Three Years

eight

"None of your business," Kirstin muttered. "And you were eavesdropping, so I don't see a reason why I should tell you anything," she said as she tried to push Avi out of her way, but he was too quick and too strong for her. He caught hold of her wrist and spun her around, causing there to be only a few centimetres between them.

"Was that your boyfriend?" Avi asked with a heartbroken look written on his face. Kirstin was completely confused for a minute until she realised why Avi thought she had a boyfriend. 

While talking to Sierra, she used words like, 'my darling' and 'I love you.' Avi obviously got the wrong end of things and thought she was dating someone but truth be told, she could never find herself another man because she still had feelings for the person who had broken her heart.

"No, that wasn't my boyfriend-" Kirstin had started but then she realised she could have a bit of fun with this. Besides, there was no way who she would say who was really on the other side of the phone. "That was my fiancé, umm, uhh..." Kirsti looked around frantically at her surroundings for a name that she could possibly use. Finally her eyes landed on a restaurant's glowing sign in the distance and made the best of it.

"Um, his name is... J-Jerome."

Lord, she was a bad liar.

"Jerome?" Avi asked, raising his eyebrows. "Like the restaurant 'Jerome's Diner'?"

"Um, yeah. His father owns the restaurant," she lied through her teeth.

It'd be kind of fun to make him a little jealous.

All the life drained out of Avi's face and he quickly let go of the blonde in his grip. "Oh. T-That's, um, great, I was just wondering. Sorry for bothering you." Kirstin actually felt a bit sorry for him but also found it funny at the same time because it was so far from the truth. She tried to suppress her laughter by covering her mouth with her hand; the look on his face was priceless, it resembled a lost puppy.

"It's fine, just don't eavesdrop next time. Most people won't be so forgiving," Kirstin patted his shoulder gently before walking past Avi into the restaurant.

"Kirstie, wait!" Avi called out which made her stop and turn around to face him. 

"I just wanted to say, once again, that I'm really sorry for everything that's happened between us. I understand why you can't be with me again, I wouldn't want to be with me if I were you. All I want right now is your forgiveness and possibly friendship." 

The devil on Kirstie's shoulder was yelling, "Don't forgive him! He used you and broke you, you deserve someone who won't treat you like trash." But the angel on Kirstie's other shoulder was chanting in her ear, "Forgive him! Nothing can take back what he did, but the poor guy has said sorry numerous times. He's not asking for a relationship, he just wants your forgiveness and friendship. What do you have to lose?"

She decided to flick the devil off her shoulder and went with the angel's advice. "It's okay, Avi, I forgive you. Yeah, we can be friends, I guess," Kirstin smiled slightly. A face of pure joy was written upon Avi's face and he ran to where she was standing, holding her in a bone-crushing hug. "Don't worry, we all make mistakes. Even I make mistakes that can end up hurting people," Kirstin whispered in his ear, thinking of how she hid his child from him for three years.

He gripped her even tighter and Kirstin was rethinking her decision of forgiving him. She wanted to be friends with him, truly she did, but she was scared that would fall for him again. Scared that she would give her heart and soul back to him, only for him to crush it into little pieces for the second time. 

"I'm so glad we're friends now, I missed you so much," he whispers back, his voice tickling her neck. Kirstie sighs blissfully, breathing in his sweet scent. Her mind was foggy, thoughts clouding her ability to speak properly because without thinking, she had already blurted out the words she never thought she would say again.

"I'm glad we're friends too."