Golden Horizon: The Sea's Secret

Parting Words 2

Emma finally broke the silence. "Let's get to the point, Jake. I agreed to meet you here because I want to hear your side—why you chose to cheat on me, why you betrayed not just our love, but our friendship as well. And I wanna ask do you love her Jake?"

Jake looked up, his eyes widening slightly in surprise at the question. He opened his mouth to respond, but Emma raised a hand, halting him. "I'm serious, Jake. Do you love her?"

For a moment, there was silence between them, the question hanging in the air like a weight. Emma could feel her heart pounding, but she was surprised at herself—surprised that, despite everything he had said, the hurt she felt now wasn't about the loss of love. It was about the disappointment in Jake for being a coward. In that moment, she realized that she no longer felt anything toward him beyond a deep sense of pity for both him and Atasha.

Jake sighed, his voice barely above a whisper. "Yes, I do. I didn't realize it at first. I was confused and scared, trying to hold on to what we had. But in the end, I think I always knew."

Emma nodded slowly, her emotions swirling in a complex mix of relief and sadness. "Then why did you lie to both of us, Jake? Why couldn't you just be honest with me when we were in New York or that night when you drunk-called me? I swear Jake it would hurt me but I would understand. But – you choose to betray me"

Jake took a deep breath, his expression filled with regret. "I never meant to hurt you, Emma. When I arrived in Hawaii three years ago after our first breakup, I was lost. I had nothing since I had cut ties with my family. Atasha was the one who helped me get a job at the café. We started as friends, and even though I bonded with her and the others at the café, it was always you on my mind." He hesitated, his voice growing softer. "But as our friendship grew, I started to notice something I couldn't quite understand. Atasha became... special to me in a way that I hadn't expected. It was confusing, and I didn't know how to deal with it. You were still in my heart, but I couldn't deny that something was changing between Atasha and me."

Jake paused, searching for the right words. "But a year later, just before I went to New York, Atasha confessed her feelings to me. I didn't give her an answer because... I was confused. I knew my feelings for her were growing, but my love for you was still there, Emma. I didn't want to hurt you, but I didn't know how to deal with what I was feeling."

Emma's gaze hardened, her voice edged with anger. "So you chose to hurt me instead?"

Jake looked down, guilt washing over him. "No, I never meant to hurt you. I just... I was so happy to see you when I bumped into you in New York. It felt like my feelings hadn't changed, and I wanted to give our love a second chance. But as we tried to make it work, something was always missing. I didn't understand why."

He paused, his eyes filled with sorrow as he continued. "The day we met at that convention, Atasha was with me. She didn't know we had gotten back together, and I knew that telling her would hurt her deeply. So I hid the truth from both of you. I don't know why I was so afraid," Jake continued, his voice trembling slightly. "The more I tried to stay away from Atasha, the harder it became. I was torn between my feelings for both of you and in trying not to hurt anyone, I ended up hurting everyone—especially you. I never wanted this, Emma. I didn't want to hurt you, but I couldn't bring myself to lose Atasha either."

As Emma sat there, absorbing Jake's words, they washed over her like waves, each revelation hitting her with a new surge of emotion. She had come prepared to hear his side, expecting to be hurt and perhaps cry her heart out, but now, as the conversation unfolded, she felt a strange sense of relief. She was glad she had talked to him, glad to finally confront the ghosts of their past.

"You know," she began, her voice steady but tinged with sadness, "when we got back together in New York, I always felt something was off. I knew something in you had changed, but I was in denial. I could sense Atasha's feelings for you when I met her. I was hoping you would find the time to tell me the truth—that the second chance we had wasn't going to work. I knew I would be hurt if you told me that, but I would have appreciated it because it would have shown that you respected my feelings and our friendship. We might have even saved it if you just told me the truth."

She paused, gathering her thoughts as Jake watched her, his expression a mix of regret and understanding. "I wasn't hurt because you fell in love with someone else. I was hurt because you allowed me to be hurt by that. If you could have just told me."

Emma's heart raced as she continued, "I love you Jake I would want happiness for you. So even if you had told me you now love someone else I would understand. What I didn't understand is hiding it from me and choosing to betray me like that"

Jake looked at her, tears glistening in his eyes, and for a moment, the weight of their shared history hung heavily between them. He opened his mouth to speak, but Emma held up her hand.

"Just... let me finish," she said softly. "I hope you can be honest with Atasha. She deserves that, just as I deserved it from you. You need to find your happiness, Jake, but you need to do it in a way that's true to yourself. Just remember that there's always room for honesty, no matter how hard it is."

Jake nodded, his face etched with sorrow and understanding. "I'm so sorry for everything, Emma. I never wanted to hurt you."

"I know," she replied, her voice a whisper. "But it's time for us to move on. We both need to find our paths now."

With that, Emma stood, taking one last look at the man she once loved. She could feel the weight of the past slowly lifting as she walked toward the door. Each step felt like a step toward a new beginning.