Tainted Desires | 18+

22 - 2:00 AM

Mirabelle Morrison

It's been hours since I came home to cry, and I could not sleep. I kept tossing in my bed as I remembered how Terrence looked at me when he asked me to dance. The way he let me walk away without saying anything left me feeling angry, hurt, and confused. There was no way the moment we shared on the balcony was a fleeting connection that had no significance.

I had the urge call or text him, but I knew there was a high chance he could call me out for being delusional and reading too much into it. All I could think about was if I'd said something wrong. All I did was be the bigger person and congratulate him on his engagement. Was I wrong to do that?

Turning to lie on my right side, my eyes settled on the alarm clock that was lit up in pink. It was two in the middle of the night, but my eyes were wide open. With another ounce of hope, I grabbed my phone with the urge to contact him. Or a possibility of if he had called or texted to make sure I had gotten home.

Nothing.

I should probably try and force myself to sleep. For all I know, he could probably be in between Eloise's legs, whispering sweet nothings in her ears while I was drowning myself here.

As I closed my eyes, the bell of the house started to ring repeatedly, jolting me out of bed. I quickly pulled on a sweater over my thin strap top as I made my way to the door. Was Stacey in trouble? Or could it be a drunkard who had missed his sense of direction? The thought of it even being a bad guy didn't cross my mind.

Quickly opening the door, the last person I expected to see in the middle of the night stood before me. He had on his glasses, which was at least responsible of him, seeing as he drove here by himself. He had changed from his suit to a white shirt and black sweatpants, but he had worn two different colours of Crocs. On his right was a dark blue croc while he had a black croc on his left leg.

"What are-"

"I'm sorry, Mirabelle," he interrupted me, his voice filled with a mix of vulnerability and urgency. "I'm sorry for barging in like this, for showing up unannounced at this ungodly hour. But I couldn't bear another night without telling you what's been tearing me apart. Please, just hear me out."

I gazed at him, captivated by the raw emotions etched across his face. The lump in my throat tightened, my heart beating faster with each passing second. I remained silent, giving him the space to pour out his soul.

"I've been a complete jerk, I know," he confessed, his voice trembling slightly. "Ever since you came back into my life, I've been a mess. It's been so hard for me to accept that you're here, right in front of me. And I couldn't keep pretending anymore. I had to come and see you, even if it meant risking everything."

He glanced at the phone in his hand, a fleeting glimpse of time that vanished as quickly as it appeared. His eyes found mine again, his gaze intense and unwavering.

"I know you're with David," he continued, his voice filled with both resignation and hope. "He's probably in there too, either sleeping soundly or waiting for you to return to bed. But I couldn't bear the thought of not telling you how I feel. There's a chance you might not feel the same way, and I've come to terms with that. Truly, I have."

The room fell silent, the weight of his words hanging in the air. My heart yearned for him to go on in revealing the depths of his emotions.

"Because, Mirabelle," he said, his voice barely above a whisper, "you drive me absolutely insane. It's as if the mere thought of you has infiltrated every fibre of my being. I've spent far too long restraining myself, convincing myself that I didn't care. But the truth is, I do. I care about you more than anything else in this world."