.

You thanked them profusely and checked the time again, knowing you had to head back to your apartment to continue packing.

Your small, modest apartment. It was bittersweet to leave it behind. It held a very special place in your heart. An array of memories that solidified who you were, who you had become. The person you'd grown into while living under that roof was someone you were proud of. You didn't even recognize your past self.

Most of it had been packed away, a majority of your clothes, all your kitchenware, bathroom clutter. Most of your books, your vinyls, the ridiculous amount of candles that you owned.

Your cherry heels already sat in your new closet in your new home.

However, you still had a lot to pack, and still had some goodbyes to express. And as you stood in your home, one you were leaving behind, a knock on your door pulled you from your mulling thoughts.

"Come in!"

You continued on your mission, grabbing various things and chucking them into a box labeled miscellaneous. The door opened and you peered back to see Max stepping inside.

"Hi."

"Hey," He greeted you with a soft hug and an even softer kiss on your cheek. "how's everything going?"

"Good, almost done now." You sighed, pulling away.

You and Max had been spending a lot of time together the past few months. After you'd stopped moping and let him in, once the pain had subsided only a small amount, allowing yourself to become open. Just a crack. But it was enough for him.

You got along well, had grown close through working together. And, to be honest, you were really fucking lonely and he was good at filling the void in your heart. While temporary, it numbed a fraction of the pain.

Movie dates, gallery viewings, fancy restaurants. Simple and mind-numbing. He knew you weren't interested in anything complicated or official. But simply enjoying each other's company was enough. He put a smile on your face and that was all he could ask for.

It wasn't necessarily romantic. You had shared a few kisses here and there. But you never let him stay over, never let his touch linger. Max was unique in the sense that he was happy to go along with what you were comfortable with.

You thought you were doing okay. Five months without him seemed to seep into an amount of time you'd thought you'd never get through. But you were doing it. For a time, it was easy to convince yourself that you were okay. That you were getting better. And after a while, the convincing turned into something that was actually real. You'd be okay, you realised.