As much as I wanted to avoid it, I was instructed by my parents to join them for dinner. Nonetheless, I had made up my mind that I wouldn’t go until a number of threats were issued against me, which included throwing me out of the house if I failed to show up.
Compelled by my ugly circumstances, I thus got ready. Though a meeting with Noah was unavoidable, I feared coming face-to-face with the man. Having been exposed to his capriciousness, I was afraid that he might reveal our previous night’s adventure to my family, something that was guaranteed to get me more than just disownment.
“I need to make sure that he doesn’t talk about it. It was an innocent mistake that I am willing to put behind me,” I said, convinced that we could move past it. “If he lets it go, it’ll be like the last night never happened.”
Giving myself the necessary assurance about things turning out fine, I zipped the back of my dress and prepared myself to face my family. As soon as I reached the staircase, I heard the voice of the man I had been trying to escape since the morning. Even when my heart protested against it, I descended the stairs to join my family.
Struggling not to appear bothered, I deliberately tried looking elsewhere when greeting Noah. Despite hating me, the guy didn’t say anything to me that might get me in trouble. Instead, he asked me, “Where did you go on the day of our wedding? I tried looking for you, but I couldn’t find you,”
Feigning a smile, I answered as I pulled a chair for myself to sit, “I was at my friend’s place.”
Anna, who was sitting adjacent to her husband, offered me a warm smile before asking me, “Are you feeling better now?”
Not motivated to become a part of the conversation, I just nodded and settled in my chair. Though I have had anything but misfortune plaguing me, I managed to avoid becoming the subject of their discussion. Instead, they focused on talking about the taste of the food, appreciating my sister’s culinary skills and how fortunate Noah was to marry her.
I wanted to disappear whenever Noah vouched for his affection for my sister, something that shouldn’t happened. I thought I was over him. Why then I felt my heart sink in my chest when he swore he couldn’t have found anybody better than Anne? Wasn’t I supposed to be over him?
The hurt that I felt made it evident that there was still a significant amount of attachment that I had for him. The fact that he was my sister’s husband inspired me not to allow the sadness to reflect on my face. So, I kept swallowing it until I couldn’t do it anymore.
Getting up from my chair, I excused myself. Before I could leave, my mother pointed out, “But, you’ve barely eaten anything. At least, finish your soup.”
“I’m full,” I said, intentionally avoiding looking at my mother’s face.
Displayed with my eagerness to leave, my mother urged, “Stay with us until your sister and brother-in-law are here.”
Even when he could’ve known how much it bothered me to see him expending his affection on my sister, he didn’t hold back from kissing her on her left cheek in front of everyone. Since they were married, I knew I was in the wrong to be upset from seeing them together.
It was around that time that my phone began buzzing with so many messages. They were from Seth, who seemed to be upset by my unannounced leave. As I knew I would’ve never been able to come back to my house if it hadn’t been for him, I apologised to him instantly, something that caught Noah’s eyes.
He had a big frown on his face, as his disapproving eyes rested on me. Although I didn’t have anything going on with Seth, I was satisfied to see Noah getting frustrated. Following that, he quickly stood up and informed us how he and my sister had rented an apartment near our place, so that they could stay in closer to us.
Obviously thrilled with the news, my mother asked him, “Would you be then expecting us to visit you more often?”
“Definitely,” answered the man, looking at me. “I am looking forward to our future associations.”
Having made up my mind about not seeing Noah ever again, I didn’t respond. My parents, on the other hand, very enthusiastically promised him that we would be visiting them the coming weekend, which I hoped wouldn’t include me.
Satisfied with our unpleasant second encounter, Noah left with a palpable grin on his face. My sister, who had been observing my unwillingness to speak, hugged me and expressed her desire to see me again before following her husband to the outside.
Once they’d left the house, I turned towards the staircase, prepared to leave for my room until my mother grabbed me by my wrist. Unsure about her reasons for stopping me, I asked her, “What do you want now?”
“Do you take us for fools, Christie?” confronted my mother, unhappy with my conduct.
“What did I do now?” I exclaimed, snatching my wrist from her. “Could you perhaps clarify, Mother?”
“Your reluctance to join your sister in her very first dinner as a newlywed was easily visible,” carped my mother, crossing her arms and resting them on her chest.
Having had learnt how my words held no value in front of my sister’s needs and sorrows, I chose not to respond and left for my bedroom. My parents were unhappy with my behaviour. I, nonetheless, didn’t stop for anybody, as I couldn’t discuss the reasons behind my prominent frown during our dinner with my brother-in-law, who had been my boyfriend a few days ago.
Before I could heave a sigh of relief, I found a note resting on my desk. It had the name of the writer. It was from Noah. He instructed me to meet him in his mansion by the evening, something that went against my resolve of not wanting to see him again.
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The morning sunbeams were streaming through the bedroom windows, warm and golden, that covered everything with a soft glow. I slept in a bit later than usual, enjoying the serenity that had become a constant in my life. Life had changed in so many ways, and for the first time in what felt like forever, I was finally happy.I turned to my side and smiled at Seth, still sleeping beside me. His chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm, his face relaxed, and his hand rested near mine as if he unconsciously sought me even in his dreams. This was my life now—this love, this stability, this sense of belonging.A soft flutter in my stomach made me smile even wider. The secret I had been carrying for weeks was growing stronger, more real, and soon I would share it with Seth. This thought filled my heart with equal parts of excitement and nervousness, but mostly joy.I slipped out of bed without waking him, padding into the kitchen. The house was quiet, the silent kind that makes you feel at home
~Noah’s pov~The walk back to my apartment seemed to stretch endlessly. My feet moved in a mechanical sequence, one in front of the other, but my mind went round and round, reenacting the scene at Christie and Seth's house. Her words echoed louder than the traffic, louder than the distant hum of the city."I don't belong to you. I never did."I had been so sure—so certain—that if I just showed up, if I just made her see what we had, she would remember. That she would feel the same pull, the same ache that I had carried with me since the day we parted. But she hadn't. Her gaze had been steady, her voice firm, as she told me that she had moved on. That the new Christie didn't need me. Didn't want me.When I finally reached my apartment, I sank onto the couch without bothering to turn on the lights. The dim glow of the streetlamp outside cast long shadows across the room, fitting for how I felt inside.It was the first time in years that I allowed myself to think—really think—about every
I heard a knock. It was sharp and insistent against the quiet rhythm of our morning. I was at the sink, washing dishes, while Seth worked on something at the table. The sound jarred me, and for an instant, I hesitated. Something about it—urgent, almost aggressive—put me on guard."I will get that," Seth said, already standing up from his seat.I quickly dried my hands and trailed after him, wondering and afraid. He opened the door, and I was to confront the last person I could have expected to meet- Noa.He looked exactly as I recalled him: tall, broad-shouldered, blonde hair tousled. There was something in his eyes, though, that I had never seen before: desperation.Christie, he whispered aloud, his voice low but fervent, his eyes fixed hard on mine.I froze as if my breath was physically caught in my throat. It was to see a ghost, a fragment of a life that no longer exists for me. Seth tensed up beside me, his grip on the door's edge tightening."Finally, Noah," I said, my voice cra
The restaurant was warm and dimly lit. A faint aroma of garlic and freshly baked bread clung to the air. Seth sat across from me, as calm and steady as always, his fingers lightly tapping against the base of his wine glass. I studied him discreetly: a sharp line of his jaw, a slight crease between his brows when he was lost in deep thought. He looked utterly, amazingly tired, as if he wanted tonight different, better.I also wanted it.The past weeks were turbulent, and therefore a jumbled mass of feelings that I couldn't make sense of.Memories I thought I'd long since buried—the evanescent meetings with Noah, leftovers from a life that had belonged to someone else—emerged now to haunt me at odd moments. So long I had harbored these memories, allowing them a slice of myself. Now sitting here with Seth, I see just how much they took.Christie?" Seth broke into my thoughts, his voice soft but tinged with angst.I blinked, realizing that I had silently stared at him. "Sorry," I said qui
Seth had come down with a fever recently. Illness had washed the colour from his cheeks and put shadows under his eyes. More than his look, though, the silence that crept in during those days seemed to live in my head: distance, but not out of malice. More out of fear.I hovered by the door of our bedroom, hesitant to step inside. Seth had asked me to come in, his voice steady but with an edge of something I couldn’t quite place. Resignation, perhaps? Pain? I couldn’t tell. The thought sent a shiver down my spine. This was the man who had been my anchor, my unwavering support, and now he seemed so… tired.I entered at last, and he sat on the edge of the bed. His shoulders were slumped, heavy with a weight I didn't understand yet. He looked at me then, his dark eyes softer than usual but unmistakably determined. My stomach tightened at the look."Christie," he said, his voice calm but strained. "We need to talk."My heart sank. Those words—they were never good. They heralded endings, s
Walking home with Noah, I felt a lightness in my chest that I hadn't felt in so long. It was as if a weight had been placed upon one shoulder and then, in effect, had flipped to the other, if only for a fleeting moment. I laughed at something he said; in this case, not really listening to what he said, but to the comfort enfolding us. It was a cool evening air, adorned with a soft breeze that brushed my cheeks, and streetlights softly lit the path before us. I knew I should not have agreed to walk with him. I knew this was wrong. But Noah had this strange pull on me, something that was beyond explanation and resistant to stopping.His presence felt familiar and cozy, and at this moment I cleared all the mess and madness from my mind. I let myself enjoy it, let myself pretend everything was easy and matter-of-fact, despite knowing deep inside of me that it wasn't.I should have stepped back when approaching that house. Reality was slowly sinking in: where and what I was doing stood rig