Jacob jolted awake, the remnants of a nightmare clinging to him like a shroud. Norah's face, once radiant and full of life, twisted in anguish within his mind.
He gasped for breath, the weight of his emotions crashing down on him like an unforgiving tide. The darkness of the night still lingered, but it was the emptiness inside him that threatened to consume him whole.
He swung his legs over the bed and stumbled into the bathroom, his bare chest exposed to the cool air. The mirror reflected a man haunted by regret, eyes bloodshot and weary. Jacob splashed cold water on his face, hoping to wash away the torment that gripped his heart. But no matter how many times he repeated the motion, the pain remained, an ache that was not born of physical injury but from a hollow void where love had once flourished.
As he leaned against the sink, memories flooded back, vivid images of nights spent wrapped in each other's arms, laughter echoing through dimly lit rooms. He could almost taste her lips again, sweet and intoxicating, igniting a fire within him that he thought was long extinguished. Each kiss had been a promise; each touch a declaration of their unspoken bond. But now those memories were tinged with bitterness, reminders of what he had taken for granted.
He recalled how Norah had sacrificed so much for him, her dreams set aside for his whims, and how he had treated her gestures like discarded remnants of a meal he had no appetite for.
The realization hit him like a lightning bolt: he truly loved her. Not just in fleeting moments of passion but in the quiet spaces between their breaths, in the way she made him feel whole.
With newfound determination, Jacob rushed to his mother Mabel's house, a sanctuary he desperately needed. He burst through the door, breathless and frantic. "Mom," he confessed between ragged breaths, "I love her! I shouldn't have pushed Norah away when she needed me most."
Mabel's eyes softened with understanding as she took her son's hands in hers. "You have to fight for her, Jacob. If she's the woman you love, don't let fear keep you apart."
Nodding resolutely, Jacob dashed out of his mother's house and headed to the restaurant where Norah used to work, a place filled with memories of laughter and shared dreams.
But as he entered, an unsettling silence enveloped him. The manager approached with a somber expression. "I'm sorry to tell you this," he began gently, "but Norah was let go yesterday."
Shock coursed through Jacob like ice water; it felt as though the ground had vanished beneath his feet. Guilt clawed at him ferociously, what if she was hurting? What if she felt abandoned? His heart raced as despair settled heavily upon him.
Without thinking twice, Jacob made his way to Maria's house, Norah's mother, a last hope to find her. But as he knocked on the door, dread pooled in his stomach when Maria answered with tear-streaked cheeks.
"She's gone," Maria said flatly, anguish etched on her face.
"Gone? How could you let her go?" Jacob exclaimed, desperation fueling his voice. "She needs support!"
"Support?" Maria spat back with venomous anger. "You're one to talk! You didn't stand by her when she needed you most! You pushed her away!"
"Please," Jacob implored, feeling like a small child pleading for mercy. "I made mistakes... I want to make it right!"
Maria stepped back as if struck by lightning. "Then go find her!" she yelled fiercely before slamming the door shut.
And so Jacob searched relentlessly throughout the city, every street corner and alley felt like an endless labyrinth leading nowhere. Panic gripped him as dark thoughts spiraled in his mind; what if something terrible had happened? He couldn't shake off memories that replayed painfully, the day Norah had confronted him about his ex-girlfriend's lingering presence on social media while they were tangled together in bed just moments before.
"Why do you still post about her?" she had asked softly.
"And so what?" he had replied dismissively.
Now those words echoed back at him like an accusation; he felt monstrous for having been so callous at such a crucial moment.
In that haze of despair and regret, Mabel's voice rang clear in his mind: *Don't give up on her.*
With renewed resolve fueled by love and remorse intertwined like vines around his heart, Jacob vowed to find Norah,to fight for her against all odds, and prove that she was worth every ounce of effort he could muster.
He took a deep breath and set off into the night once more, not just searching for Norah but also striving to reclaim not just their love but himself along the way.