The Couple

Celia

"Joshua!"

"Joshua? Is it really you?"

"Yes Starlet. It is me." He said with a big smile on his face. Oh my god, he didn't grow old a single day. He looks the same, I saw him last and when was that about 3 years ago. He made his way around the table near me.

"You knew I was coming. I mean you know you don't look surprised, you're happy, smiling. You knew you didn't tell me." I glared as I realised he did not come to see me even after he was in town for sometime and he knew I was in this town. Everyone knew I was moving to this town after my graduation.

"I thought it would be great to surprise you but I think Starlet didn't like seeing me here." He made a sad face although I know he isn't sad.

"Well, it was a good surprise." He took a step and engulfed me in a big hug. Oh man, this guy is huge.

Joshua is a tall handsome man with dark blonde hair with this cute smooth short boxed beard on his sharp jawline. Oh damn, I always loved his beard. Did this man get strong from the last time we met? He definitely had those muscles a woman can drool on and he was always simply sexy but right now with all those muscles bulging and.visible from this suit, just yummy. Remind me why I never dated this guy before and now I got Chris. Goodbye my chance if I ever had it.

"Ouch, you're suffocating me." I mumbled against his chest as I struggled to get some air.

"Oh sorry." He loosened his grip around me but yet we both were holding each other. "But you know what, I don't care. I liked suffocating you." He hugged me back but that was not tight this time. "Let's talk business now." He pulled back and offered me to sit.

"Yeah sure." This was only now I realised he shifted here and I have to shift back to New York. "Wow, you joined this company and I am leaving." I laughed at the irony.

"That is what we have to talk about. Actually, it is the reason I called you to meet once. Firstly, I apologize on the behalf of our board of directors and all the staff for what happened and your sufferings. Now, I got some orders from the new owner that everyone who was fired or quit in the previous 5 months should be offered their jobs again to check if they would like to join back."

What the hell is he talking about? I can join back, well a great deal because I never wanted to leave but oh god my parents. They will never agree to join back.

"According to the order, I have to cancel your resignation and you're still an employee of this company. But since you already served your notice period before the order was issued, I need to know if you would like to join or still want to leave this company. Listen, I went through your report. I would love to have you on board. If you want we can make an offer as compensation for the emotional damage." Between all this talk he whispered "Take the compensation." which made me laugh. He gave me a big speech where he prepared to apologize and convince me to join back. I would like to tell him I am ready but the issue is my parents.

'Accept the offer, Heaven.'

'You knew I will be offered this job again.'

'Yes. Now accept the offer.'

'I can't. You know even if I accept this, my parents won't.'

'Heaven, I made all the arrangements to make you stay here. You can't even accept a job offer for me. Oh Goddess, Heaven I don't care how you convince your parents you're staying here and that is final.' He went silent after raising his voice, kind of like breaking the link.

I heard Joshua clear his throat and bring my attention back to him. "So would you like to join back?"

"I don't know, I mean, I don't know if I really want to stay now."

"Oh Starlet, please don't say this. I only accepted this offer in this town because I knew you're going to be here for me."

"You what?" He got up from his seat and came in front of the table to sit in the visitors chair next to me. He took my hands in his big ones and squeezed the one while rubbing the other.

"Yes, I was given this offer to handle this company and I rejected it until I realised this is the same town you moved to. Please don't leave me. I know you haven't joined any other company here and you are moving back with your parents. Let me be the reason you stay." He pouted. I touched his cute face and nodded.

"Okay."

"Wonderful" He was about to kiss my hands and get up. I exploded before he started his small celebration.

"But..."

"Oh don't start this but."

"But my parents, Pinkie Pony, won't let me stay here." I interrupted him before he made any other comment. "No, I am not going to try again."

"I was thinking about talking to them but you keep calling me that I might change my mind."

"Oh, I didn't think of that. They don't know you're here and you can convince them easily. Of course they trust you more than me."

"Yes." I jumped and hugged him with excitement. I will get to stay here and without my parents babysitting me.

"So, now I should leave and you are invited for dinner. Come have some great food and convince my parents, Pinkie Pony." I kissed him on the cheek and left his office for good.

I practically ran all the way down and hugged my parents. I was jumping and hopping around while I came down. I don't remember how many I greeted on my way and kissed a few on their cheeks. I don't min that I tripped a few times coming here but I was head over heels.

"You okay, darling? You seem extremely happy after quitting." Mom asked me as I was hugging dad.

"Mom, you won't believe what happened." Mom and dad looked at each other and then again at me. "I am offered my job again and I want to join back."

"Celia, we already told you that you're not staying here anymore in this town. Go back and reject this job offer."

"Yes darling. We already looked at a few companies for you back in New York. You can choose any company but you gotta leave this one."

"I can't, I don't want to. Plea..."

"Celia, no arguments. Go back and refuse the offer. We're leaving tomorrow." Dad said with a stern look on his face. Oh god, what is it with these men today? Everyone is shouting at me.

"You can refuse the offer yourself at dinner tonight." I ignored both of them and opened the back door of the car and sat inside without looking at them. "I invited my new boss to dinner." My parents sighed and got in the car.

On our way back to my apartment, my parents discussed how they will approach my new boss at the dinner and tell him that I am quitting and I am stupid to agree to the offer in the morning. They decided wha to cook and a few other things. I didn't give any input to their discussion as Chris kept poking me with his questions in my head, sometimes he raised his voice again but I kept ignoring his voice in my head.

'I don't know how I got that gift to talk to him in my head but trust me girl, he can be annoying sometimes and he is definitely using this for his own benefit. Either going to learn how to keep his voice out of my head for such times or give him a good time so he better not piss me off next time.'

I massaged my head a bit as it hurts with all the yelling around me, inside out.

As soon as we reached the building, I ran off to my apartment. Walking upstairs with my parents when they are angry at me, not a good idea. I had my mind running over a few random things when I entered my room. I turned around and I screamed with a jump.

Yes, no one expects your boyfriend's brother to be in your room. Not even gay one.

"What the hell are you doing here, Bryan?" I whisper screamed at him. He was taken aback with all my screamings and raised his hands in surrender as he took a few steps towards me.

"No harm, Luna. Alpha sent me to check up on you." I nodded at him to put his hands down. I heard the front door closing, thankfully my parents didn't hear me screaming or us talking. I grabbed Bryan's hand and dragged him to the washroom with me.

"Tell your Alpha to fuck off and I am fine here without him. I handled everything myself. Now go back." I opened the washroom door for him to leave.

"Everything okay, Luna?" I leaned against the wall near the door.

"I do need to remember to close the balcony door next time. Yeah, everything is okay. Now leave."

"Celia, you okay?" I looked up to meet Bryan's eyes filled with worries. I know it is him who is asking but I couldn't stop myself to ask.

"Who is asking your Alpha, yeah seems like he cares about me." I snorted and sat over the closed toilet seat with my face covered with my hands. Bryan kneeled in front of me and put his hands on my knees.

"I spent the last week roaming

around and eating dinner at different

people's houses just so I can stay in this town for ra person who wasn't talking to me, not responding to messages wasn't even sure if he wanted me here or if I should stay. There was nothing from him til last night I asked him about his plan, he told me nothing, I wanted his help and he told me to figure it out myself." I sobbed as I blurted out my feelings to him. "Here I am in this place with all strange creatures being their Luna and I don't even know what that means. I respect your feelings but I know good things come with a price and I don't know yet what price I am going to pay."

"Everything is go... no. I will help you figure things out. First things first, we have to convince your parents."

"I took care of that. I got someone to help me." I told him as I wiped my tears and snorted.

"Well, I should leave for now. I need to handle the other thing. You aren't alone in this place of strange creatures." I laughed as he called himself strange creatures and didn't get pissed at my choice of words. "I wish I had a brother too." I got up and got him in a hug which said thank you and sorry. He hugged me back and kissed the top of my head.

"Now let your brother handle your boyfriend. See you." He opened the door and went for the balcony door. I ran behind him to know what he meant by that. I didn't ask him to handle Chris. Oh my god, I don't want him to get into a fight with his brother for me. Any reason. No.

"Wait. Wait. What do you mean you are handling him?" I stopped as he was about to jump off the building. I don't know how they do this but it seems easy. They do it regularly and prefer the balcony then the door.

"I am gonna tell my Alpha you're fine and my brother to fuck off." He jumped the balcony before I could say anything and had a smooth landing on the ground. I sighed as I saw him running back to his car and getting in.

I turned around and returned to my room. My mom entered to tell me that she and dad are off to the local market to get some stuff for dinner. I hope my plan works. Fingers crossed.

Damn, passing time alone is too hard. I called Mary and Jeanne but heard nothing of what they said all this time. I told them about my plan and they certified it. We talked more and more sometimes about how things between Jeanne and Greg are improving and how they're planning to move in together which makes Greg to shift to Dante house. How Mary's pregnancy is going on and how her mood swings are affecting Ethan and her relationship is improving.

By the time we ended the call, my parents had already returned from the market. They brought the takeaway for lunch and then I helped dad in some preparations for dinner. Mom did some work on laptop and argued a bit with her colleagues. Dad had to calm her down as she might have escalated in the argument.

By the time dad and I finished with the food, it was already evening. We went to get ready for dinner with my new boss. It was worth seeing my parents preparing to tell my boss that I am going to quit. Because I know they will flip on their decision as soon as they see Pinkie Pony.

I heard the doorbell ringing. It is still early for dinner and we're not expecting anyone else. I made my way to the door lazily. And there he is, Pinkie Pony.

"Aren't you early for dinner?"

"Celia?" Mom interrupted as she showed herself from behind the door. Without noticing who it was, mom continued her lecture of manners to me. "They are our guests, they can anytime they want. You shouldn't talk to guests like this. Is this all what we taught you?”

"Oh god, I missed this so much." He burst into laughter and hugged me and mom together.

"Oh my... its you Joshua. How come you're here? How are you doing, how are your parents?" Mom showered him with the questions.

"Mom, let him come in and sit, then he will answer all your questions."

"Oh yes, come in." I haven't seen her this excited in a long time. "Stefan, look who is here?" She shouted to call dad. "Jesus, you got more handsome with time."

"I will bring the drinks, you guys will catch up." I headed to the kitchen to bring the drinks for everyone as dad came out of his room.

"Hey buddy, its good to see you." Joshua greeted dad. He was always sweet with everyone, he knows how to win over people.

"So, mom dad, meet my new boss and new CEO of Fieldson Construction Company" They both gasped as they realised that it was my boss whom we invited to the dinner. They both congratulated him for the

job.

"By the way, new owners are going to change the company's name. So it is DH Construction Company now."

"Oh... what does DH stand for?" I asked him as I sipped my own drink.

"No, actually no one knows. Even the new owner's identity is hidden too."

"Things are getting too suspicious in this town. Thankfully we're going back." It was mom who took the initiative to bring the topic.

"Michelle, just to confirm Celia is still going to be here, right?" Joshua asked my parents doubtfully and gave them the crying baby look which even made me agree with him always, my parents had to melt to this face.

"But..." Mom started trying to give him a good reason but Joshua being Joshua will convince them.

"But what Michelle, Stefan I know you're worried for her but now I am here in the office and in this building. I was supposed to live in another building but no worries I will shift here. I accepted this offer just because I knew Starlet was going to be here. What will I do if you will take her from me?" He hugged me tightly and pouted. I pouted too, thinking my parents would melt to his act.

"Joshua, you don't even know what happened here."

"I do know. I was informed before I joined. And I am sorry for what happened to Starlet but I promise I won't let anything happen to her now. Please Stefan, please Michelle." My parents looked at each other which made me think if they both can talk to each other without actually talking.

Not so surprisingly they both agreed. "Fine, you have to shift in this building like you said and Joshua you won't hide a thing from us because we can't trust our own daughter anymore." He agreed.

"Cheers to my new job." We all clinked our glasses and drinked happily to my job. I was happy that my plan worked and my parents will be leaving tomorrow without me.

Finally after everything, things seem to be normal. But with a werewolf boyfriend nothing is normal.

We had a great dinner with Joshua

and discussed everything that

happened till now. My parents recalled our childhood embarrassing events. Parents do like embarrassing us kids in front of everyone. But I am thankful Pinkie Pony spent most of our childhood

together so we know most of the embarrassing events already. Even we shared most of them. Still having those people from your childhood with whom you spent those embarrassing yet memorable

moments is a bliss.

After dinner, we all stayed in the living room for some more talking and catching up with time. I got the voice back in my head. I was in a good mood but certainly the owner of the voice wasn't. He sounded annoyed and angry. I like him, I love spending time with him and I know how serious he is in this relationship but right now I don't want him anywhere near me.

Especially when I was finally having some fun and he is surely here to fight with me.

'Where are you? You're supposed to be in your room by now. And what the hell, why is the other man's smell here in your apartment?'

'Heaven, answer me for goddess' sake.'

'Will be there soon. You can sleep or leave if you don't want to wait.'

'Heaven, are you still upset with me? Please come to me, I want to make it up to you.' I can sense him smirking on his own narcissist comment which surprisingly made me smile.

'Stay inside, I will be there soon.'

'Okay', he said, like a good boyfriend.

After another round of our drinks and remembering a few more of our embarrassing events, we called it night and Joshua left only to return tomorrow to see off my parents.

We also headed to our rooms. I was happy my parents were leaving me here and happily.☐☐