A/N: As usual, I would recommend putting the video on loop.
A folded piece of paper seated itself upon wood while rays of sun peeked under the door and through the window. Lavender roses bloomed brightly like always even though someone was missing.
Reaching out, her left hand subconsciously grabbed at the space next to her. Her fingers curled into the sheets, and she rolled onto her stomach some. No warmth was felt next to her, and her brows furrowed in confusion. Warmth had been there before. Gradually, her eyes blinked open. She closed them again when morning light broke into the room. Both of her eyes squinted open towards her alarm clock. 9:00 am. (F/n) didn't pay attention to the alarm for very long, however. Rather, her eyes shifted to the empty space beside her. A slight frown covered her lips, but she supposed that his absence saved her the embarrassment of waking up next to him ... or on him for that matter.
She rested her head back on her pillow, which originally had been on ... Edmund's chest. Her cheeks heated a bit, and she reminded herself that she had allowed him her pillow since she only had one. (F/n) pressed her face into the pillow more, but that didn't remove the memories at all. If anything, it caused them to become stronger. A faint scent of him was there, and her lips twitched up into a tiny smile.
Last night, she had discovered something for him to wear: her black bathrobe. It had been a little short on him, but it had covered him more than just his boxers would. Yesterday night, however, had made her regret a little not purchasing any nightclothes but nightgowns. She had decided to wear her thulian pink cotton one since the cotton had seemed more casual than satin or the chiffon-like fabric of her olive green one.
Biting her lower lip, she recalled the goodnight kiss they had shared, well more like several, and her cheeks grew all the hotter. A quiet little squeak parted from her lips. Her fingers gripped her pillow, and she shoved her face into the pillow roughly. Even the memory of his kisses sparked roaring, soothing flames within her.
Despite her mind being relieved that she wouldn't have to handle embarrassment so early in the morning, her lips desperately wanted his back on them. A pout formed onto her lips while she mentally sighed in frustration. It was far too easy to imagine her hands accidentally running past the bathrobe and across his well-toned chest. Eventually, they would find their way to his perfectly sculpted face, and her lips would land upon his again. Roughly, she switched to lay on her right side. She frowned heavily while her cheeks burned. It was even possible that he had woken up with the bathrobe in complete disarray. That would've been quite the site to wake up to.
Blowing a couple of strands out of her face, she finally noted something new on her nightstand. She scooted across her bed and pushed herself up onto her hands before she supported her weight on her right hand. Her left hand retrieved the folded piece of paper before she sat up, leaned against the headboard and unfolded the paper.
I was called in to a shipment gone wrong at one of my stores. Apparently, the glass in several boxes of picture frames arrived completely shattered. I'll call you later in the day or evening depending on how long it takes to sort out this mess. I didn't want to wake you; you're far too adorable for that. She paused in reading and permitted a smile to creep upon her lips while a light bit of heat tickled her cheeks. (F/n) turned back to reading. There's breakfast for you in the fridge. Enjoy.
Carefully, she placed the paper back on her nightstand and slipped her legs over the edge of the bed. Standing up, she stretched her limbs. For the moment, she skipped her morning routine as her feet led her to her kitchen. Her pace abnormally was fast, but she didn't mind at all. She was curious to find what he had made her.
Opening the door, she scanned over the items inside before she saw a note beside a yogurt parfait. Layers of vanilla yogurt, which was what the note mentioned, blueberries, strawberries and peanut butter granola were packed into the glass. A spoon was beside it too.
Not being able to wait, she retrieved the item from her fridge and closed the door behind her. She seated herself on the couch and flipped on the television. A lazy hour in the morning wouldn't hurt her. Admittedly, though, she was looking forward to his call later on. Part of her was tempted to text him her thanks for the note and breakfast, but she didn't want to draw his attention away from the problem that had occurred. Besides if she called him, her lazy hour might morph into several hours. (F/n) needed to focus her mind on other things than him, which wasn't easy; however, she could manage it.
~~~~~~~~~~
Warm water filled the sink as bubbles covered dishes. Some floated, and others didn't. Black fuzzy slippers covered her feet, which she probably could've worn during painting. That might've gotten them covered in paint, however, and she was happy that they were still paint free. Her red pleated skirt flowed down to her knees effortlessly while her red blouse with ruffles around the collar and sleeves decorated her torso. A red hair bow held back some of her locks, and her face held no makeup. She hadn't left the house, and it was late in the evening. Edmund hadn't called yet, and she doubted that she would see him before the next day.
Shutting off the water, she grabbed a clean dish rag before she heard her phone ring. She draped the rag over the sink counter and recognized Edmund's number. A smile touched her lips, and she leaned against the counter as she answered. "How'd it go?"
His immediate answer was a drawn out sigh. "Not well. I had to call the seller, and the exchange hadn't been pleasant with him." She could envision him rubbing the bridge of his nose, but she heard a car door open and shut shortly later. He probably just arrived home.
"Have you bought things from him before?" She crossed her left arm under her chest as cleaning the dishes steadily faded from her mind.
"No, but he carried a particular frame that I thought would be a good addition to the stores. He seemed reliable when I had met him, but he was the complete opposite today. I managed to receive a refund back, but business with him is forever off."
"Did he blame you for it?"
"Not me directly but he called my workers incompetent." Most definitely, he just rolled his eyes. His tone was bitter and insulted. "I have cameras at my stores, and I saw that they hadn't dropped any of the boxes in the delivery room. They had arrived like that."
"Then ..."
"No, the frames are gone. He wanted them back. It's been a headache." She pushed herself off of the counter and leaned against the one by the window. (F/n) rested her chin in the palm of her left hand. Before she could try and make him feel better, he continued, "I'll use my money that I received back to design a new frame that I like even more and have some custom built for me with a reliable contact." Another heavy sigh met her ears.
"Are you going to be alright?"
Gently, a soft laugh met her ears, and she glanced out the window as if she expected him to be there; however, something did catch her eyes. She stood up straight, and she leaned towards the window more. A man was walking on the sidewalk across from her apartment complex. It looked like he was on the phone since his right hand was up to his ear. (F/n) couldn't make out his exact features due to the shadows cast over him by the streetlights.
"... I'll see you sometime next week. I want to settle all of this first." (F/n) missed most of what he had said except for his last two lines. Her eyes remained focused on the man walking, though. "(F/n)?"
Hearing her name, she rapidly made up an excuse. "Ah, sorry. I'm in the middle of washing dishes." It really wasn't an excuse. There were ready-to-be-washed dishes in the sink. The man entered the apartment complex across the street. Something just didn't sit well in the pit of her stomach. Had that been Edmund? Had he been living across the street from her all this time, and she simply never had noticed?
"Would you like me to call back later?"
"No, you're fine." She forced herself to move away from the window. "Will you call me again while you're settling this, though?" Now, she wanted to ask him where he lived but not make it obvious.
He chuckled. "Yes, I'll still call you. Your voice is welcome after today."
Despite the compliment, she didn't smile. Her mind was too concentrated on what she just had viewed. Maybe, she was over thinking things, but she desired to double check. "I enjoy listening to your voice too." She heard a light chuckle in response, but she barely registered it against the sound of her thoughts.