"Sometimes, it doesn't matter how hard you try to run away from your past as for it will eventually find you..."
(Ok, 4th piece of work. Beforehand, I'll warn you, this story will contain references to: domestic abuse, death, violence, rape, sex, an...
"Well, all we need is the star and we're done", Sebastian said as he contemplated the Christmas Tree on a corner of my living room.
He insisted I had to celebrate the holidays properly and, for a change, I agreed. Since Alaska was going to visit her parents, Sebastian had asked me to join him and his friends to celebrate.
Over the past two months, he had been by my side through thick and thin, helping me to overcome my many problems. I had told him my deepest and darkest secret and even though I was terrified that he would leave, he stayed. He didn't see me as damaged goods, but as a survivor. And that thought kept me going when I was feeling unwell. He would keep me going, even when I wanted to give up.
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I would miss him when he wasn't around and hugging him gave me a sensation of safety and comfort. It didn't take long for me to see I liked him. It wasn't the way I had felt for Tom; there wasn't a burning desire in me. This was different: it was calm and peaceful. Maybe that was what my heart needed: peace and quietness.
"Ready?", he asked while looking at me. I nodded and he held me up as I put the star on top of the tree. I had to admit, it looked really nice.
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It was Christmas' Eve and there was one hell of a snow storm outside.
"Well, so much for a Christmas party...", Sebastian claimed. The dinner we were attending to had been cancelled due the weather, so we were stuck at my place.
"Come, let's go cook something", I said.
We had pasta and red wine. After dinner, we sat down on the sofa and watched some old movies. I had placed my head on his shoulder and was starting to feel a bit tired when he whispered into my ear.
"Merry Christmas, Hays".
I smiled at him. "Merry Christmas, Seb".
I stood up and walked to the tree, as I was searching for an specific present.
"Here...", I said as I handed him a box wrapped in silver paper. I had bought him a t-shirt with the phrase "MEME IT" on it. Seb's first reaction was to laugh loudly.
"This is the best Christmas present ever!. Thank you!!", he replied as he tried the t-shirt on.
"You are welcome", I said and smiled at him.
"Ok, now is my turn. Close your eyes", he said. I did as instructed and shortly after I felt something cold against my neck and part of my chest. "Now you can open them", he whispered.
I looked down to find a beautiful necklace hanging from my neck.
"God... This is so beautiful...", I said in a whisper. "Thank you".
"I... I've had it for two months. I was going to wait until Valentine's Day, but I... uhm... I figured out that tonight would be okay. Truth is... I'm in love with you, Hayley. And... I'm willing to wait for you, no matter how long it takes, because you are worth the wait and I...". I stopped him.
"Sebastian, you can stop waiting now..." I said and a sad expression spread over his face. He looked as if he was about to cry. I grabbed his face between my hands. "You can stop waiting because I'm falling for you".
He looked at me with his baby blue eyes and before giving him the chance to say a word, I kissed him. The kiss was sweet, soft and gentle.
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In that moment, I felt more alive than ever before.
Tom's P.O.V
It was already Christmas in New York. That was my only thought. Everybody was celebrating and all I could think of was Hayley, wondering where she was and if she was happy.
I would often stay awake at night, thinking about her. Missing her. 'I never even had the chance to kiss her'. All I knew was that I loved her more than I had ever loved any other woman in my entire life.
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And God, it hurt!. It hurt not knowing how was she doing. I mean, I knew she was doing great at work, as I had been the one who managed to get that job for her. I never told her or Alaska about it. But that was all I knew. I had absolutely no idea of how she was dealing with her personal life, and the pain seemed to get worse by the second. There were so many times when I wanted to call her and tell her I was sorry, even though I had not done a single thing. I wanted her to know that none of those pictures were new. They had been taken a year ago, and someone decided to make it look like they were recent. I had lost her over to somebody's anger. But every time I would grab my phone, I would remember her last words 'Pretend I never existed'. How could I?.
How could you ever pretend that the most beautiful human being on Earth never existed?.
