Legacy of Healing

Chapter 19: Jelous moment

The morning had been perfect, filled with warmth, love, and shared moments, but the calm started to unravel as soon as Anastasia stepped into her office. She was immersed in her work when Alex, her colleague, stopped by her desk.

"Hey, Ana! Got a minute?" Alex asked with a friendly smile, leaning on her cubicle wall.

"Of course," she replied, glancing up with a smile. "What's up?"

Alex was easy to talk to, always making work feel lighter, and Anastasia welcomed the distraction. They discussed his project, bouncing ideas back and forth while sharing a few jokes. Anastasia couldn't help but laugh at one of his comments, the sound of her laughter echoing through the office.

A couple of minutes later, she was caught off guard when she heard footsteps approach her desk. Turning around, she was surprised to see Elijah standing there, her phone in his hand. His jaw was tight, and there was a fire in his eyes she hadn't seen before.

"Elijah?" she said, her smile faltering. "What are you doing here?"

"You left this at home," he said flatly, holding out her phone. His voice was clipped, devoid of the warmth she was used to hearing.

"Oh, thank you!" she said, reaching for it. "I didn't even realize—"

But before she could finish, Elijah cut her off, his eyes narrowing. "Who's that guy you were just talking to?" he asked, his tone harsh.

Anastasia blinked, completely thrown by the sudden shift in his demeanor. "Alex? He's just a colleague. We were discussing a project," she said, frowning slightly.

"Just a colleague, huh?" Elijah's voice dripped with sarcasm. He glanced toward where Alex had walked off, his jaw clenched. "You seemed pretty cozy with him for just talking about work."

Her heart skipped a beat, recognizing the jealous edge in his voice. "Elijah, stop. You're being ridiculous. We were talking about work, that's all."

"Really? Because from where I was standing, it looked a lot more than just 'work,'" Elijah shot back, his voice rising slightly. He stepped closer, his eyes burning with accusation. "You were laughing with him, smiling like he was the most interesting person in the world. You barely even noticed me standing there."

Anastasia's pulse quickened, a mixture of frustration and disbelief washing over her. "Elijah, you're overreacting. It was just a conversation. Why are you making this into something it's not?"

"Overreacting?" Elijah scoffed, his anger flaring. "I come here, out of my way, to bring you something you forgot, and I find you flirting with some guy like I don't even exist? How am I supposed to feel about that, Anastasia?"

Her heart pounded in her chest, the intensity of his anger catching her off guard. "Flirting? Elijah, that's not what was happening at all! You're jumping to conclusions based on nothing!"

"Nothing? Really?" His voice was bitter now, his eyes cold. "It sure didn't look like nothing to me. I'm supposed to believe that you're just friends with this guy? You're always telling me about how much you love me, but then I see you acting like that with him?" He pointed toward the direction Alex had gone.

Anastasia felt her frustration boiling over. "I do love you, Elijah! But I'm allowed to have conversations with other people. You can't just barge in here and accuse me of something I didn't do because you're feeling insecure."

"Insecure? So now it's my fault?" Elijah snapped, his voice rising again. "I think I have every right to feel this way after what I saw. You were practically glowing when you were talking to him, Anastasia. You don't smile like that when you talk to just anyone."

She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself, but his accusations were hitting too close. "That's not fair, Elijah. You can't read into every little thing. Alex is just a friend, and that's all he'll ever be."

"Just a friend, huh?" Elijah laughed bitterly. "You think I'm stupid? I saw the way he looked at you. And don't think I didn't notice the way you looked back at him."

Anastasia's chest tightened, anger bubbling up. "I wasn't 'looking' at him any way. He's my colleague, Elijah. I don't understand why you're being so paranoid."

"Paranoid?" Elijah's voice was sharp, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. "You think I don't see it? You think I haven't noticed how close you two have been lately? How often you talk about him, how you're always laughing with him? Maybe I'm not the one you want anymore."

Her heart pounded, hurt flooding her at his words. "How can you even say that? You know that's not true. I'm committed to us, Elijah. You're the one making this into something it's not."

"Well, maybe it is something!" Elijah shouted, the frustration in his voice now mixing with raw pain. "Maybe I'm tired of pretending like everything's fine when I can see how easily someone else can get your attention. Maybe I'm sick of feeling like I'm the only one who cares enough to fight for this relationship!"

Anastasia's eyes stung, emotions swirling inside her. "You're not the only one who cares! I've always been here, haven't I? But this—this jealousy, this insecurity—you're pushing me away, Elijah! I can't be with someone who doesn't trust me."

"I do trust you," he said, but his voice cracked, betraying his doubt. "I just... I see you with him, and I can't help but feel like you're slipping away. Like I'm losing you."

Anastasia's heart softened, but the weight of his accusations still hung heavily between them. "Elijah, you're not losing me. But you will if you keep doing this. I need you to trust me, to believe in us, because if you keep questioning my loyalty every time I talk to someone else, you're going to destroy what we have."

He stared at her, his chest rising and falling with each heavy breath. "I just... I can't stand the thought of losing you," he said, his voice finally softening, his anger dimming into something closer to fear.

Anastasia stepped forward, placing a hand on his arm. "Then don't push me away. I love you, Elijah. But you have to trust me. I'm not going anywhere."

For a long moment, he didn't respond, his eyes searching hers for some reassurance. Then, with a deep sigh, he reached out and pulled her into his arms. "I'm sorry," he whispered, his voice thick with regret. "I don't want to lose you. I just—when I saw you with him... it scared me."

Anastasia hugged him tightly, feeling the tension in his body start to ease. "You won't lose me," she whispered back. "But we have to work on this. Jealousy can't tear us apart."

Elijah nodded, his arms tightening around her. "I'll try. I don't want to mess this up."

They stood there in the middle of her office, wrapped in each other's arms, the intensity of the argument giving way to a fragile sense of understanding. It wasn't a perfect resolution, but it was a start. They both knew that jealousy, like any wound, needed time to heal, but as long as they stayed honest and held on to each other, they could find their way back to the trust they once had.