by Jayrin Park
Time slowed as she looked up at me one last time with her beautiful blue eyes filled with a deep sadness. She smiled as the tears ran down her face.
“Goodbye, Mike. Thank you for everything,” she whispered.
“No…” I whimpered.
Our hands suddenly separated, and she began to fall into the abyss.
She closed her eyes and smiled, ready to accept the fate that awaited her as the wind rushed to greet her.
“LELA!”
* * *
I woke up drenched in sweat. My face was filled with dried stains and fresh tears. It was a dream. I breathed trying to recover from the nightmare I had just experienced. I sighed and decided to drive around town to clear my head. I needed it. I turned on the radio and Indecision by Blackbear played. Tears began to form on my eyes again.
“This is great. Just great,” I said. I turned off the radio immediately and enjoyed the silence, forcing my tears to crawl back to where they had come from. I kept driving with no aim of where I was headed. I stopped and parked when I saw a supermarket. The supermarket looked oddly familiar. I got down from my car and realized that I stopped my car in Camilla’s neighborhood. I knew this neighborhood like the back of my palm.
The universe had spoken. Maybe I was meant to be with Camilla. That’s was the only explanation I could give for finding myself in her neighborhood. I shook my head at the crap I was thinking. I had been driving for minutes and I still hadn’t cleared my head to make the right decision. I sighed and entered the supermarket to get water.
I picked up a bottle of water and searched around the store for my go-to protein shake. Austin and Shawn had finished my previous one and had refused to buy me a replacement.
“Mike?” A voice called me, making me halt in my tracks. I knew that voice too well. It was Camilla’s. I turned back to face her.
“Why are you here? Did you come here from the gym?” She raised her eyebrow at me, trying to process why I was in her neighborhood.
“Umm, I was driving and stopped for some supplies,” I said. She nodded and moved closer to me.
“But you hated shopping at this supermarket.”
“I did?” I had forgotten.
“Yes, you said they didn’t have what you liked.” Camila smiled.
Why doesn’t my heart flutter?
When Lela smiles, I get flutters so why aren’t I getting butterflies now?
“Oh,” I didn’t know what to say to her. My mind was preoccupied with the fact that I hadn’t gotten butterflies from seeing Camilla smile.
“Are you sure you didn’t just come to see me?” she grinned.
I stared at her blankly. Staring at Camilla for a while made me realize something. Something about standing here with her didn’t feel right. I wasn’t happy that it wasn’t Lela. I wanted to be curled up on Lela’s sofa watching reruns of Friends right now. I wanted to see her cry each time Ross and Rachael had a fall out. I was certain of what I wanted. It was probably too late, but I was going to let her know how I felt about her. I had been so used to driving this route that I had accidentally driven here.
“I want Lela,” I whispered to myself. I wanted to spend my days with Lela by my side, not Camilla. I turned to head back into my car when Camilla caught my hand, causing me to stop.
“Where are you going?” Camilla asked me.
“To my girlfriend, Lela,” I said without hesitation this time. She looked hurt, but for the first time in a long time, I didn’t care about what Camilla felt.
“I thought you came to see me?” Camilla pouted. Her pouts didn’t move me anymore. They kind of annoyed me actually.
“I thought so too but boy was I wrong,” I said running out of the supermarket and leaving her where she stood. I ran to where I parked my car and got in.
I turned on the engine and drove frantically to Lela’s house. I couldn’t believe that for a moment, I had let my past with Camilla come in between us. I stopped in front of Lela’s apartment and banged on the door, but no one opened up. I dialed her phone a couple of times, but I was left with the voicemail response. Her phone was probably off. I scratched my head in frustration thinking about where she could be. An idea popped into my head.
I rushed to my car and headed to her parents’ house.
Chapter 16 - Make or Break
Lela Olsen & Mike Pearson
“Honey, can I come in?” My mum said, knocking on the door. I got up from the bed and opened the door for her. The moment I saw the sad look in her eyes. I began bawling again. I fell into her embrace. She patted me and led me to the bed.
“It’s okay sweetie. It’s okay,” she said. I remained quiet while she patted my head. She cooed said things to calm me down. I didn’t listen to her. All I had on my mind was why Mike had done what he did. He shouldn’t have led me on if he still loved his ex so much.
“Why did I ever agree to go to that stupid gym?” I cried. My mum said nothing, she just stroked the back of my head to gently to calm me down.
“Why does it hurt so much? I’ve barely even known him for long…”
“It’s going to hurt sweetie. I don’t want you to bottle your feelings. It’s okay to cry,” my mum spoke this time but didn’t stop stroking me.
“I know but I swore to never let a man make me cry,” I sobbed.
“If I had a dollar for every time I swore never to cry, your dad and I would be billionaires. I still cry whenever your dad hurts me,” my mum chuckled.
“Thanks for making me feel better mum,” I sobbed. She patted my head gently like I was her pet. I missed doing this with my mother.
“You’re my daughter. I will always be here whenever you need me.”
She paused. “I should probably go and get that tub of ice cream so it can be a proper heartbreak,” my mother chuckled.
“You should do that. Then we should watch romantic movies and cry some more.”
“One large tub of cookies and cream coming right up.” She got up from my bed and smiled at me. I smiled weakly at her. I didn’t have the strength to be happy yet. My heart was still shattered from earlier.
* * *
I sighed and laid down properly. My mother was taking a long time to get the tub of ice cream. It had already been fifteen minutes. I got up from my bed to check on her. She was probably doing something with my dad and forgot. I walked down the stairs of the house and heard some voices at the door.
My mum sounded pissed at the person she was talking with. I moved closer to the door and recognized the voice immediately. It was Mike’s.
“I don’t think she wants to see you.”
“I know but I just need to explain myself. Lisa please just help me out this once. I beg you.”
“I don’t know Mike,” she sighed.
“Just please beg her to listen to me even if this is the last time she does. I’ve been trying to reach her, but her phone is switched off.”
“I’ll try to get her downstairs. If she decides not to come down, you’ll have to leave my front porch,” my mum said shutting the door in his face.
My mum stopped walking when she saw me sitting on the last stair. She sat down beside me and sighed.
“I’m guessing you heard everything, and I don’t need to repeat what he said.”
I nodded in response.
“It’s up to you now. You can go back upstairs and never see him or you can go and listen to what he has to say. Just know that I support whatever decision you make.” She smiled and kissed me on the head.
“What would you have done in this situation?” I asked her because I didn’t know what to do. A part of me wanted to go out and listen to him while the other part of me never wanted to see him again.
“I would listen to him even if I’d never take him back. Just for the sake of clarity and peace of mind,” my mum said. She tapped my shoulder and climbed up the stairs leaving me alone. I sat on the stairs for a while before I walked to the door. I walked away from the door and turned to walk back to my room. I didn’t th
ink I was ready to face him without wailing again. My face was puffy and red. I took a deep breath and walked back to the door. I turned the handle and opened it slightly. He looked like was about to leave. He turned around and stared at me with sadness in his eyes.
* * *
The door slammed in my face. I knew it was a long shot. I was quite thankful that Lisa, not Tom, had been the one to answer the door. He would have probably threatened to kill me. I had made his daughter cry.
I prayed she would forgive me because I knew she was hurting. I was so dumb to have hesitated. I had panicked, and now I had hurt her. I waited outside for about twenty minutes, before I realized that Lela probably didn’t want to see me.
Lisa had told me to get off her front porch if she didn’t come out and I was going to respect her wishes. But, at the very least I was going to stay in my car until Lela came out and I didn’t care if she didn’t come out till morning. I turned around to leave when I heard the front door open.
Lela stood beside the door. She opened it slightly and placed one leg out the door and the other inside. Her eyes were puffy and red. She had been crying because of me. My heart shattered at the sight. I had been stupid enough to let this woman cry. She had changed into her pajamas. I walked up to her front immediately. She moved back from me a little. It was nothing compared to what I had done to her.
“Lela, I’m so sorry I hesitated. I know it doesn’t make any difference to you now, but I told her you’re my girlfriend. I panicked, and I know I shouldn’t have, but I’m sorry. I don’t want Camilla. It’s you I want. She got in my head for a few seconds, but then I realized she wasn’t you,” I rushed out. The apology speech I had been practicing beforehand had flown out the window the moment I saw Lela.
“You still have feelings for her, don’t you?”
I shook my head frantically immediately. I didn’t have feelings for Camilla anymore.
“I don’t. I thought I did but seeing her after you left made me realize I would have made the dumbest mistake if I ever chose her. I mistook our history for feelings. I’ve moved on.”
“It hurt that you were quiet,” Lela whispered.
I reached for her hand, but she moved back again. I deserved that.
“I know, and I’m a jerk for making you cry, Lela. I deserve any punishment you want to give me, but please, Lela, don’t break up with me because I don’t want to ever let you go. I don’t want things to end between us.”
She sighed and stared at me for a long time. I would take whatever verdict she made, but I wasn’t going to agree if it was a breakup.
“Lela, I want you.”
“I couldn’t even break up with you even if I wanted to.”
She paused.
“Part of it has to do with my mother and the other reason is probably because I can’t bring myself to type the break-up message to you.”
“Thank you, Lisa,” I said out loud.
“It really hurt Mike but I’m willing to give us another try. This is our first hurdle as a couple and we need to cross it,” she sighed.
“I’ll do anything for you, Lela,” she smiled weakly at me. I reached out for her, but she didn’t move back this time. I wrapped my hands around her and hugged her.
“I’m sorry, Lela,” I hugged her tightly, afraid that she wasn’t in my arms for real.
We pulled away from each other. I didn’t know if I could lean in for a kiss, but I made the move and saw she didn’t push me away. I smiled immediately when our lips touched.
“Not in my house,” Tom yelled. Lela chuckled while I sheepishly apologized. We hadn’t realized her parents had been watching us from the window.
“They’re not kids, you know,” Lisa defended us, “But you two should get a room.”
“We will,” Lela chuckled lightly. Tom groaned as Lela led me to my car.
I snickered at Lela’s mischievousness. Whatever she had planned, I was down for it.
“I’ll just go and pick up my things from inside,” she turned around to leave. I held her hand and pulled her back. I placed a chaste kiss on her lips.
“What was that for?”
“Because I wanted to.”
She smiled and walked into her parent’s house. I watched her walk hastily. I smiled at her cute run. I was almost stupid enough to let a girl like Lela go. I wasn’t that guy anymore. It was going to be Lela and me against the world. I was going to spend every day waking up to her beautiful face. She meant the world to me.
Chapter 17 - Night to Remember
Lela Olsen
“Lela, are you ready?”
“Y-yes…just give me a minute.”
I heart started beating faster. Two years had passed in the blink of an eye. Mike and I had gone through so much as a couple, but we’d stuck through it. He had become my best friend, and it was hard to imagine life without him.
This morning, we had made the commitment to be with each other for the rest of our lives. The wedding was beautiful. It was everything I could have asked for in a wedding. It was held at an ornate church between the city and the countryside with white steeples and an eccentric white marble floor. A stream of water flowed past the church, setting a tranquil atmosphere and making guests gasp at the scenery. It was breath taking.
Mike and I had said our vows, exchanged rings, and finished with cheers from our friends and family upon ending the ceremony with a kiss. Photos were taken in the afternoon before we moved to a nearby barn to celebrate the wedding reception in the evening. The barn was littered with fairy lights to the point that it literally lit up the dark night.
I laughed so hard over the night as Mike’s brothers teased him. Our parents enjoyed deep conversation with one another and danced the night away, while many of our friends found ways to entertain themselves with the new people they met. The whole wedding was a huge success.
I sighed as I reminisced the memory of the whole day.
Another knock interrupted my thoughts.
“Your minute is up, I’m coming in,” Mike said playfully before opening the door to our hotel room’s en suite.
Mike grinned at me and stared at my lingerie as I cracked up.
“Oh my gosh, Mike, just be patient okay? I’m trying to get ready for you. So impatient.” I rolled my eyes at him with a smile.
“You’ve been in here for nearly forty minutes Lela,” Mike laughed, “You’re already ready, beautiful.”
“Okay,” I said nervously as I looked from Mike’s abs to his handsome face. I blushed, unsure what to expect from our first night together.
Mike laughed before grabbing my waist and pulling me towards him. He greeted my mouth with a deep, sensual kiss as his calloused hands began to explore my body. I moaned as he squeezed my butt hard. He sucked on my lower lip, making me moan into his mouth before his tongue roamed the corners of my mouth.
“Please be gentle with me, Mike,” I whispered.
“Are you really sure you want me to hold back?” he whispered back into my ear.
“Probably not hey,” I grinned.
He picked me up as I squealed and placed his hands under my butt. My legs were wrapped around his torso. I moaned as he sucked on my neck. He carried me to the hotel bed and placed me on it gently, before continuing to make a trail down my neck. I moaned each time his teeth grazed the sensitive parts of my neck.
He dropped the strap of my bra putting my breasts in full display, pausing to admire them before sucking my right breast and caressing the left one with his hand. I moaned as pleasure cascaded through my body. I knew my panties were already soaked. I tried to pull down his boxers as he sucked on my breast, but I was already so weak from the sensation coursing through that I gave up. My mind was too hazy to focus. I just laid there panting, letting him have his way with me. He slowly pulled my panties off my body. The cold air kissed my wet pussy.
He spread my legs wider than they were already. Mike placed his tongue on my clit. I moaned at the contact. He flicked his tongue from si
de to side and up and down. I was throbbing, and my legs were quivering.
“Oh my!” I screamed as he inserted a finger into me with his tongue still on my clit. I wasn’t expecting the intrusion. He thrust his finger in and out of me while still moving his tongue. I was on cloud nine. I screamed in pleasure. My body trembled as I got closer to climax. He continued until the walls of my pussy closed in on his finger, and I came. I cried as my legs trembled.
He licked his finger and smiled at me. He placed his lips back on mine. I could taste myself on his tongue. He gave me a moment to recover before he slipped off his boxers and melded his lips into mine.
