After what can only be described as the perfect mixture of heaven and hell in one night, I allow myself the satisfaction of a day of complete and utter relaxation. Cradled under the cushiony warmth of my many blankets, clad in my cheap yet comfortable sheep-printed pyjamas, and with Charlie resting at the foot of my bed sleeping as well- I was in prime sleeping condition. In other words, I was in heaven.

In the early hours of this morning I had found my way back home just as others were leaving their's for work, feeling slightly guilty for some reason as I walked back in my clothes from the day before; as though I was scurrying back from a one night stand. I had tried to make my way through the apartment as quietly as possible but this was to no avail as Jess was sleeping on the couch and was surprisingly awoken as I crept past her, despite usually being a deep sleeper.

It was clear that she had been waiting up for me because she was always very adamant about not falling asleep on the couch since she felt in ruined her sleep. The only reason she ever would fall asleep on it was if she was so tired from a long shift at the hospital that when she went to simply relax on it she'd accidentally fall asleep. But I knew that she had last nights shift off because she'd worked through the whole weekend, so she was definitely waiting for me like the amazing best friend that she was.

Not bothering to sit up straight away, understandably, the only indication of her being awake as I attempted to dodge certain creaking timber slats was the slight groan combined with a yawn that she made. I look to her to check if she was simply making this sound in her sleep or if she had truly awoken, only to find her slowly opening one eye to take a glance at her surroundings, finding me standing right in front of her.

"You're home," she says, in a way that I'm not entirely sure if it's a question or statement.

"Yeah, I just got home," I answer, in a hushed tone so as not to make too much noise this early in the morning or to tarnish any possibility of her falling back asleep for her.

"Are you okay?" she asks me, slightly opening her other eye now so that she was squinting at me, as though the complete lack of lights on was already too much for her.

"I've been better, but yeah, I'm okay," I reassure her. "Thanks for checking though."

She gives me a little smile as her way of saying 'no worries' before she slowly begins to shut her eyes once again. Seconds later and I think she's asleep so I fix the blanket that lays over her and begin to make my way to my room once again when she tells me "I'll be the good friend and nurse in a bit. Just give me a bit more sleep and it'll be the best experience of being sick that you've ever had."

I laugh under my breath before I tell her "okay Jess, no problem" as I walk away. Once I've quickly brushed my teeth and washed my face, not wanting to go to bed with a dirty mouth and face even if I was exhausted and the sun was actually coming up now, I made my way to my room to find an extremely worried dog waiting for me. Charlie gave me the mandatory licks and jumps on me to express his worry as I had definitely been gone for longer than usual and had broken our usual routine. Plus, he had this magical dog ability to recognise if anything was wrong. 

When I manage to calm him down and he returns to his spot at the end of my bed next to where my feet would be as I slept, I quickly change into my extremely fashionable set of pyjamas and rush under the covers to escape the cold of the early hours. Just as I'm about to turn off the lamp and presumably drift off into a deep sleep in a few short moments, I remember that I have a job that I'm supposed to be at in only a few short hours and which I most definitely don't want to lose but also cannot perform in this current state.

Grabbing my laptop from under the pillows on the empty side of my bed where I don't sleep, I quickly send the necessary emails to say that I won't be able to come into work seeing as it'd be too early to call in sick. I'll need a note from a doctor but I should visit one either way, so I don't worry too much about it and assure myself that there'll be plenty of time to do that later in the day once I've caught up on my sleep.

Once my laptop is safely returned to its spot under my pillow and Charlie has successfully curled into the crevice of my legs, it takes only a few short moments from what I can recall before I had drifted into this extremely satisfying deep sleep which I had just woken from. When I'm finished truly appreciating my sleep, I look to the clock resting on my bed side table to find out how long I had been asleep for considering how refreshed I now felt.

12:55pm.

Shit, I'd been asleep for a while. I thought I would just take a short nap but this had definitely drifted out of nap territory. I swiftly move to sit up, shocked by how quickly my day had gone by now and instantly anxious about all that I had missed. Had Monique been okay with me calling in sick? Where was Jess? Would I make it to the doctor?

The door to my bedroom was open so Jess had clearly made a stop here sometime during my nap, and Charlie had definitely left the room at least once since his toy dog (yes, my dog has a dog toy) was cuddled under his legs as he laid next to me and simply watched me. As I go to check my phone for any missed calls or messages I find a note from Jess on my bedside table saying 'I checked on you earlier and you weren't dead so I figured I'd just let you rest. Shout out for me when you wake up and if you need anything' alongside a glass of water and a range of medicines to choose from courtesy of my personal nurse.

Just as I place the note back down onto the table and am about to observe the options she'd left for me, I hear a creak from just outside my bedroom and find Jess waiting next to my door as she softly pushes the door open.

"Just wanted to check how you were doing," she tells me as she sits on my bed beside me with a tray on her lap stocked with everything else I could possibly need. She's prepared me toast and a bowl of fruit salad, a glass of fresh orange juice, a box of tissues, some magazines, and a glass of the not so desirable hydralite liquid i'm forced to take whenever a stomach bug dehydrates me. I was truly lucky to have a friend who was this caring and who also happened to be a nurse. It sure was helpful in moments such as these.

"I'm okay. As you said, definitely alive." I respond with a little joke added in to show her I was doing fine enough that I could have a bit of a laugh about my situation.

"So I take it you found my note then," she says, placing the tray on my lap as I sit up and put myself into a more comfortable position. "I came to check on you a few times but you were sleeping so peacefully and I didn't want to disturb you. I figured sleep was sometimes the best remedy and that you'd be exhausted."

"You were definitely right. I needed that." I assure her as I hesitantly take a bite from the toast she'd brought me, never liking the transition back to eating after having a stomach bug. Each time I took a bite I would always remember what had just come out of my mouth not too long ago and I couldn't even think of food after that. But this time I manage to keep it all down since I miraculously hadn't vomited anymore after early yesterday morning.

"Here, drink this," she orders me, holding out the fluorescent orange drink with the memorable tangy taste for me, "You need to rehydrate yourself. Theodore was right, you were definitely dehydrated." she points out, reminding me of her little chat with him late last night.

She knows that she's caught my attention with the mention of Theo and is clearly amused by it, a smirk growing on her lips which tells me that I should most certainly prepare for a barrage of teasing. I quickly attempt to eat more of the toast, despite my stomach quickly beginning to respond negatively to the return of food, just so that I can avoid having to reply to the inevitable grilling she'll give me now.

Nonetheless, this does nothing to stop the insatiable curiosity of Jessica Cartwright.

"So, may I ask, how in the world did you end up with Theodore Harrington last night?" she asks, making herself comfortable as she lays down on her stomach beside me, her head rested in her hands like an excited innocent teenager eager for the latest gossip.

"I ran into him at work. Monique brought him in for a last minute interview and photoshoot. Just as I thought I'd escape him while I was leaving work, Monique roped me into letting him tag along for dinner since she figured we already knew each other anyways," I explain as her eyes widen with interest, "So, I rather reluctantly let him come along with me to eat and I guess I was so stressed, and sick, that when we started to have a bit of a disagreement and I stormed off I began to feel a bit faint. Luckily, Theo followed me out and on my way to the station because I ended up fainting and thankfully he helped me out. He wanted to take me to the hospital but I wouldn't let him so he took me up to his office since it was close by. And... I guess that's how I ended up with Theo last night and how you ended up speaking to him." 

"Interesting." she replies rather simply, making me wonder what she was truly thinking and curious as to why for once she wasn't gushing out some overly enthusiastic reaction.

"What?" I ask, not able to repress my curiosity.

"Nothing," she answers plainly, her lips tightly closed shut. I tilt my head and give her a look all whilst placing the toast back down onto the plate as my way of saying 'Oh come on, tell me what I know you really want to say. If you don't, I'm not eating anymore'. "Fine. I just think it's quite entertaining how you always end up around this guy who you claim to want nothing to do with and that you say you feel nothing for."

"What is there to feel?" I respond, the realist in me being let loose against the idealist and dreamer who sat beside me. "I met the guy less than a week ago. We talked for half an hour, I was intrigued by him and filled with hope for a story-like romance in my life. Then I found out he's the guy my sister is dating. Not much to feel about him besides a bit irritated and sceptical."

"So, you weren't attracted to him?" she presses on, never the type to give up on an argument.

"Well, yes, I was. In that moment when I met him and we stood out there on his balcony alone, I was attracted to him from what I knew. I'm not going to deny that little spark I felt when we first met. It would be hard to find someone who didn't think that he wasn't a pleasant sight, standing there in his perfectly fitted clothes that outlined his physique and with the light of the moon enhancing his every feature. Not to mention how he seems to find a way to effortlessly charm the pants off every single person he encounters. That night I was a girl who'd just left the security of one chapter of her personal life for the chance of a chapter filled with thrill and passion," I explain to her rather loudly, not having to calm myself since I knew Lexi wasn't here seeing as she had gone back home on Sunday. 

"So, yes I was attracted to him in that moment and excited by the hot guy standing right before me right after becoming single. But then, like so many times before, I got ripped out of that dream oh so quickly and was forced to return to my real world. The world where guys like him were too good to be true and completely off limits. Where now every time I see him I have to remind myself that I shouldn't let myself get so caught up in the fantasy so quickly and that that's all it is — a fantasy." I clarify.

"And do I feel anything for him? I guess so. I feel irritation every time he does something that reminds me that things don't work out so easily for me and when I think about how messed up it is that he's got me so messed up in such a short amount. I feel confusion every time he makes me respond in a way that I know I shouldn't. I feel hopeless every time I think about the fact that maybe it's not all about him, maybe he's just a metaphor for how lost I feel about everything right now in my life."

When I finish those last few words of my stretched out speech, I let out a big sigh and attempt to catch my breath. We just sit there in silence for a few moments, the only sound coming from the crunch of me trying to take a few more bites of my toast again.

"Fair enough." she simply replies, making me immediately laugh at how she so modestly responds to my rather dramatic response and emotional outburst. That was the best thing about Jess, she was the perfect match to my unhinged overthinking; always able to bring me down back to earth with the most effortless ways.

"May I just put it out there that I think you need to relax a bit. Just a tad bit. You know, have an extra glass of wine or two once you're feeling better," she suggests as she bites her lip to suppress her amusement. "I mean, it's completely normal for things to not end up exactly how you planned sometimes. Sometimes it's good to have a bit of uncertainty in your life. It can be exciting," she reassures me.

"I know you're used to always having to hold things together. You had a stage of some major uncertainty in your life and way too much pressure on your shoulders for a teenager. You should be proud of the way you handled yourself for someone so young and you're entitled to a bit of hesitancy when it comes to the uncertain parts of life. But sometimes you've just got to give in to the fact that some things are just uncontrollable and you shouldn't close yourself off to the amazing opportunities that might be waiting out there for you just because there'll be some harder things that'll come along."

"As for the whole feeling silly for being so affected by Theodore, honey I don't blame you at all. I have a feeling a lot of girls out there have felt the exact same way from a lot less. Hell, all I've seen of him is a few pictures from a google search and I've just spoken to him for a minute or two on the phone and that was enough for me to feel a certain something," she tells me. "Keep in mind that I'm a very lonely and over worked nurse who needs to get a life again and get laid some time soon." she adds, making me completely burst out in laughter at her raw honesty as takes me into her arms for a big warm hug.

Once we've finished a rather lengthy best friend hug, complete with licks from Charlie, she moves to sit back down but not before pushing the tray of food and drink back into my lap. "Eat. Don't think you can get out of it by distracting me."

I slowly gulp down the food, just managing to finish my first slice of food after all this time as she watches me intently and pats Charlie to prevent him from trying to steal my food. I jokingly wave my hands arounds as if to highlight some amazing effort that I've just made and get myself out of further eating but she just lifts the second piece of toast up for me to take and eat. As I reluctantly take the piece from her hands a sound suddenly comes from our front door, a rhythmic knocking on our front door.

Jess immediately leaps up from her spot to go answer the door, leaving me alone as Charlie follows her to see who could possibly be there. I find myself also curious as I attempt to peek out into the hallway from the confines of my bed, failing to see anything from where I am. I hear a few mumbles of conversation and the closing of the door before Jess shortly returns with Charlie by her side and something rather surprising in her arms.

"I wouldn't be closing the door on some story-like romance any time soon if I were you." she comments as she outstretches an arrangement of extravagant white and yellow toned flowers to me. They're a little more over the top then I would typically like, screaming out expensive, but nevertheless I appreciate whoever has made the gesture. I eagerly take the presumably expensive bouquet from her arms and go to open the envelope I see taped to the side. When I open the envelope I find a small note inside which I examine as I keenly take in the lovely overwhelming scent of the flowers.

"Who is it from?" she enthusiastically wonders, eyes wide with a sense of curiosity that I'm feeling too. "Is it from Theo?" she teases, using the new nickname she had clearly noticed that I had been using for him.

"No, it's not." I answer her, making her eyes widen even further than I thought possible by giving her this unexpected response to someone who always needed to be right.

"Then who's it from?" she asks, attempting to snatch the note from my hands to find out for herself.

As she takes the small note from my hands I answer her question with the surprise of my response evident in my tone.

"It's from Damon." I tell her as she takes a look at the note for herself.

"Damon?" she repeats uncertainly. "As in Damon, the guy you met at Theo's party and who you went on that sort-of double date with on Saturday?" she checks.

I nod and she makes this strange expression using the peculiar positioning of her lips and eyebrows which I find difficult to interpret.

"Well it looks like you've got yourself an admirer," she comments, "'I heard what happened last night. Hope you feel better and know that I'm here if you need anything.'" she reads out in a sing-song tone, reciting the simple words I had read myself and been surprised by only a few short moments ago.

"Did you hear that Ella? 'Know that I'm here if you need me'. Someone's got a crush on Elle Belle." she teases, continuing with her melodic tone.

"Shh," I hush her, swatting her arm to quieten her while I think, "How did he even know about last night?" I ask myself aloud as I fiddle with the small note between my fingers.

"Didn't you say that him and Theodore work together?" she reminds me, pointing out the obvious, "Anyways, who cares how he found out? He did find out and, more importantly, he did something about it."

"You've got a point." I admit, just as our conversation is interrupted by the chime of a phone. I look at Jess to see if it's hers or mine and she puts both her hands up as though in surrender to say that it wasn't hers. I pat around my bed in search of my phone, wherever I discarded of it last, only to follow the sound and vibration to where it is trapped in between my sheets on the bottom half of my bed.

Once I've retrieved it I look at the screen only to find that its an unknown number calling me. I don't usually like to answer my phone unless I have the number saved or otherwise if they've tried to contact me multiple times (yes I'm one of those "socially anxious" people who do that). So, when I see that I don't have the number of whoever is calling me saved I put my phone back down onto the bed and leave it to ring out.

But when I do this I instantly get a domineering stare from the not so socially awkward Jess, urging me to pick the phone up once again and answer it. I hesitate for a moment and find Jess moving to answer it herself so I quickly grab