Zaire has waited three long years to reunite with her best friend, Aiyana. Their joy is unmistakable, but her excitement quickly shifts when she meets Aiyana's boyfriend-Omari, the man Zaire once loved deeply.
Unbeknownst to Aiyana, Zaire and Omari...
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I stepped inside, closing the door behind me, my chest tightening as I took in the sight of him. Everything was so much more complicated than it should've been. My mind raced with questions, but I didn't know where to start.
"I'm not asking for anything," he continued, his voice steady now, though his eyes betrayed a deep regret. "I just need you to know why I did what I did. I think you deserve to understand."
I crossed my arms, leaning against the doorframe, not sure if I was ready for this conversation, but knowing I didn't have a choice.
"I've been with Aiyanna," he started, and even though I already knew that, hearing him say it out loud still stung. "But what I did, what happened between us... it wasn't because I didn't care. It was the opposite. I pushed you away because I didn't want to hold you back."
I blinked, confused. "What are you talking about? You pushed me away? Omari, you're with Aiyanna now. What's this about?"
He exhaled, looking down at the counter as if he didn't quite know where to begin. "I thought if I made you think I was with someone else-if I made you think I was moving on-it would force you to chase what you deserve. Your dreams, your future. I thought you'd walk away from me because I was too selfish to let you go. I wanted you to be free to do what you needed to do without me standing in the way."
His words hit me harder than I expected, but also with a strange sense of clarity. "So, you cheated on me-or made me think you did-just so I'd leave you?" My voice was a little unsteady now, the weight of it all catching up to me.
"I didn't want you to choose me, Zaire, not over everything else. I thought if I hurt you, you'd leave me and focus on your own life. You're so much more than I could ever give you, and I didn't want to be the reason you gave that up."
The silence in the room was suffocating as I tried to process his words. It didn't make sense. It hurt. But it almost made sense in a twisted, messed-up way. Omari had sacrificed our relationship because he thought he was doing what was best for me, though it felt like a betrayal.
"You didn't trust me to make my own choices," I finally said, my voice low. "You didn't trust me to go after my dreams without needing you to push me away."
He didn't respond right away, but his gaze softened. "I thought I was protecting you. But I see now I was wrong."
I wasn't sure what to say after that. The anger I felt, the hurt, the confusion-it all mingled together. I didn't know what I wanted from him, what I needed. I wasn't sure I could forgive him yet, not when the wounds were still so fresh. But there was something about his sincerity that made me feel like maybe, just maybe, there was room for understanding.
"I don't know what to do with that, Omari," I whispered, my heart heavy with all the emotions I'd been carrying. "It's too much."
"I don't expect you to forgive me," he said quietly, almost pleading. "I just needed you to know the truth. I needed you to hear it from me."
I exhaled, my chest tightening as I processed everything. "I need time," I said, my voice breaking. "But... thank you for telling me."
He nodded, and I turned, heading down the hallway to the bathroom. I wasn't sure what this conversation meant for us-or if it meant anything at all-but for the first time in a long time, I felt a flicker of understanding, even if it wasn't enough to heal everything yet.
I took a deep breath as I stepped out of the bathroom, feeling the weight of everything that had happened with Omari still pressing on my chest. The bathroom had given me a brief escape, but the reality of being back in Aiyanna's space hit me the moment I re-entered the living room.
Aiyanna was standing in the kitchen drinking a glass of water. She glanced up at me, her eyes bright with curiosity, and I couldn't help the small smile that tugged at my lips.
"Well? she asked, leaning against the counter. How did it go?"
I reached for a glass, filling it with water to give myself a moment to gather my thoughts.
"it was good."
Aiyanna raised an eyebrow, her gaze sharp yet playful. "Good enough to keep you away for a couple of days?"
The tease in her voice made me laugh lightly, and I could feel some of the tension unraveling.
"I didn't mean to stay that long. But yeah, it was fun. We watched movies, played card games... and drank wine." I shrugged, hoping I wasn't giving away too much.
Aiyanna leaned in a little closer, her smile turning more knowing. "Did anything else happen?" she asked, her tone more suggestive now.
I hesitated for a moment, trying to process my feelings. Part of me wanted to be open and tell her everything, but there was a part of me that wanted to hold onto this feeling-this warmth that Dakarai had brought back into my life. I finally met Aiyanna's gaze. "Maybe... a little bit," I admitted, not fully revealing how much had actually shifted between us.
Her grin widened. "I knew it!" she exclaimed. "I could tell there was something more between you two. I just knew it!"
I laughed, shaking my head. "You and your intuition," I said, smiling at her.
"Hey, I'm always right," she teased, but then her tone softened. "Zaire, I'm really glad you're feeling this way. You deserve someone who treats you right and who makes you happy. And if that's Dakarai, then... I'm all for it."
I felt a strange warmth spread through me at her words. It had been so long since I'd let myself think of anyone other than Omari-let alone actually feel something for someone else. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized how much my feelings for Dakarai were slowly starting to resurface. The way he'd made me feel at ease again, the way his laughter had lightened my mood... it was starting to mean more than I'd initially wanted to admit.
"Thanks, Aiyanna," I said softly, meeting her eyes. "It feels nice to have someone who... gets it."
Aiyanna grinned widely, crossing the room to pull me into a hug. "Of course, girl. That's what friends are for."
As we pulled apart, I couldn't help but smile. For the first time in a while, I felt like I was finally moving forward. Maybe it wasn't with Omari-maybe it wasn't even clear where it would lead-but with Dakarai, something real was starting to form. And that was enough for me to hold onto for now.
I just realized that this story might not follow the module I set for it (first person active voice) but it's also 3 am and I'm ridiculously tired. I hope it make sense anyways.
