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Chapter 16
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Ophelia
I have been lying on this bed for the last ten hours thinking. I have a steady stream of tears running down my face, but I'm in control of myself. As much as I love Maggie, I now know that there is no one here that I can trust enough to stay. Maggie has never given me a reason to not trust her, but with Cole being her brother I don’t know how far it will go before she ultimately picks her family over me. If Cole is bent on ruining me or making my life unbearable then at some point it is going to start affecting our friendship. I want to believe that she would choose me over him, but they are family and they seem to be pretty close.
I make my way over to the table where my bag is and grab my wallet so that I can call in some food and have it delivered to me. I haven't eaten since the couple of bites that I took at lunch. I order a pizza and sit back and think about how my eighteenth year of life has been more messed up than I could have ever imagined. On my ei
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Cole As I make my way to her house, I try to come up with a plan of what to do and say. I know that I don’t deserve a chance, but I have to take one. I love that girl with every fiber of my being, and I can’t believe that I was too stupid to admit it for so long. I know that I am not the only one that loves her. I think that Mason does too. I know for sure that Pearce is head over heels for her, but I don’t think she sees him that way. I pull into her drive, and I see that she lives in a nice house, or rather her family does. The first time I was here it was dark, and I didn't pay attention to what the place looked like. I know she lives in the shabby apartment above the garage, and that just pisses me off more. Ophelia should be cherished by all those in her life. Instead, she has been stuck with nothing but heartache. I walk up to the door and ring the bell with my stomach in knots. I feel like I may vomit at any moment. “How may I help you?” I look up to s
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Ophelia I know that I can't hide in this hotel forever and it's making me sick to my son teach to think about it. Saturday evenings are meant to be fun and relaxing, and I'm here worrying about what I'm going to say to my family. I can't keep putting this off, so I grab my keys and head out the door. I need to get the answers to my questions so that I can make the best choices on what to do. The drive over is calm, and my nerves have settled a little. I park in the driveway and see that all of the cars are there. I take a deep breath and head to the door. I ring the bell and wait for someone to come. My father opens the door, and his eyes widen at the sight of me. "Ophelia, where have you been? People have been calling and showing up since last night looking for you." His words shock me. "I need to talk with you, mom, and Katherine. If you could please get them into the living room." He nods and lets me in the door. I sit down in an armchair a
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Ophelia When I wake in the morning, I have a new sense of purpose. I eat a granola bar and some fruit while making some calls to secure a realtor. After talking to several, I find a woman that I feel comfortable with. Her name is Madison, and she has already been sending me homes to look at already. I hear a knock at the door, so I make my way to it, knowing who it is. "Hi, guys. Please come in." I open the door wider and allow them to enter. "Ophelia, I have been so worried," Gregory says as I close the door. He pulls me into a hug. "I've grown so attached to you, I feel like you're my daughter. Maggie told me what happened. I'm so sorry for what my nephew did to you." I pull back to see Gregory look like he could break down. He has always been sensitive around Maggie and me, but this is something new. He means every word he says. Tears form in my eyes as I think that this is the first time in years that I have felt like there is an adult who would t
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Ophelia Gregory picks me up, and we head to the school. Susan was expecting us just before classes start. We talked it over and Gregory thought it best that he parks in the faculty parking lot and takes me in the back entrance. The last thing that I need is to see any students, and have to relive my humiliation all over again. I've managed to avoid everyone involved for the most part, and I don't want that to change. My plan on leaving is still set, and I don't want anything to change my mind. As we enter the back door Susan is there waiting on us. She leads us to a meeting room where the head of the school board sits waiting. "Good morning Ms. Harris. I'm Jackson Ward, and I'm over the school board. I have spoken with the other members last night, and they all agreed that I should be the one to help make this decision today. Would you mind talking about what happened and what makes you want to make such a rash decision to leave early?" The man looks
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Cole After punching the idiot multiple times, I notice that Ophelia is gone. I take off running for my car, hearing my Aunt yelling for me to stop. I don't care what happens to me, but I have to talk to her. She has to know how I feel about her and that all of this was a huge mistake. I drive by her house again, and she isn't there. I have been looking everywhere and haven't been able to find her at all. She has to be staying somewhere close, but nothing is turning up. I called all the hotels and motels in the area, and there isn't an Ophelia Harris staying in any of them. I decide the next best option is my uncle. He doesn't answer his phone, so I head to the shop. He's always there, and I hope to find Ophelia there as well. Something in me is telling me that I am on the verge of losing her before I ever even get her. I walk up to the shop, and the sign says closed. I try the door, and it opens. Maggie comes running from the back, with Gregory coming
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Ophelia Getting everything together yesterday helped give me peace about my decisions. I'm grabbing a quick breakfast and getting ready to meet my realtor, Maddison. I make my way to her office after I eat, and I'm surprised at hope cute her office is. "Hi, you must be Megan." She smiles and takes my hand. " I have some lovely houses for you to look at. There is one in particular that is located about a mile from campus that I think you will love." "I'm very excited to take a look at these. Have you talked with the lawyers and everyone to get the closing sped up?" I ask with a full honest smile on my face. "I did. We can get you into a house by tomorrow evening. Do you want to see the house I think is perfect first or last?" She says with an excited voice. "First. With all the information that we have shared back and forth, I have a feeling that I will love it. If I do, then no more searching." I say with a chuckle. We get in her car a
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Ophelia The last few weeks have been amazing. I've settled in nicely, and I love the house. I've already started finding favorite spots in the town and neighborhood. Gregory came and spent the weekend with me, and we talked a lot. He informed me that Maggie is trying to help Cole find me and that he thinks it's best if I reframe from contacting her for a while. I showed him around town, and we settled into a comfortable father-daughter relationship that makes us bother happy. I asked what he had told his family, and he said he informed them that he went to hang out with some of his old college friends. It worked out well because he was able to get away, and no one thought anything of it because he did this from time to time. I hated when he had to leave, but he promised to come back soon. Today I'm going to the campus books store to get all the books, and supplies I'll need. I'm taking a heavy course load, and I can't wait to get started. I drive to the colle
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ColeIt has taken four years and countless private detectives to find her. I have spent all of my free time searching for her. Many would think that I am a stalker, but I'm not. I need to fix this and tell her what has been on my heart all these years. If she doesn't want anything to do with me after, I will leave her alone, simple as that. I have spent these four years working on myself. I finished college early and now run my father's company and still spend time with Maggie and her son. Maggie met Jake a few months after Ophelia left, and they fell in love. They married after only six months of dating, and they had their son a year later. Carter is two and a total mini-me. How he looks and acts so much like me is crazy. But with how close Maggie and I are now, it is no surprise. Gregory has pulled away from the family somewhat. After Ophelia left, he was upset with Maggie for trying to help me find her. He kept saying that Maggie should understand why she doesn
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OpheliaI turn my head and see him standing there, grey eyes burning holes into mine. Cole’s dark brown hair pushed back away from his eyes and looking like he had just rolled out of bed. The smile on his face was a genuine one that went all the way to his eyes and held happiness. Part of me wanted to know what had put that happiness in his eyes. Part of me wanted to put that look there. Even though years had passed and I had loved my husband deeply, I still had some feelings for Cole. And that thought scared me. How could I have feelings for someone who had hurt me so deeply? What person in their right mind even entertained the thoughts of liking the person who shattered their heart? But then again, I think about how old we were when everything happened. Can I really hold a grown man who is doing well for himself, accountable for the actions he did as a stupid teenage boy? The answer is yes and no. What Cole did was horrible and should have never happened to anyone. But the Cole sta
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Ophelia“I never thought that in all my life I would see you again.” I look up to see a smiling Dominic. That proud smirk sitting on his face proves that he may have changed, but the same old Dom was still in there. Standing up and hugging him was the first instinct that I had, so I followed it. Part of me felt angry at myself for doing it, but most of me was happy to see an old friend. No matter what had happened in the past, it didn’t change the fact that somewhere deep inside, I still considered him a friend.“Never thought I would be here.” I say..“I’m so happy to see you. Knowing that I’m incredibly late with it, I’m sorry. As your friend, I should have told you up front about it all. Hell, I never should have taken part in anything so stupid. I’ve learned my lesson and would love to make all this up to you.” Dom says.“It’s over and done with. Don’t let this mistake stay with you forever. Were you right about what you did? Of course not. Do I forgive you for being a stupid kid
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ColeBusiness trips have been the bane of my existence since I started working with the company. Dad had always told me they were a great way to get some alone time. I found they sucked the life out of me. Running from meeting to meeting, trying to make things work, was something that I hate. Henson Tech has taken over my life for the last five years.Since I found Ophelia and made my peace with our relationship, I have focused solely on work. Gaining peace about Ophelia really just means that I want her to be happy. I still love her more than anything in this world and I would drop everything to make her happy. When her husband died, it took all of my willpower to not see her. I wanted to console her and tell her that everything would be alright. I wanted her and her son to feel safe and loved.I knew that if I did, I would cause her more stress. Instead of giving in to my desires, I ask Maggie daily how she was doing. I have removed any problem that could have come her way. I never
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Ophelia Light hits my face as I roll over in my sleep. My body fights the light and wants nothing more than to return to the darkness of my slumber. My sleep last night was nothing short of glorious. Thinking back, I realise I haven’t slept that well since Chris passed. The safety and love that he gave me always made me fall into a sleep that was deep and peaceful. Rubbing my eyes, I sit up in the bed and see that the sun is high in the sky. How late did I sleep? Looking at the clock, I see it is almost 11:30 in the morning. Jumping up, I head into the en-suite bathroom and get myself ready. I can’t remember the last time that I slept this late. There is no doubt in my mind that my dad and Bess have taken care of Ethan all morning. For the last few years, they have both begged me to make more time for myself and stop focusing all my attention on everyone else. Looking into the mirror, I see exactly why they have been telling me that. My face looks refreshed a
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Ophelia The time flew by while getting everything ready for the move. Ethan was over the moon, knowing that he was going to have his Papa in the house and that his Grandma Bess was coming with us. I put the house up for sale with all the furnishings left in it for the sale. We packed away all our things and hired movers to get them to Frankford. We have grown closer each day because Bess has been a lifesaver. Bess got out of her lease and sold all the things she didn’t want to take with her. Bess has been talking about how excited she is to meet Dad and to see the town that made such an impact on my life. I always tell her the same thing, you’ll be surprised. “Mommy, can I take some art stuff in the car with me?” Ethan asks as we load up the car. “I already set a bag of things in the seat for you.” I smile at him. “Yay!” I hear Ethan yell as he jumps up and down. “That child is always wanting to do something creative. He
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Ophelia Monday morning came all too soon, and I felt my nerves getting the best of me. The weekend had gone quickly, with Ethan and me playing at the park and painting. Ethan loves to teach me how to paint. I’m not the greatest at it, and he loves to tell me when I do something wrong. I have been out of practice since high school and it shows. I left him with Grandma Bess this morning. He adores her, and she feels the same about her. They like to spend their time doing many things together, and I think the child loves her as if she were his grandmother. Bess is nowhere near old at 52. But to Ethan, she is the right age to be his grandmother. Bess has always lived alone and has never been married. She said that there has never been a man that is good enough. I have often wondered if she and Dad would be interested in one another. Both of them claim to have never found someone who lights their fire. Maybe next time Dad’s in town, I should invite her over to meet him. I walk into th
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OpheliaThe sound of the doorbell brings a chorus of squeals from the stairs, and I know Ethan has heard it. The child gets more excited to see Alex and Emily than he ever does me. I can’t help but laugh at the tiny body flying through the house, racing toward the door. Ethan knows to not open the door until I get there, but that doesn’t mean that the kid won’t stand by the door, dancing around impatiently, waiting for me. If I could have a quarter of the kids’ energy, then I would be in great shape. And getting more work complete than I thought possible.“Okay, okay, calm down there, big guy. I will let them in.” I say, watching as my child is wildly jumping around.I no sooner get the door open than Ethan runs and jumps into Alex’s arms, and I hear them both laughing together. Alex has been a positive force in Ethan’s life, and I do not know where we would be without my friends. Chris wanted them to be the Godparents for Ethan, and I made sure that wish was a reality. “I’m thinkin
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Ophelia The saying goes that some people are in your life for only a reason or a season. The question for me has always been, is it only the bad people or is it anyone that can disappear from your life? Does that mean that those that leave are only there for a season, and those that stay are there for a reason? I had been living the last four years of my life in pure happiness. I married a man that loved me and we had a beautiful son together. The problem is that he was only in my life for a season. I lost Christopher when our son turned a year old. The car accident happened just two days after his birthday. A drunk driver took him away, and they left me a shell of a person with a small child to raise alone. If it wasn’t for Emily and Alexander, I don’t know that I would have made it through. They helped me pick up the pieces of my life and move forward. Chris would have wanted me to live my life regardless of whether he was here. This thought alone helped me through many nights o
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Ophelia Once the door closes, and Cole is gone, I turn to look at the people who mean the most to me in this world. I am hoping that they are not angry at me for lying to them for four years. What I see makes me almost cry. I see love on their faces. Not a single look of anger, hurt, or even hate is there. "So, does this mean we should start calling you Ophelia?" Emily asks with a smile on her face. "Yes. I am going to change it all back. Now that my family can't get to me and I am finally free from my past, I want to be me again. Are you guys upset at all?" I silently pray that there is nothing that is upsetting them. "Are you kidding? We are just glad that you finally opened up to us. We are
