𝐖𝐇𝐈𝐓𝐄 𝐅𝐄𝐑𝐑𝐀𝐑𝐈 | 𝐂𝐋𝟏𝟔

𝐗𝐋𝐕𝐈

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August 4th 2024

ZAHRA NICHOLS

Charles had accepted his fate and decided he might benefit from some space and time alone. Luckily, it was the summer break, and most of us had time off. So far, I've only spoken to him whenever he texted first, and he seems to be doing just fine.

On my end, things were a bit rocky. I had a moment of peace on my flight to London from Belgium. The "Eat Pray Love" effect seriously needs to be studied because as I watched "Eat Pray Love" on the plane and saw Julia Roberts have the time of her life after essentially quitting everything, I was lifted, to say the least.

Sure, right now I had everything I needed. I was successful in some ways: I had my dream job, a healthy relationship, and I was getting opportunities I never had. Yet, something felt off. Life had become a predictable routine, the only thing that kept me on my toes was flying to another country every other week. I realized I wanted more than just stability and success; I wanted adventure, fun, and the unpredictable things that would make my heart race.

Now that I think of it, it's probably why I have this thing with Charles. Meeting in secret, hiding—it all felt so thrilling. His conversation starters are the questions that get you really thinking, and I would never know what tomorrow would be with him.

That's when I came to the conclusion: I'll dump Wesley. Not for Charles, but because the phone calls with Wesley fell short. They were boring and stable. I don't think I want to settle down this early. I miss the freedom of exploring, and now I feel limited. You can argue that he was "the one," but I think we met too early. I was too young, I fell for him fast, and I decided I'd commit to this too soon.

Now, I know I have more to see. I crave more. I don't want to settle down just yet. And with a break from work and no travel plans, I decided, if it's not too cheesy, I'd have my own little "Eat Pray Love."

So, when I dumped him last week, my whole "Eat Pray Love" thing went away. I was there for four hours, and he kept asking, "Why?" What was I supposed to say? I'm dumping him because things are dry, so I accidentally said, "Because you're boring."

He ran and put my things in boxes and kicked me out. I stayed at a hotel for a while to mope. Well, I got the "Eat" part of my journey done. I was binge-eating, stress-eating, and had a little too much ice cream. When I finally became normal again, Keir offered that I'd stay at his place until I could find a place of my own. So, Keir and I are roommates. Not so yay—he might be gay, but he's still a man. Living with a man is scary.

Keir's flat was surprisingly tidy for a bachelor pad, which made the move a little easier. I liked his company, though, and our sense of humor is similar, so it was easy for him to lift my spirits. Today, we were getting ready for Alma and Jeffery's wedding, which was taking place at a  manor about an hour away from London.

Keir poked his head into my room, his hair still wet from the shower. "Ready to go, Zahra? Alma's going to kill us if we're late."

"Almost!" I called back, fussing with the zipper on my dress. Not to be narcissistic, but all I could think of was how hot I looked in this dress and all the alcohol I would get. Emerald really is my color.

As we pulled up to the manor, the gardens and grand architecture took my breath away. Keir and I joined the guests, making our way to the ceremony area.