Forbidden Passions

56|| Don't Settle

|Sebastian Ferguson|

Elena was devastated. I could see and feel it, and the extreme physical pain I knew she was in made me feel worse for her.

She'd been sobbing silently into my shoulder for minutes, her tears soaking through my shirt, and her hands clinging to my vest as if her life depended on it.

Rage, frustration, desperation for answers, confusion—I knew she felt it all, and right now, bleeding it from her eyes was the easiest way of seeking some sort of relief, even if it was just for a few minutes.

I gave her time to let it all out, but still made sure she could feel I was there for her, my hands gently brushing through the soft curls of her hair.

I wished I could tell her it would definitely get better, but I wasn't sure of how things would evolve. I didn't know her relationship with Xavier deep enough for me to tell how much damage she'd suffer if things continued the way they were.

I'd been living with a heartbreak since the day the woman I loved left me on our wedding day, and it was a kind of pain I didn't wish on anyone. It'd fucked me up in so many ways and brought out the worst in me—a side of myself I never knew existed.

I didn't want that to happen to Elena. I couldn't let it happen. I felt like I owed it to her—some form of happy ending, and if he was her happy ending, I was willing to do anything to give it to her.

How could I know when he wasn't communicating with anyone even after so many days of patiently waiting and hoping for a valid explanation?

I could feel Elena withdraw from me eventually, her sobs dying down. She sat up straight, wiping away her tears with the back of her hands.

"I'm sorry," she softly chuckled, smoothening her hand over my shoulder in a back-and-forth motion. "My emotions are all over the place."

"It's okay," I responded honestly, following her teary eyes. "Do whatever you need to do to feel better."

Elena took a deep sigh, her eyes focusing on me. "What about you? Have you spoken to him yet since we last met?"

"I tried contacting him twice, then I kind of gave up. I don't feel like this is the time to be chasing each other around when there are so many personal things I intend on working on. He'll come to me when he's ready."

I didn't know whether to expect some explanation, excuse, apology, or nothing altogether. I was just waiting and consciously aware we had things to talk about.

He'd sworn multiple times he'd never been romantically involved with Delilah, and he went on and stood by his word when I discovered the tape. If he'd been honest, why would Delilah confidently claim he was a potential father, and why hadn't he instantly denied those allegations?

"And Delilah?" Elena asked me with a soft sniffle. "I feel like you two have a lot to talk about, and that conversation could heal so many parts of you she broke."