Posting of new story chapters have slowed down drastically for a couple of reasons. First, I've been finding myself growing increasingly busy towards the end of EACH week. Hence, the time I spend with my laptop on my lap and the clacking of the keyboard echoing throughout the room is becoming more limited. Second, I've begun to edit the currently active stories. I work my way backwards when it comes to editing, starting from the latest posted chapter to the very first. Just thought it was extremely needed. Lastly, I've found some MAJOR mistakes I've made in the execution of the plot line I've originally planned (for both active stories) resulting in me staring into space, trying to figure out how to still make it all work without having to rewrite chapters, for prolonged periods of time.
Yup.
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That Magnetic Pull - Chapter 12 - "Bittersweet"
I giddily walked into work with my phone pressed against my ear, successfully receiving a raised eyebrow from Shelly. She mouthed a "Why are you so happy?" at me, to which she only received a raised pointer finger asking her to wait a second. As I settled into my computer chair, my bag on the desk in front of me, I laughed once more as Patrick continued to whine on the other end of the call.
"Why, Lynn?" he whined pathetically. "Why do you have to work today?"
"Patrick," I said with a roll of my eyes that he wasn't even going to see. "I only have a half-day today. I'm sure that you'll survive."
As soon as Shelly realized who I was on the phone with, she shook her head with a chuckle as if she should have known all along.
"But it's your birthday!" he reasoned.
"Pat, I only have to be at work for four hours for that very reason," I pointed out.
"Yeah, but I had a whole day planned," he said, somewhat frustrated. "A whole day that included a morning together."
"We still get a whole afternoon and an evening," I rationalized.
He sighed heavily on the other end, a sign that he was finally surrendering on the issue. I smiled somewhat victoriously, knowing that if he had kept it up, I would have relented and begged Mrs. DeMarrian to let me off for the whole day.
"Okay," he sulked.
"Don't let them work you too hard this morning," he pressed.
"Yes, Patrick," I said with a chuckle.
"I love you, baby," he said. "Happy birthday!"
"I love you, too. And thank you," I replied lovingly. "Bye, Pat."
"Bye, babe."
After I set down the phone, I spotted Shelly looking at me with the most triumphant grin on her face.
"Do you want to say something, Shel?" I asked cautiously.
"Hold on," she said, holding a finger up. "Wait for it."
After a few seconds, I cringed at what came.
"We told you so!" Shelly and Mrs. DeMarrian, who was in her office and out of sight, screamed in unison.
They both laughed as Mrs. DeMarrian made her way out of her office and into the office's reception where Shelly and I both had out desks set up.
"He's was perfect," Mrs. DeMarrian stated.
"For you," Shelly added.
"He's handsome," Mrs. DeMarrian continued.
"And sweet," Shelly said with a wiggle of her eyebrows.
Then they glanced at each other and exclaimed simultaneously, "And you love each other!"
A high five between the two of them soon followed as I just stared wide-eyed at the interaction.
"Wow," I breathed out. "This is what I get for my birthday?"
They both laughed as I soon joined in. Shelly brought out a small chocolate cake, just large enough for three, decently sized slices. We all shared the cake and talked like old friends.
Though it was my birthday, I was tearing up at the bittersweet meaning of the day. Sure, it's supposed to be one of the happiest days of the year for me, but, this year, it was also a big reminder of what I was soon going to lose. My birthday, July 21st, meant that it was late July and I would soon have to leave Chicago to get settled for when school started in early August. My biggest fear just came true a little over a week ago. I fell in love. Now, I found myself in the most difficult position I've have gotten myself in yet. I had no idea which choice to pick, stay or leave.
I fought back the grimace that tempted to make its way onto my face and urged the smile to stay. The mere thoughts of the impeding day when I would have to choose made me want to hide under a rock and never want to come out. I love USC, but I love Patrick, too.
"So, you guys already made it to the 'L' word stage in just a little under two months?" Shelly asked me, just dying to gossip.
"I guess so," I replied with a shrug.
"Was he nervous when he said it?"
Mrs. DeMarrian was already back in her own office since she had an important phone call to make after spending close to an hour with me and Shelly.
I shook my head. "No. It wasn't something to be nervous about since we both felt it. It was already there between us. It wasn't a declaration. It was more of an acknowledgement more than anything," I tried to explain, not really knowing which words to use.
"So you're saying that it was almost as if it was already said before it actually was?" Shelly asked with a baffled look on her face.
I pointed my plastic fork at her, my eyes wide with understanding.
"Exactly!" I exclaimed. "That was right on the dot."
"Wow," she marveled. "I never knew that love could be that way. I always thought there always came that stage where you're both unsure of where the other stands and you don't really know what to do."
I shrugged, not really an expert at this kind of thing. "I seriously don't know," I remarked honestly. "I don't know how it got to that point or that kind of stage. It just did."
The look of happiness rapidly faded from Shelly's face only to be replaced by sadness.
"Your internship ends in a week, Lynn," Shelly whispered.
Hearing it from her mouth made it such a reality. The tears quickly formed, and, before I knew it, a couple were sliding down my cheeks as I wiped them with the back of my hands.
"I know, Shel," I breathed out, my voice breaking in sadness.
"What are you going to do?" she asked with sympathetic eyes.
I shook my head, my eyes shut. I opened them once again to meet her gaze.
"I don't know," I admitted, a devastated smile on my face.
Shelly hastily made her way from her desk and came to mine. Wrapping her arms tightly around me, she whispered in my ear that everything was going to be okay.
I wiped away the tears when I felt my eyes beginning to dry. I sighed, trying to keep the tears from returning and to salvage what was left of the happiness my day began with.
"Okay," I said. "Today is going to be happy."
Just then, Patrick poked his head in and grinned widely at both of us, Shelly still having her arms around me.
"Hi, babe," he greeted with a wide smirk.
"Where's my hello?" Shelly asked.
"Hey Shelly," Patrick added quickly.
He walked to my desk and pulled Shelly off me. Then, taking both of my hands, pulled me from my chair to sit in it himself.
I scoffed at his action as I stood above him with my arms crossed. He motioned me to turn around with his finger and then pulled me down on his lap.
"See? All better," he commented as his arms wound their way around my waist.
Shelly looked at us with an amused smile before making her way back to her desk. Suddenly, my phone rang, causing me to grab my purse from my desk and rummage for the small device. My hand finally made contact with it on the fifth ring, after which I quickly answered the call and brought my phone up to my ear.
"Hello," I greeted.
"Hey, Ann!"
I smiled subconsciously when I realized it was Matt on the phone. He's taken to calling me Ann when he realized that everyone else called me Lynn.
"Matt!" I said happily. "Why are you calling me so early?"
"I was an executive designer for this company's website and I just found out that they're doing this huge launch for their latest software product," he explained. "They told me that I have to be there and I need a date. Please?"
I laughed at the fact that he didn't even ask before going straight to begging. Patrick shifted underneath me at hearing that I was on the phone with Matt. He strongly believed that Matt was out to steal me away from him, which was completely ridiculous since Matt was the one to convince me to hear him out after he messed up in the first place.
"I'm sorry but I can't, Matt," I apologized sincerely. "It's my birthday today and Patrick will kill you if I told him that I'm planning on spending it as your date to an event."
I chuckled when I heard Patrick growl playfully and protest at the thought, his arms tightening around me.
"Tell him absolutely not," Patrick snarled near the microphone of my cellphone.
Matt chuckled on the other end.
"Okay, I get the message," he sighed in joking dejection. "Do you know anybody who can be my date?"
A sick smile made its way on my face. My eyes, which were looking down on Patrick's tightly wrapped arms around me, lifted to see Shelly munching on a cracker while staring at her computer screen. She felt my gaze on her and turned her head to meet my eyes. As soon as she saw the glint of mischief in my brown eyes, her own widened and her mouth set into a cautious line.
"Uh oh," she sighed.
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A/N:
Slightly filler one. Next chapter is set later in the day [:
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