A Chance at Love (completed)

Chapter 9

        It was already noon when I got back to the house. The food that I haven’t touched has already been replaced with another. My grandmother told me to come and eat with them. I sat on a chair across James. I can’t look at him straight in the eyes because of what happen. Now that his fiancé’s parents decided to drop the case against me, I’m not really sure why he’s here. If it was revenge, I’ll gladly accept it because I know I deserve punishment for what I did. Or if what he said last night was true, I just have to do everything to make things right. I have to put everyone’s lives back to normal. I don’t know how I will do that, but I will try my best to put things the way it was before for him and for everyone that I have hurt including myself. I’m not planning to beg Mico to come back to me. I promise to forget everything about him because forgetting him is not just for me, but for everyone that I have hurt.

             It was a quiet moment for everyone in the room. Neither my grandmother nor my grandfather was talking. I was about to break the silence when James spoke. “Nay, Tay, can Ara and I go somewhere later? I think we have a lot of things to talk about.” Then he looked at me as if asking for my approval.

             I looked at my grandparents and nodded at them. “Okay. I know your have things to settle. But you should be home before dinner.” My grandmother said.

             After we ate our lunch, James and I went outside towards his car. He opened the door for me. I hesitated at first because of the trauma I got from the accident. But James said, “Ara, it’s okay. I will be the one to drive. Don’t worry. I’m a safe driver. I’ll slow down for you.” He assured me.

              I know I didn’t have the right to say no because I have caused him great pain. So, I decided to trust him. After a one-and-a half-hour drive, we went to a restaurant. It was my first time going to that restaurant. It was very calm and not very crowded. James led me to a table in a corner and said, “This is where Monique and I usually sit whenever we go here. This is our favourite restaurant. This is where we first met. This is where I asked her to marry me, right there in the middle.” His eyes were pointing in the center of the dance floor. He continued, “This is where she said yes.”

               I got my chance to talk without interrupting him. “Why did you bring me here?” I asked him.

              “I want to remember everything about this place. I want to remember every moment Monique and I spent here because I’ll be leaving soon. I’m going to find myself again somewhere, somewhere far away from here. I’m going to take with me the memories that I have of this place.” He paused for a second and continued, “And I want you to do the same. I want you to go far away from here. You need time for yourself to heal. But instead of taking the memories with you, leave all the memories behind and start a new life.”

             I was speechless. I can’t say anything in response. Instead, my tears started to crawl down my cheeks. I can’t help but cry. I can’t believe this is happening in my life. I know I have said it a lot of times already. But this time, I don’t know what I should do anymore. But James made me realized that there is still hope. I just need time. May be he’s right. I should go. I should find what was lost and start a new life for myself.