Exams were over for the semester and that meant I had more time to spend with Jared over the short break.The message I’d received from the anonymous sender got deleted before I even had time to think it through. What did they mean “I know what you did?”I couldn’t think of one person that could’ve sent me such text message so I ignored it, ruling it as a fluke.Jared and I remained careful though. Whenever I went to his house, it was always late evening and I was in his black hoodie, something he’d given me when I realised mine were not just big enough to hide me.I unwrapped my towel and got dressed in the room. Ashley walked in and said hi, I greeted her back. It’d been a while since we’d fought and we’d settled on civility to keep the peace of the room.I hadn’t even seen her friends around of late. Maybe it was because she wasn’t in the room all the time either.“Going somewhere?” I tried and failed to fight the smile that stretched my face even though I didn’t like her.“Ouu. A
I didn’t text Jared back for the longest time. I was immature. I didn’t care. He’d bailed on me last minute and gone out with some other chick. I didn’t think he was a cheat but I also didn’t know if I could trust him.‘Was that his fiance? Are they now back together?’ I pondered as I lay on my back on my bed, looking at the ceiling.The last time we’d talked about his fiance, he’d just simply said she broke up with him and not the other way around. I could also tell it was something that grieved him deeply and he probably wasn’t over her.The woman I’d seen, her face hadn’t looked familiar and I wondered if being with him meant I’d be sharing him with other woman.I groaned as I turned in position to face the wall, my head hurting from all the thinking I was doing. He had texted me once asking if you we could meet. Obviously, I said I was busy even though the ceiling seemed to have more interesting things going on for it than what I had going on in my life.I bit my lip as I scrolled
I spent the short break away from everyone, including Alyssa. Of course I missed Jared like crazy but what was I to do? I didn’t need anyone telling me what was clear as day. That singular act made me believe I didn’t mean a thing to him. “How was the break?” A girl spoke beside me. We’d never spoken before and it surprised me that there was a smile on her face as she looked at me. “It was fine, thank you?” She didn’t even mind that I had said it as a question due to my surprise and she just nodded and smiled. “Well, that was weird.” I found my way easily to class unlike the beginning of last semester when I easily got lost. Thankfully, the class was quite scanty and I could easily pick a seat. Usually, when you picked a seat, it was where you most likely sat for the rest of the semester. People continued to trickle in as the time neared the hour. I kept my head down, scrolling through I*******m reels not realising the class had quieted down. “Guys, welcome back to school.” My hea
I picked up my books for the second time today and balanced them on my arm. How could I betray myself like that? People were trooping out of classes and passing by. A teacher helping up a student wasn’t weird. What was weird was him standing in the middle of the hallway and just openly staring. I prepared myself mentally. I was going to walk away from this man, literally and emotionally. I knew he couldn’t run after me. Would he if he could? The thought left a bitter taste in mouth. All those kisses, all those words, they were lies. I hadn’t moved too far when a text came in. It could only be one person but I didn’t check to confirm. Not now. My fourth and last class of the day was about to be over when our results were released simultaneously. I knew I had done my best in my exams but I felt a sense of dread fill me as I opened the results section of our school portal. “What the fuck?” I had scored a C in Jared’s course. That was practically impossible. It was the only course I’d
Jared looked at me for a long while and then a smile crept up his face.“What’s funny about the whole thing?” I was beyond pissed and him smiling at me wasn’t helping matters.“My sister.” Then his face turned serious.“Is that why you wouldn’t even talk to me? Because of my sister?”“Why did you decline my call then?”“My sister is a very nosy person. Would you have liked her to know that we were together when ‘you don’t know anything about me’ yet?” His face pulled into a frown on the last part of his sentence. I was slowly starting to feel stupid. He picked up his shirt from the arm rest and wore it, covering up his glorious body I vehemently refused to look at.“You don’t believe me?” Strangely, I did. He had no reason to lie, especially when it cost us a lot to be together in the first place.My mouth flapped open and shut, unsure of what to say as I thought of how immature I was being. This could’ve been all solved if I had just confronted him.My face turned beet red from embar
“Did I do something wrong? Talk to me.” Jared spoke gently, turning so he could face me directly.“It’s not you, it’s me.” His face morphed into one of incredulity.“I don’t mean it like that.” I chuckled despite how I’d felt earlier.“How do you mean?” He moved closer to me but kept enough distance that I didn’t feel suffocated. I took a deep breath and lifted up my tank top to show him what I meant.I was very conscious about my scar but showing it to him meant I trusted him.“Your surgery?” I could see it in his eyes that he wanted to touch it. I nodded. My scars were over 3 years and I shouldn’t be scared of it.I took off my tank top and his eyes widened.“Can I?” His gaze remained fixed on my stomach and his hands rose up to touch the scar.I took a deep breath and nodded. The moment I felt his fingers trail the long ugly scar, I felt a sense of warmth envelop me. His fingers trailed higher to where the scar stopped behind my back. I turned my back to him to allow him access to
Hands found my lips. “Hmmm hmmmmn!!!” I tried to yell. “Shhh! It’s me, Matt.” “Hmm?” “Promise you won’t scream?” I nodded my head. His hands had also covered my nose and I was finding it difficult to breathe. “What are you doing? It’s…” I looked at my phone and squinted at the brightness, checking the time. “… 1am.” I looked back up at his shadow, moving back subconsciously. “I was just leaving.” He put his hands in his pockets and looked back at Ashley who was fast asleep. “Oh... okay. Well, goodnight.” I whispered so as not to wake Ashley. I knew Ashley would throw a fit if she saw us talking. I even found it weird that they were dating each other even though she knew we’d dated previously and I was almost sure he knew she was my roommate. “Good night.” He whispered back, an edge to his tone that I couldn’t put my finger on. I held the bedsheet to my chest, feeling like what had happened could have ended up a different way. *** I couldn’t wait for the Easter holiday even
I didn’t want to lie, not after she’d shared an important part of her life with me. “Yeah. I’m actually seeing someone.” I looked at her with uncertainty in my eyes. “Oh…” She looked back up. “So far you’re happy, that’s really all that matters.” I placed an arm around her and pulled her into a tight hug. She had understood with one look at me that it wasn’t something I could talk about, no matter how much I wanted to. “Thank you.” “Why?” She teased. She knew exactly why. I pushed her slightly. “Let’s go.” She jumped off the boot, laughing alongside me. “Yeah.” It was already very dark and I had class the next day. ***Ashley had been giving me attitude all week and valentine’s day was approaching. I wasn’t really expecting anything but the atmosphere had become so condensed with sexual tension lately that I felt people would start making out in classes with the stares that went from one sex to the opposite. “I heard Professor Deric had to leave his office door open because he
Jared and Leah did become friends again but their interests lay somewhere else. They realised they were made for bigger things and they would do that outside the cave they once existed as lovers and even if something were to happen between them, it would take more time than expected for it to happen. Aly, Aarav, Jared, Jack and Leah remained friends but things would change over time. Work, family, life and ambition would force that circle to expand to others too. You may imagine that Leah and Jared ended up together or not. You are the author of that story, a work of fiction is a work of fiction. Author’s Note (I hope this doesn’t come off as offensive): I’ve seen some comments about therapy seeming like a bad thing. Therapy is not weakness, it is an admittance that you need help you may not be able to provide yourself. Mental health issues are not a joke and deserve audience. Some of us have been through traumatic experiences, loss of loved ones, accidents, bullying, harassmen
THIRD PERSON'S POVLeah looked different. There was something about her, like a light that surrounded her and her eyes looked burdenless. Maybe it was the Norway air, but she seemed ... better. Both she and Jared did."Mr Deric?" The secretary had her head cocked to the side, wondering why her guest was awe-struck, standing in the doorway."Sorry." Jared shook his head and walked in. Leah had a smile on her face as she watched him walk in. She recognised that air of confidence that usually surrounded him and couldn't stop watching him.Her attention was called by the men that surrounded her, as she spoke, she seemed to put everyone in a trance. Jared didn't hear a word she said, only observing how comfortable and right at home she felt."I have called this meeting here today because of a different kind of alliance about to be brokered between Norway and the US. Miss Leah Thomas has come as a financial representative of the BridgeStone Foundation, a company spearheaded by the governmen
Jared’s POVLetting Leah go was one of the hardest things I had ever had to do but I did it for her and myself. I was wrong to assume she’d come running back to my arms because I saved her. I smiled wryly to myself.I hadn’t seen her in quite a long while and our paths never crossed again. Aly was beyond pissed that she tried to leave without telling her but she quickly forgave her when she saw her condition. They talked all the time too and that was why I knew what she was up to most of the time.“Do you regret it?” I looked at the lady before me, she was seated behind her desk, peering down at me with curiosity. “What?” I’d zoned out for a minute and didn’t hear her.“Do you regret it? Letting her go.” I inhaled sharply. I’d been coming here for months. When Aarav asked me why I thought I needed a therapist, my reply was ‘who doesn’t?’“Not really. It was her decision but I got to understand much later. It would have been selfish of me to ask her to stay when she needed to go.” I f
I waited for him to clear his bed and offer me a seat before I sat. I shook my head internally. How did it get to this? I asked myself.‘You did it.’ I exhaled loudly and watched him perch himself on his work chair. He turned to me and rose his brows as if to say ‘what did you want to talk about?’ I cleared my throat and rubbed my clammy hands against my gown. I’d resorted to wearing gowns due to the fact that it was less constricting than most and easier to pull off, I just had to undo the zip and let the dress fall to my legs.“Yeah… uhm…” He continued looking at me and I couldn’t bear it anymore, so I found interest in the bedsheet. It was a fine looking colour, regal and plush looking. It felt so soft to touch, almost like you’d sink into it and be enveloped in a word of threads and fabrics.“Leah?” I hitched a breath when I heard his voice. No matter how many years I’d known him, no matter how many times he called me, I’d always feel the fluttering in my stomach whenever my name l
“I injured my spleen, not my legs. I can walk for myself.” I smacked Jack’s hands away from me. “It’s so you don’t try to run away again.” I rolled my eyes at him even though I felt a stabbing pain in my chest.“Pretty sure I can’t move past this house without falling over.” I’d been recuperating for the past week and Jack was coming over once in a while to check on me. Let’s just say he is more overbearing than most, and I thought Jared was worse.Speaking of Jared, he’d been avoiding me. The only reason I was sure he was even around the house was the fact that food and my pills were always made available. The pills I took made me drowsy for most of the day, so I spent most of it sleeping.“Have you seen Jared today?” I asked Jack as I swallowed my pills and washed them down with water.“Nope.” Jack said and turned the T.V on. If I was being honest, I feared speaking to him. No doubt, my accident had changed the dynamics of our relationship and I wasn’t sure if it had become worse o
Most of the time, situations arise, things happen and we are inclined to judge of the situation. It is easier that way because, sometimes, it makes us feel better about ourselves.When the tides turn and we become recipients of judgment, we understand the situation better. It takes a human to realise his mistake, but it takes a humble human to admit it. How many times have we judged a situation wrongly and admitted our error?We’re all guilty of hurting someone, friend, foe, lover… not intentionally but we seek forgiveness. Forgiveness isn’t just feeling sorry, it’s also a way of cleansing our souls, freeing ourselves from the guilt.Jared never told Leah that he forgave her and she couldn’t forgive herself, she couldn't free herself from the guilt.***JARED’S POV “What’s going on?” I asked the doctor who’d just come out of the operating room Leah had been moved to. 14 hours was the longest time I’d had to wait for a report from a doctor and the expression on his face wasn’t looking
I ran my fingers through my hair, walking to and fro like a sojourner who had lost his compass, I’d probably lost mine. The ambulance had arrived shortly after but the Leah was already… I shook my head. ‘No, she can’t be.’ I couldn’t focus on any other thing than the fact that there were many doctors running with Leah’s gurney, one was on top of her, doing chest compressions. The sweat beaded on the doctor’s face told me they’d been doing it since she was in the ambulance.I was slowly losing my mind and Aarav wasn’t here. He was busy trying to sort everything out while I went with Leah. I didn’t want to leave her side, if only I could have followed her into the OR.“She has lost too much blood, especially with the damage to her spleen and hypothermia already seeped in…” I didn’t want to know all the negatives, I didn’t want to know what was wrong.“Can someone tell me, is she going to be okay?” I yelled at the people who had brought Leah in, who seemed to be conversing with a doctor
JARED’S POV“What are you going to do?” I flipped the documents that Leah had sent. I hadn’t had the chance to look at it because I didn’t want to, not initially. Anything involving her work place kind of pissed me off but when I finally did, I could stop the fear that ran through my bones that Leah could be in danger because of it and I needed to act fast.I looked up at Aarav whose facial expression mirrored mine. He too was very conflicted and while he trusted Leah, it would be a big move to change banks, disastrous if it was the wrong move. We had been using Marque and Co. for so long and the previous leadership had proved capable of handling our assets.This new guy, this Ryan Fisher, from the moment I first saw him, I knew something wasn’t right with him. What Leah had sent hadn’t pointed to him as the culprit but with just enough evidence to let us know that something shady was going on and we needed to act fast or we’d lose more than just money.“We should involve the cops.” I
I felt a kick to my head and I groaned, my head feeling like it was split open. I blinked my eyes to get accustomed to the light before trying to sit up, something I found difficult and almost impossible to do.I tried to move my body and realised I was bound hand and feet. This slowly entered my consciousness and my drug-induced haze cleared up, I was face to face with a horrid looking mask and I scrambled backwards, bumping into something that felt horribly cold to my skin, metal.The person in front of me moved back, giving me room to at least breathe.“What the hell is going on?” I looked around to see not one, like I had imagined, but four people, armed with guns. My heart started to beat faster than normal at gauging my situation and my throat felt dry. It was dark outside and I realised I must’ve been asleep for hours.I was going to miss my flight, if I even made it out alive in the first place. No one replied me and I couldn’t even make out anything with the ridiculous outfit