Falling for my Ex-Fiancee’s Best friend

It had been several months since Demelza had left Nathan’s house and moved to a different part of the country. She had not told anywhere where she was going, not even Katherine in case of the event where Nathan would go to meet her to ask about her location.

Nathan had been broken by her absence, but even more saddened by the knowledge that Demelza had left with his child, and she had not once said anything. He had felt betrayed that even though he had given her everything that he had, she had still left. Nathan on some nights, still drunk himself to sleep whenever he remembered her.

Demelza on the other hand, had not been able to get Nathan off her mind either. Her pregnancy had advanced and was already nearing the third trimester, and not one day passed that she hoped she would see him. But she reminded herself that she had been the one who chose to leave.

She had left because she wanted to be sure of what exactly it was that she had with Nathan. She didn’t understand how she could fall so completely in love with a man to the point that she gave up everything in her life. There had to have been some kind of logical explanation.

She would have attributed it to witchcraft, but Nathan was not a very religious person, and she doubted he would have been able to put such a spell on her anyway. The answer had been plain to her right from the very beginning. Nathan was simply a force that was to be reckoned with. He was just that attractive.

Demelza had not planned to run into Nathan again, and neither had he. But one sunny day, she had been driving to the boutique, and she was beginning to feel a little sick and a little woozy when she heard the screech of metal on metal and her car stopped moving.

She sat in the car for a while, disoriented. She felt like puking, but she needed to first get out of the car. She turned around, trying to make sense of her surroundings. Already, a small crowd was beginning to form. Someone helped her out of her car. She was barely hurt. No scratches. Only a mild concussion and the sick feeling persisted.

She retched.

The other vehicle was in a worse shape than her own, and she prayed that the driver was not hurt.

“It’s a miracle.” Someone said beside her. Demelza was still feeling partly the effects of her mild concussion, but when she heard the voice, every single fiber of her was frozen. She prayed to God that it was a joke. It had to be a cruel joke.

But she turned, and he was there, solid in the sunlight.

“I thought to myself that it had to have been a mistake. Of all the places in the world. To think that I would find you here. It’s a miracle.”

The person approached her, and Demelza felt the same fluttering of wings she had felt the first time that she had met the man. there would be no one else in the world like this man, Demelza was sure. There was nobody else but him.

“Nathan,” she breathed.

Nathan’s eyes were misting with tears. He swallowed several times before he found his voice.

“I thought I’d lost you, Demelza.”

***

Demelza had taken him to her boutique because it was closer, and she insisted that she had crashed into his vehicle, so she was at least responsible for taking care of him, but in truth, she had missed Nathan so much that she wanted to spend as much time as possible with him. She wanted to be assured of the solidity of his body, of the depth of his voice and the way his hair was so free in the sunlight. It had grown longer than the last time she had seen him, after she had left his house several months ago.

“How are you_” they both started and stopped simultaneously.

“You go first.” Demelza offered.

“No, you go first,” Nathan countered. “Please.”

Demelza sucked in air. They were sitting in her boutique that she had been on her way to. A glass of milk and a tray of cookies had been set in front of them, mostly for Nathan’s benefit, but he had not once touched it. He continued to stare intently at Demelza, watching her and the way her abdomen now protruded. Seeing the curve of her belly filled him with a strange, but earnest desire and he wondered about a great many things.

But he needed to know some things first.

“You left,” he said. Not a question, and not an accusation.

“Yes.” Demelza replied.

“Why?”

“Because I was too in love with you, Nathan, and after my father died, I needed time away. I needed to stop blaming myself, and I needed to stop blaming you. I wanted to be sure about what we had. I wanted to clear my head and I needed the peace and quiet to think, because as much as I loved you, I needed my space at that time.”

“Loved.” Nathan enunciated. “You said ‘loved.’ Do you not still love me?”

Demelza rubbed her belly and stared vacantly outside. Nathan was undeterred. “Because I do.” He said boldly. “I never stopped loving you, and I still am in love with you.”

“Nathan…”

“I searched everywhere the minute I got home and couldn’t find you. I called everyone I knew that had personal contacts with you, but no one would give me anything about your whereabouts. I even called Katherine_”

At this, Demelza’s eyes widened. “You found Katherine?”

“She was the first person I went to after I realized that you were gone. You hadn’t told her anything.”

The silence that followed was thick enough to be cut with a knife.

Finally, Demelza asked. “Why are you here, Nathan?”

“So I could crash my car into yours.”Copyright Nôv/el/Dra/ma.Org.

Demelza chuckled but quickly wiped the smile from her face. “No, I mean seriously. Why are you here?”

Nathan peered into her eyes as he answered. “Because I was looking for you. I never stopped looking. From the very day you were gone. And now that I’ve found you, I don’t want to let go, either. Also, the firm has business to do in the city.”

“You should eat your cookies and milk and get going. You’re unharmed, and I’m glad, but now you have to go.” Demelza pushed him playfully off the stool he sat on.

Nathan playfully held her hands, and with a masterful twirl, he brought her close to him, bridging the gap between them in seconds. His face inched towards hers. Demelza’s breathing quickened. She closed her eyes. When she opened her eyes again, Nathan’s lips were nowhere close to hers anymore.

She found him kneeling at her feet, head pressed ever so delicately against her belly. His eyes were closed and there was a content smile on his face.

“He feels just like you. He has your soul.”

Demelza’s breath caught in her throat. “How’d you know it’s a he?”

Nathan smiled at her and straightened himself. “I would like to come see you again. Preferably not from a car crash. This is a wonderful boutique.”

Demelza went red with color. “It’s mine.”

“That explains it. I would like to hear more about this someday.”

This time, Demelza full-on smiled. “I’ll be here.”