You guys know the drill. Vote, comment, follow. Ily✨

OLIVER FLETCHER

PAST
JULY 2019

I wandered around the campus shop for a little too long, nothing was taking my fancy after my conversation with Max. My brain hurt, like someone had taken a hammer to my skull and left me damaged.

Before I left the store I reach over and grab a microwavable carbonara, not having the energy to buy ingredients to make anything right now.

Campus was dead tonight, even though it was a Thursday. Most people had gone home for the summer or left for good. Yet I felt like the only person who was still living in halls.

It felt fucking depressing.

Slowly I trudge my body back to my accommodation, my eyes attach themselves to a guy who was sat out on the steps up to the building. His blonde hair was swept back across his head, a cigarette between his fingers as he hunches over his knees.

I stop in front of him and watches as he flicks his green eyes up to me, a confused expressions cross his face as I stand in his light.

"Do you have another one of those?" My voice surprises me.

The guy gestures to his cigarette in his fingers and I nod. Gently he reaches into his pocket and opens up the fresh box, pulling one out and handing it to me.

"Thanks," I say as I take it and perch down next to him. "You have a lighter?"

He stifles a laugh and nods again, handing me the plastic blue lighter. I place the cigarette in my mouth and cup the end, like they do in the movies and press down on the tip of the lighter. It took me a few tries but after a while I manage to light it.

I take a drag and inhale the smoke, not expecting my throat to close up instantly and I cough loudly.

The guy laughs as he turns to look at me. "You ever smoked before?" He eyes me up and down, clearly amused.

"No," I huff out as I lower my head. "I just needed something to feel better."

He studies me for a second before nodding. "Same," he catches me by surprise. "But cigarettes aren't the answer, you need a shot of sambuca or tequila."

I purse my lips and look down to the cigarette in between my fingers, contemplating another toke but really I'd just be coughing my lungs up again.

"I'm Jamie," he offers first as I turn my attention back to him.

My lips force out a smile. "Oli." I nod once.

"Nice to meet you," he responds as he raises his cigarette up to his lips to take a puff. He still watches me, flicking his eyes over my face. "Are you okay?"

I was fully aware that I looked like a sack of shit. I'd barely managed to get changed into something decent.

"Honestly?" I sigh out. "No."

"Join the club," he laughs to himself as he looks down between his legs.

"What's wrong?" I question as I watch the cigarette burn in my hand.

Jamie sighs and looks up at the darkening sky. "Girls," he mumbles. "They ain't shit."

"Oh," I say quickly.

"You?" He turns his head to me.

"Boys," I respond. "They ain't shit."

Jamie cracks a smile and I do too, laughing at how pathetic this whole conversation was. "What did he do?" He raises an eyebrow at me.

"What did she do?" I question straight after.

His green eyes flick between mine before he closes them. "I guess I'll go first then," he nods once. "Been dating this girl for almost a month, been on a couple dates, we got on really well. She pied me off tonight and said that this isn't going anywhere and it was all pointless."

I wince internally and let my face fall into a frown. "That's shit," I nod to him. "I'm sorry. She clearly wasn't the one. Think you dodged a bullet."

Jamie's lip curves up at my words. "Maybe," he says quietly. "But we got along really well. Makes you think, are you gonna meet someone like that again?"

I bite down on my lip and think about what he said for a few moments.

"What about you?" He continues, which snaps me out of my small mind trance. "What did he do?"

My eyes look down at the almost finished burning cigarette in my hands. I sigh and drop it to the floor. "Sorry for wasting that," I mumble.

Jamie cracks a quiet laugh and shakes his head. "It's okay."

"I had a bad encounter with my mother, I really needed him and when I called crying, he just didn't care." My chest begins to tighten as I remember how I felt.

"Ouch," Jamie releases harshly.

"He was high at the time but that doesn't matter," I shake my head.

"Yeah," he nods back at me. "That isn't really an excuse. How long have you guys been together?"

"Six months," I breathe out. "But time doesn't mean a thing in a relationship."

"I agree," Jamie shifts as he leans back on the step with his palm. "A couple in a four year relationship might not have the trust, communication and love a six month relationship does. Time means fuck all because you can feel everything after a month."

"Yeah," I say quickly. "You're right."

Jamie offers me a smile and I return the gesture.

"What you doing tonight?" He questions.

"Nothing," I shake my head. "Stuck in halls because I can't really go home right now and no one is here."

"You wanna go out into town tonight?"

My eyes blink back at his question. "Where?"

Jamie shrugs quickly. "Anywhere." He states. "I'm in need of a drink, you look like you're in need of a drink. No harm in going out for a couple hours to take our minds off our shitty lives."

I laugh quietly at his words. "Sure," I nod. "But I need to shower and get dressed. I won't be let in anywhere like this."

"Okay," Jamie grins. "I'll go get changed too. Meet outside in half hour?"

"Sounds like a plan," I say as I push myself off the step and brush my hands against my jogging bottoms.

"Sweet," he nods as he copies my actions.

I walk through the foyer and up to my room, a strange concoction of emotions bubbling inside my stomach. Maybe this is what I needed, a night to get away from everything.

PRESENT
JUNE 2021

My body softly jolted to the feeling of delicate kisses being pressed to the edge of my collar bones and up my neck. A smile etches its way onto my face at the warmth and happiness that shot through my body, remembering that Max stayed over last night.

And now he was waking me up in the sweetest possible way.

I sigh deeply, thick with satisfaction as Max's arms tighten around me. His cologne from last night was still evident on his skin and his body wash, he still smelt divine after all of our antics yesterday.

"I'm never going to take this for granted again," he mumbles into my skin. My neck raises in goosebumps at the sound of his gruff sleepy voice.

My fingers grip onto his arms to hold him in place as I shake my head, eyes fluttering closed at the content I was feeling currently. "Me either," I admit. "I never want to spend another day without you again."

Max smiles against my neck which tickles the tiny hairs, causing me to smile and quirk my shoulder. "Trust me baby, you won't have to." He says deeply into my ear.

I push back and twist my body in his hold, getting a glance of his face. His dark hair was messily spread across his forehead and poking out in every direction possible, he looked like he had a good night's sleep.

I can definitely vouch for that.

Snaking my fingers away from his grip to cup the side of his cheek, swiping strands of hair that was dangling in front of his eyes. "Thanks for staying," I whisper to him with a gentle smile.

"Thanks for letting me stay," he responds before leaning down to peck my lips carefully.

"Do you want to make some breakfast?" I question as I watch Max's eyes flick over every little detail of my face.

Max purses his lips and hums. "Most definitely, I could eat."

My mouth breaks out into a tight grin. "Let's go," I beckon my head towards my bedroom door.

He soon follows my lead, my eyes studying him as his body steps out of my bed. He was in his boxers but I still wanted to ogle his body, including his tattoos that almost made me want to drool. I'd never get over admiring him.

Max makes his way to the door without putting on a t-shirt and I follow his lead, I wanted to touch his bare skin continuously. Until I got bored, which would be never.

"What we gonna make?" He quirks an eyebrow at me as he presses his hand to the handle.

"We have eggs, maybe some bacon?"

Max grins as he pulls back the door and nods. "Sounds good to me," he drops his eye into a subtle wink before stepping out of the bedroom.

"Stop," I laugh as I walk through with him.

We both instantly stop in our tracks when Jamie looks up at us, he was making himself lunch and for a second, I completely forgot he lived here too.

When I'm with Max, he is all I can think about. Distracted and submitted.

"Oh hey," I clear my throat awkwardly as Jamie's eyes dart to Max.

"Hey..." Jamie forces a smile before turning to the tupperware sitting on the counter.

"Hey Jamie," Max's voice struggles slightly.

In my head I was praying that Jamie wouldn't be blunt but now we're here, I wouldn't put it past him

Jamie clicks the plastic lid down onto the pot and turns to face us. "Max," he nods back as he shoves his food into his backpack.

"How have you been?" Max tries again as I reach into my bedroom to grab a t-shirt to somewhat cover up. "Been a while since we last saw each other."

Jamie's eyebrows raise and I curse inside my brain, Max was trying hard. He knew he had to put things right between them, especially after Jamie was the one picking up the pieces after everything that happened.

"Well it's been a while since you put me up against that wall, yeah." His voice raises in slight sarcasm.

Max raises his hand to rub the back of his head awkwardly.

"Please let's let this go," I plead, cringing at the clear division between us all. "Can we all move on and vow to just get along?"

"Sure," Jamie's mouth pulls up into a sharp smile before grabbing his bag and throwing it over his shoulder. "I need to go to work, see you later."

My hand raises to wave him off but he turns before he gets the chance to see. "Bye," I call out as he opens the front door and shuts it behind him loudly.

I sigh and turn to Max who shakes his head at me. "He fucking hates me," he mumbles out before walking towards the kitchen.

"He doesn't hate you," I purse my lips together tightly. "I think he's just worried about the situation. Seeing you again has probably put everything into perspective for him."

Max's lips fall into a subtle frown as he turns to me. "Well he doesn't have anything to worry about," he says after a few moments. "Neither do you."

My lips curve at the sides as I walk towards him slowly, holding my hand out to brush my fingers against his bare torso. "I believe you," I say as I suck in a breath suddenly.

He smiles softly and cups my cheek, flicking his thumb across my cheek bone softly. "So the eggs?"

"In the cupboard," I grin as I point to the door behind him.

"Gotcha," he nods as he drops his hand from my face and takes one step backwards. My fingers no longer touching his warm body.

As he turns to face the wall my eyes shamelessly watch his back as it flexes, reaching up to the cupboard to retrieve ingredients. I curse in my mind as I suck my bottom lip into my mouth, not able to tear my eyes away for a second.

Fuck, I was totally fucked.

. . .

Read up to chapter 34 on Patreon
www.patreon.com/dreammcatcher
Link is also in bio!

Hello my loves, I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

We finally got to meet Jamie in the past, was anyone wondering when they'd meet?

What is everyone's plans/goals for 2022?

I have a fair few which I've written down and trying very hard to manifest to make this year the best!

I have so many new books in my head that I want to write and I just cannot keep up, to trying to keep it one book at a time.

Hope everyone is okay!

See you guys on the next one, love Sav x

Insta: SavRose.x
Patreon: dreammcatcher
Tik Tok: savanna.rose.x