#Online•jdb

71• "Move in with me"

tonybiebs: JUSTIN ❤️😩

• C H A R L O T T E •

With comfortable, warming rays of sunlight beating down against Teal and I, we nibbled on veggie salads and quenched on berry smoothies for lunch. The morning had been pretty rough with a whirlwind of unsuccessful meetings. Teal was in the area and had offered to distract me positively - even if only for my hour lunch break.

"So V-Day is around the corner," Teal slipped a pepper tortilla chip into her mouth and crunched.

"Yup," I said, popping the 'p' before forking a stab of green beans and carrots into my mouth.

"Soooo... What are you and Justin doing?" She asked.

"I don't know," I shrugged.

"So he's surprising you?" Teal grinned.

I looked at her. Her excitement was far greater than my own.

"I don't know, T. We haven't talked about it."

"What's wrong with you? You don't seem excited at all. I thought your hopeless romantic heart would be thriving right about now," she stated.

"I'm sorry, I'm just a little preoccupied with work. My boss is fronting a new project and it's a big one. Getting locations secured and final casting calls has been all-consuming. Not to mention how numbingly frustrating the execs are being about their production expectations," I explained the root of my stress and focus.

"Damn. I'm sorry, C. Well, I'm sure things will work out the way they're supposed to in no time. How about a different topic? Don't get mad, but I have a question."

I sipped my bottled water and looked at her to elaborate.

"Okay so, you and Justin celebrated 6 months together in September last year so technically your 1 year would be next month but... you know, the whole L-word mess. So my question is... how are you guys counting your 1 year? Are you pretending those 3 months didn't happen or are you continuing with month 7 from after the 3 months; like picking up where you left off, or did you start counting from scratch when you guys got back together?" Teal looked at me, expectantly.

Her question took me by surprise. I blinked a few times, racking my brain for a response when, truth be told, I've never thought about it and Justin and I have never discussed it. As if a gear had been turned at that very moment, my mind whizzed through the options. I didn't want to start from scratch because those first 6 months were crucial to who we are today as a couple. We can't just pretend those 3 months apart didn't happen so there's that. But is it a cop-out if we just start counting again from when we got back together as if our breakup was just a mere pause? I did not want to delve into this right now.

"You really are invested in us," I teased, wholly light-heartedly and unmalicious.

"Well, as a terminally single girl and an OG Charstin stan, I'm excited for your first real anniversary - 1 year," Teal said, crumbling a tortilla chip between her fingers and picking at the small shards of tortilla.

"Teal... you really are the cutest. You know I'll always appreciate how supportive you are, but I just don't know. I'll have to ask Justin," I looked at her, hoping the topic would be dropped.

"Okay, fine. But, I expect a full report after Valentine's Day about all the cuteness Justino plans," she raised an eyebrow, warning me that she was indeed serious.

"Deal."

14:37pm

Pink-cheeked and zooming around like a road runner, I dashed into Spencer's office. Spencer was clicking away rapidly at her laptop keys.