Starting Over •JJK• ✔️

Twenty One

I stood in front of the full length mirror on the back of my closet door and looked at myself. I hadn't been this dressed up in a long time so it felt a little strange. I dug this dress out from the back of my closet, forgetting I even had it. Thankfully, it didn't have any bad memories attached to it. So when I put it on and saw that it still fit, I knew it was the winner.

The dress was deep violet, which was perfect because I knew that purple is JK's favorite color. The skirt was A-line with the fabric falling softly over my hips and stopping just above my knees, and a sheer lining covered the sweetheart top to gather over one shoulder. It wasn't over-the-top fancy, but a step above your average cocktail dress.

I pulled my hair over my bare shoulder to twist it into a loose braid. And after stepping into a pair of black heels, I moved back for one last self inspection. All that was left was to pull the rest of the zipper up the back, which I couldn't reach.

A knock came at my door as I grabbed a small black clutch and my heart rate picked up a bit. I was so excited for tonight.

I opened the door and there he was, looking as handsome as I'd ever seen him. His pants and suit jacket were black with a faint pinstripe running through them, and the royal blue button down shirt looked amazing against his golden skin tone.

I took a step backwards when he didn't move. He just stood there, looking at me, and it made me even more nervous. I looked down at my dress and then back up at him. "What? Is it too much? I can find something else-"

"No." His response was quick and he finally moved towards me. "No. You look..." He seemed to be searching his brain for what he felt was the correct word, finally settling on one. "Stunning."

"Thank you." I could feel the warmth run over my face as I blushed. "You look amazing, too."

Then it hit me: JK had never seen me dressed up like this before. A casual skirt and blouse for a meeting were the fanciest outfits I'd wear anyway, and only because I had to.

My hands smoothed down the lapel of his jacket as he leaned down to kiss me. I smiled up at him when I felt his hands settle on my hips. "Can you help me real quick?" I turned around and pointed back at the half-pulled zipper. "I can't reach it."

JK chuckled to himself as he started pulling the zipper down, and I playfully elbowed him. "I'm kidding." He smoothed his hands down my arms once the zipper was up and secured, and he planted a light kiss on my bare shoulder. "You really do look beautiful, baby. But your outfit is missing something."

I turned to face him again with my eyes narrowed in confusion. I looked down when he reached into his jacket pocket and my heart sped up again when he pulled out a small box.

He knew how I felt about gifts. I hated receiving gifts. It always made me uncomfortable. But I knew better than to argue with him, so I took the box and opened it. And when I saw what was inside, my mouth dropped open.

It was the most beautiful pendant that I'd ever seen. It was white gold and shaped like a rose. Tiny amethysts filled the petals with small diamonds running along the edges. I'd never seen anything like it. I looked up at him, almost ready to cry. "Kookie, it's beautiful."

JK smiled and took the box to pull the necklace from it. Setting the box down onto the counter, he moved behind me. "You told me once that purple roses are your favorite." He brought the chain down in front of me and clasped it behind my neck. "I thought about finding some for you, but this rose won't die like those would." He wrapped his arms around my waist from behind and rested his chin on my shoulder. "It actually showed up a week ago. I've just been waiting for the right time to give it to you."

I tilted my head to rest it against his and ran my fingers over the pendant. "I love it so much. Thank you, baby." What the hell did I do to deserve this amazing man? "I honestly don't remember ever telling you that, though."

"It was a long time ago." He kissed behind my ear, still keeping his arms around me. "You saw a picture of a bouquet of them while flipping through a magazine and commented on how pretty they were. You said that they've always been your favorite flower, turned to the next page, and that was it." He lightly shrugged. "It was a couple of months after you got here."

He remembered. It was less than a fleeting moment in time around a year ago, but he still remembered it. I was the one who said it and didn't even remember.

I spun in his arms and looked up at him again. I just stared at him for a few moments, looking over his entire face from his soft eyes, the small freckle on his nose, and his pouty lower lip. I touched his cheek and shook my head. "You're too good to me."

JK's hands rubbed my lower back and his smile was warm. "Yet I feel like I'll never be good enough for you." He stepped back and took my hands, and his eyes lit up when he had a thought.

I had no choice but to follow him into my bedroom. We stopped in front of my full length mirror and he took his phone out. He seemed very excited. "Is it picture time?"

"Hell yeah, it is." He put his arm around me and I leaned in at his side, both of us facing the mirror. "It's our first real date. We have to document it." I turned closer to him and we both smiled as he snapped a photo. He brought up the picture and showed it to me. "Do we look great together, or what?"

We really did. I noticed how genuinely happy I looked. He did, too. It was our first photo together as an actual couple and it was perfect. I knew it was an image that I would always cherish.

We took a few more pictures. We made funny faces and ridiculous poses and acted silly until it was time to leave.

And as we headed out of my apartment and down the hall, with his pinky finger hooked with mine, everything really was perfect.