Mercy

Chapter 55

I gasped as I turned around and faced the person.

Giselle was standing in front of me.

"You scared me." I exhaled.

"Sorry." Giselle laughed.

"What are you doing here though?" She added.

"I was just clearing my mind."

"Aww, give me a hug. —I saw the news." Giselle said as she leaned in and hugged me.

"I'm okay." I smiled.

"Your not okay Ella, but we don't have to talk about the situation if you don't want to."

I nodded my head.

"What are you doing here though?" I asked.

"I'm here to have dinner." Giselle said.

"Alone? Where's Juan?"

Giselle slightly smiled. "Juan is home."

"What's wrong Giselle? Talk to me."

Giselle continued to smile, but then she began to cry.

"It's just hard Ella. —My miscarriage is tearing me apart." Giselle cried.

"I wouldn't wish this pain that I feel on my worst enemy." She added as I hugged her.

"I'm honestly not ready to even talk about how I feel." Giselle said.

I nodded my head. "I understand, take your time and know that I'm here for you whenever you're ready to talk about it."

Giselle nodded her head as she wiped her tears. "I'm such a crybaby sometimes, I hate it."

"Girl, I am too. You're not alone." I smiled.

Giselle giggled as we began to walk towards my car.

"So how is planning for the wedding going?" Giselle asked.

"I haven't even started yet."

"You don't even have a wedding date?"

"No."

"Well that's fine. Take your time girl, weddings are special."

"I will."

"By the way, have you heard from Jade?" Giselle asked.

"No, I haven't. When I reached out to her, the people at the rehab center said that she can't talk on the phone at the moment."

Giselle nodded her head. " I understand."

"Well, I'm going to go have dinner so I'll talk to you some other time." Giselle said as she hugged me.

"By yourself though?" I asked.

"Uhh...okay, I'll tell what's really going on but don't judge me."

"Okay..."

"I'm seeing someone else Ella."

"Giselle!"

"Okay, I know. —Ella I have to head inside now."

"Giselle! This is serious. You can't just cheat on Juan! He's a human being. He has feelings too."

"I know! But what about me! I have feelings too that he doesn't acknowledge, but Arlen does!"

"Wait who?" I asked as I raised an eyebrow.

Giselle's eyes widened. "Umm...Ella I have to go."

I shook my head in disappointment as she walked away.

This is honestly the worse day of my life.

I got in my car and began to drive.

Ella's imagination:

"El, I want you to always remember something." My father said as we sat on the sand at the beach and watched the sunset.

"Here we go, no boys until your eighteen. –I already know dad." I said as I side-eyed him.

"You're too smart for your age kid, you really are." My father laughed.

I chuckled.

"But that is not what I want to say. —I want you to always remember that you won't ever be happy or grow if you don't appreciate even the smallest things in your life, and I mean that in every possible way." My father said.

I nodded my head.

"Why are you telling me this though?" I asked.

"I was just thinking and I don't want to live a life where all I do is complain about every negative thing in my life." My father explained.

I nodded my head. "Positivity should outweigh negativity."

"Yeah, that is what I mean." My father grinned as he faced me.

"I always talk to you like you are an adult."He added as he shook his head.

"Age has nothing–"

"To do with intelligence." My father interrupted as he laughed.

"I know, I know. —I taught you that." He added as I leaned my head on his shoulder.

Reality:

On my way home, I bought Chinese food.

When I walked through the front door, I went straight to the kitchen and placed the food on the kitchen counter.

"Hey." Justin said as he walked up to me.

"Okay, so I know I didn't cook but...Chinese food?" I slightly smiled as I faced him.

Justin gently cupped my face with his hands, causing me to look him in his eyes. "Are you okay?"

I nodded my head. "Yes."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Justin asked.

I shook my head.

Justin nodded his head. "That's fine."

I smiled.

Justin grinned. "I love you."

"I love you too." I smiled.

"—Like a lot. Like... I love you so much." I added.

Justin smiled.

"No seriously, I love how patient you are with me, how honest you are, how you make me feel, how you have never given up on me, how you're always right by my side, how happy you make me feel— I can go on and on." I smiled.

"I just love you so much and I appreciate you babe." I added.

Justin grinned as he pulled me closer to him and wrapped me in his arms.

"—And whew, I love how good you smell all the time." I smiled.

Justin laughed. "I love you."

"I love you too."