Didn't We Almost Have It All? | method man

Chapter 31

Jaida sat back in her chair, her emotions swirling as she listened to his heartfelt explanation of what really happened. She took a deep breath, trying process everything he had just revealed. The weight of the situation began to lift off her shoulders as she started to understand everything that happened.

She nodded, avoiding eye contact with him, "Thank you for sharing." She was still giving him the cold shoulder. She felt stupid for not staying that night to hear him out.

"That's it?" His face dropped with disappointment.

She rolled her eyes and gave an exasperated sigh, "I don't know Cliff. That night was a mess. We were just starting our relationship. I know you gave me a heads up on the distance but I guess I didn't think it'd be that hard. I missed you, you said you missed me so I thought it was a good idea to surprise you. You were being weird when I showed up and then when I walked in and noticed y'all were half naked, I couldn't help but to think the worst. I thought Shayla finally got what she wanted." Jaida confessed, a knot forming in her stomach as she bared her soul, a mix of emotions overwhelming her. The weight of unspoken truths was suffocating, yet liberating. Her heart was heavy holding everything in. She continued, "Before you, before Tia, I was so closed off. Scared to trust, scared of getting hurt by people. I didn't trust anybody, didn't want to open my heart to anyone ever again in fear that they will leave. Friends came and went. The love of my life came and went. I had to learn the hard way that everyone isn't meant to stay. I've always been scared of losing. That's why I always go hard in regards to my business. That's something I know isn't going to fail me unless I let it happen. I like to be in control and when I'm not, I get scared and it's uncomfortable for me hence is why our friendship...relationship carried on the way it did. There's been men who I tried to date but it was hard to connect with them cause I couldn't let my guard down. You broke through those walls so fast. So for me to take it this far with you, then seeing what I thought it looked like...," she looked down and shook her head, then looked back at him with her glossy eyes, and a lump in her throat, "I didn't know what else to do but leave and not look back."

He didn't respond at first. He smiled on the inside finally knowing how she's feeling. He reached across the table, placing his hand gently on top of hers, "I get it why you reacted the way you did but I just wanted to fill you in on what exactly happened that night. I know what it looked like and I'd be mad too. But nothing happened. " he stressed to her wholeheartedly. Jaida averted her gaze, needing a moment to get her thoughts together. "Jaida," his voice was firm, his eyes searching hers for a connection. She turned back to him, meeting his intense stare.

"Why you started fuckin with me?" he asked, his hands now folded on the table, a hint of agitation creeping into his tone. He sensed she was still having doubts.

Her brows furrowed in confusion, "what?"

"I don't let just anyone into my space...into my world. Why did you let me into yours?" he pressed on, providing more context to his question. Her mouth slightly agape, still trying to grasp the relevance of this to their current conversation.

"I...I don't know. We started working together and then we became friends," she hesitated, unsure of where this was leading.

"And what did you like about our friendship?" He asked digging for more clarification.

"I liked how we could talk about anything without fear of judgment. You were always there. You made me laugh, you always made me feel accepted, and no matter what, you were always so...raw and honest." She confessed.

He lightly thumped the table with his fist, emphasizing his point. "Exactly! What I'm tryna get you to realize is...We were friends before anything, forget the relationship. Keyword...raw and honest. Trust me when I tell you...I'd never lie or disrespect you like that."