Love- As Real As the Moon

19

Hayley

I reach home from the orphanage, exactly at 7:10. He isn't there. My tiniest hope dies. I take a deep breath and open my door.
Am I in the wrong house?
My apartment is cleaned up and decorated. With fairy lights and moons. There are moon lamps and moon hangings all around- some old some new. I just stand there, stunned and confused when he comes from behind me.

"Like it?" Nick whispers in my ear.

"How did you-"

He slides in front of me. " Had some help."

"What? How? From whom?" I raise my brows.

"I'll tell you everything but right now, I only have five minutes. So may I?" He directs his hands towards the couch.
I nod and sit down on the couch.

"Mo-Hayley, I know I don't deserve your forgiveness. Not yet. So I'm not going ask for it, I'm just going to tell you the truth."
He takes a deep breath and continues,
"Ever since we met last year, I've been thinking about you every night- I've been thinking about how I saw a woman I had just met, cry behind a tree and wanted to strangle the person who was the reason behind her tears. I've been thinking about how the woman spread joy and happiness even when she wasn't feeling them deep inside. I've been thinking about how can someone be so fucking strong."

He looks at me. "Hayley, whenever you're around, I feel a sense of possessiveness and protectiveness. That's why, when I saw you entering his office alone, I ran after you. He has the power to ruin mine,Ol's and my father's life, Hayley and you knew that. So when I heard you seducing him, rage filled me, blind rage. I couldn't think straight. Hell, I couldn't think at all. All I wanted to do was kill that bastard and take you away from him."

He pauses for a second and continues, "The truth is, I was scared. I was so fucking scared. I was scared that he would ruin yor life too. I was scared you betrayed us. Me. Everything I said to you was born out of that fear and rage. I didn't mean any of it."
He gives a humourless chuckle, "In fact, I was silently praying that everything was a bad dream. I was praying you'd say everything I was saying was a lie and it was. I'm sorry for saying all that Hayley. But more than that I'm relieved that I was wrong. As I said, I'm not going to ask you to forgive me now but I promise I'm going to work every day to have your forgiveness someday. "
I don't know how long I can hold my tears. A sob firms in my throat as I say,

"Your five minutes are up."

I can see the hurt in his eyes as he stands up to leave.

As he walks towards the door, I shout, "Stop!Wait."