The past few days blurred by without a word from
Jayson. I tried not to think about it, but the silence gnawed at me. Nathan, on
the other hand, kept checking in—his texts and calls coming at intervals. He
seemed more serious than ever. He had told me he was flying into the country to
spend Christmas and New Year's Eve with me, and I found myself anticipating his
arrival more than I expected.
The day arrived like a flash of lightning. Hazel
had been teasing me endlessly since I told her about Nathan's visit, and today,
the wait was finally over. I had given him my apartment address, and with
Hazel's help, I had prepared for the occasion. The dining table was set with a
variety of dishes, each carefully arranged near the L-shaped sofa.
The doorbell chimed.
"I'm coming..." I called out,
straightening my dress before opening the door.
Nathan stood there, his signature warm smile in
place. "Hi, Miss Mandy. Merry Christmas," he greeted, extending a
neatly wrapped gift box with a red ribbon on top.
"Hi, Nathan. Merry Christmas to you too,"
I replied, returning his smile as I stepped aside. "Come in, please."
"Thank you," he said, walking in and
taking a look around. "What a beautiful safe space you have, Mandy,"
he added with a smirk.
I chuckled softly, feeling slightly self-conscious.
Nathan had a way of making people feel special with his words. Dressed in a
deep blue long-sleeve shirt that clung perfectly to his toned physique, paired
with black corduroy pants, he looked effortlessly charming. I caught myself
staring and quickly looked away, but not before he noticed, a mischievous glint
flashing in his eyes.
Before I could say anything, Hazel's footsteps
echoed in the hallway.
She cleared her throat dramatically. "Oh...
umm... hi," she greeted, stepping forward.
Nathan extended a hand, and she shook it.
"Sorry, umm…" I stammered, forcing a
smile. "This is Hazel, my childhood best friend. Hazel, this is Nathan, my
friend—"
"—Soon-to-be boyfriend," Nathan
interjected smoothly, making my cheeks flush.
Hazel grinned knowingly. "It's a pleasure to
finally meet you, Nathan. Mandy here has told me a lot about you."
"Oh really?" Nathan asked with an amused smile.
"Let me guess, she told you how we met?"
Hazel turned to me with a teasing smirk.
"Ugh, Hazel..." I groaned, shooting her a
warning look. "Please don't start."
She laughed before excusing herself, leaving me
alone with Nathan.
"Would you like something to drink? I have
wine, juice, and water."
"I'll go with juice," he replied.
I went into the kitchen, retrieved a chilled bottle
of orange juice, and placed it on a broad platter along with a tumbler glass. I
served it on the coffee table alongside the food I had prepared.
"Wow," Nathan said, eyeing the dishes.
"This looks amazing. I bet it tastes just as good."
I scoffed playfully. "Try it and see."
He dug in, savoring each bite. "Mandy, this is
incredible. Have you ever thought of opening a restaurant?"
I chuckled. "Maybe someday in the future, but
not now."
"Well, when you do, let me know. I'll be your
number one fan," he said with a wink.
We talked for hours, the conversation flowing
effortlessly. He sharedstories of his
childhood Christmases, how his mother always made sure the house was filled
with the aroma of fresh-baked cookies. In return, I told him about how Hazel
and I used to make our own Christmas traditions—dancing to Mariah Carey's All I Want for Christmas Is You in matching pajamas.
After dinner, we moved to the couch, sipping
wine as we listened to soft jazz playing in the background. The warmth in the
air felt different—calm, comforting. Unlike Jayson, who always left me
restless, Nathan made me feel safe.
Eventually, Nathan stood to leave.
"Thanks for having me, Mandy," he said,
taking my hand and pressing a gentle kiss to my fingers. "Merry Christmas
once again."
"Thanks for stopping by. And for the gift
too."
I walked him to his car, watching as he drove off
until his car disappeared into the distance. When I turned back inside, I found
Hazel already holding the gift he had given me.
"Hazel!" I groaned. "Can you at
least let me come in first before snooping?"
She grinned mischievously, handing me the box. I
carefully unwrapped it, and my eyes widened in shock. Inside were expensive
diamond jewelry sets, a designer Prada handbag, and—what made my heart skip a
beat—a brand-new iPhone 15 Pro.
"OH MY GOD!" Hazel shrieked. "Mandy,
do you see this?! iPhone 15 Pro?! Damn!!"
She turned to me with an exaggerated expression.
"It's obvious—he's madly in love with you! No man gives a woman
extravagant gifts like this unless he has serious intentions. Honestly, now I
can rest easy knowing my best friend has someone true in her life."
I sighed, shaking my head. "Hazel, you can
tease me all you want. I'm used to it. But the truth is…" My voice trailed
off, my smile fading. "Somewhere deep down, I'm still in love with
Jayson."
Hazel groaned in frustration. "I hope you
realize soon that it was already over before it began," she muttered.
Her words lingered in my mind, and that night, I
texted Jayson one last time. The response I received shattered me.
"Mandy, you need to forget about what we had.
I told you—I don't date. I only wanted to have fun, and you were just a naive
girl I could easily play with. I never wanted something serious with you, and
deep down, you knew that. You created an illusion of me, of something I could
never be. Maybe I was just there to help you forget your ex, the one you wouldn't
stop talking about."
"In life, not everything is about love. You
had a choice to leave, but you stayed. I played my part well as the listener
until I got what I wanted. Don't text this line again, or I'll block you. Live
well."
And just like that, it ended. The illusion I had
clung to for so long dissolved into nothing.
Tears streamed down my cheeks. My chest ached with
a heaviness I couldn't bear. Hazel found me curled up on the sofa, my phone
trembling in my grip.
"Mandy, what happened?" she asked,
concern etched in her face.
I handed her my phone. As she read the message, her
expression darkened. "What a coward!" she spat. "I told you,
Mandy. He never deserved you. But at least now you have clarity. Let him go.
You have someone who genuinely loves you—why not embrace that and see where it
leads?"
I wiped my tears. "Hazel… Just give me some
time, please."
She sighed but nodded, giving me space.
And in that moment, I made a decision—a decision to
reclaim myself, to break free, to never let myself be deceived again.
Point of Breaking Free
New Year's Eve arrived. Nathan invited me on a date
the next day, but for now, Hazel and I chose to spend the night in church.
As the clock struck midnight, fireworks lit up
the sky, illuminating the night in bursts of gold and silver. People around us
cheered, couples embraced, and prayers were whispered into the air. Messages
poured in from friends and family, and among them was a text from Nathan.
"Happy New Year, Mandy."
Who would have thought the love I sought was right
in front of me all along? But was I ready? The answer was no.
Later that day, Nathan picked me up for our date.
He looked breathtaking as ever, holding a bouquet of white lotus flowers.
Over dinner, his gaze lingered on me.
"Mandy," he said softly. "I've waited long enough. Please… be my
girlfriend."
His words froze me. My heart swelled, but I knew
what I had to say.
"I'm sorry, Nathan," I whispered.
"Not now. I need to find myself first. I need to heal. But when I'm ready…
I hope you'll still be there."
He smiled. "I'll wait. No matter how long it
takes."
And just like that, I finally broke free.
The mystery I once ran from led me to an illusion,
but in the end, I found my truth.
THE END.