French Kisses

six (laurent's pov)

a/n: This chapter is simply an extra little treat from Laurent's point of view that mirrors the previous chapter. The chapter also includes the date that Laurent goes on, something only briefly mentioned in the original chapter. Enjoy.

f r e n c h
k i s s e s

I had never been a man of great romance, while I appreciated the sentiments associated with love, it wasn't something I believed was for me. Perhaps it was the messy divorce between my parents and my short-term love affair with Isla that created the stigma I had for love, from my perspective romance only meant the immense pain of heartbreak.

However, the stigma seemingly dissipated at the sight of Arden. From our first encounter, I realized that romance was possible for me if it were with the right person. If love, at first sight, were true, I had experienced it with Arden. But, it was troublesome that the one person I saw a future with had a future with another man planned out.

If it was deemed foolish to wait for a chance at love with her then I would love to be called foolish.

All I could do was wait and see if the feelings would ever be reciprocated, if not we would remain friends because it would be a greater loss to lose her completely than to never get the chance of a romantic relationship with her.

Although I would always wait for her, I had to patch up the small crack that had surfaced between us first. I had to let her know that I was willing to be a friend for her and always lend my support. For now, she was looking for a friend, and a friend was what I could be. All we had to do now was start off again with a clean slate, this time I would not allow emotions to overtake me as easily, and I would patiently wait.

I pondered it all while I stood at her door with flowers in hand, my hand ready to knock on the front door and let her know of my presence. I knocked lightly, waiting with my eyes on the ground because I was unsure of the reaction I would face once she opened the door. Seconds passed by slowly, I clutched onto the flowers tightly. The sound of latches grabbed my attention, the door opening shortly after revealed her beauty.

Arden wore a pale pink dress with bell sleeves, her jewelry was all gold, and her hair was in a messy ponytail. She looked absolutely beautiful and I couldn't help but catch myself in awe at her beauty.

"Laurent," Arden said with a hint of shock upon her face, moving a strand of loose hair behind her ear.

Immediately her eyes made their way towards the yellow roses I brought with me, a small smile perched on her face at the sight of the flowers. She held onto the door, awaiting the reason for my sudden visit.

"Yellow for friendship, joy, and goodness. I hope you can accept them," I said, holding out the blooming flowers.

She gladly accepted the bouquet and held them in her right hand, noticing one white rose among the yellow ones after a second. Her body was relaxed and she stayed quiet in order to allow me to further speak my mind.

"One white rose in order to signify a new beginning, I think it would be worth our while if we just restart," I continued, pulling it out of the bouquet and extending it individually.

Her smile grew larger, an appreciation for my gesture shown with her eyes. The look in her eyes was captivating, it was the same look I was so fond of.

"Hi, I'm Laurent Oliver and I live a couple blocks away. Welcome to the neighborhood," I introduced, a friendly smile on my face.