As he entered my room, I felt a sudden jolt, my heart skipping a beat. "What do you want?" I asked, my voice tinged with a mix of surprise and wariness. I had been heading to the kitchen to grab a glass of water, but my thirst suddenly seemed insignificant.
He sat down on my bed, his eyes scanning the room before settling on the book that lay beside me. He picked it up, his fingers tracing the cover as if searching for comfort. "I'm sorry for how I treated you earlier," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.
His eyes avoided mine, and I sensed a deep sadness emanating from him. "And please, don't ask me those questions again. If I want to tell you something, I will." His voice was laced with a mix of sadness and determination, a hint of vulnerability that tugged at my heartstrings.
I began to apologize, but he cut me off, his hand raised in a gentle gesture. "You can go to sleep. I'll leave." He stood up, carefully placing the book back on my bed, and walked towards the door.
As he reached the door, he turned back to me, his eyes locking onto mine. "You don't need to leave anymore," he said, his voice soft and gentle.
I sat down on my bed, watching him walk slowly out of my room. His slumped shoulders seemed to bear the weight of his emotions, and his red-rimmed eyes betrayed a deep sorrow. A wave of compassion washed over me, and I felt an overwhelming urge to comfort him.
Remorse settled in as I realized my previous attempts to force him to open up may have only added to his distress. I thought about how I could have been more understanding, more patient.
I got up, went to the kitchen to drink some water, and then returned to my room to try and get some rest. But my mind was racing, thoughts of him and his sorrow swirling in my head. I couldn't shake off the feeling that I needed to do something to help him, to comfort him.
I woke up to Mia's call, groggily reaching for my phone. "Hello, Mia. Good morning," I said, trying to shake off the sleep.
Mia's bubbly voice filled the line. "Hey, baby! What's up? How are you doing?"
I rubbed the sleep from my eyes. "I'm fine, just sleepy."
Mia laughed. "What can you do? I need to talk to you."
I sat up straight, leaning against the headboard. "Alright, go on, pumpkin."
Mia's tone turned serious. "So, I met a guy on a business call. We haven't met in person, but he's been chatting with me, saying he loves how I speak eloquently and that I'm beautiful."
My sleepiness vanished, replaced by curiosity. "Hmm, well, well! See who's found love?" I teased, laughing.
Mia chuckled. "Oh, stop, Emily! I'm being serious."
I laughed louder. "Yeah, see that? You're blushing, Mia! You need to be arrested!"
We both burst into laughter. When we composed ourselves, I asked, "Why are you doubting him? Is he a business partner or a client?"
Mia hesitated. "Well, he is a business partner. I'm worried he might want to take advantage of me. I've heard stories about business partners who get into romantic relationships and then...you know."
I understood her concerns. "I get it, honey. Just follow your instincts and observe how he behaves. Trust your gut."
Mia agreed, and then I asked, "You know, I've always wondered, how do guys fall in love with someone they've never met? Is it just about the pictures?"
Mia laughed. "Well, that's a tricky question, Emily! I think guys – and girls, too – don't fall in love with pictures. They fall in love with the person, their personality, and character. Sometimes love just happens, without reason. It's natural, but also complicated."
I nodded, even though she couldn't see me. "Hmm, I see. Thanks for explaining."
Mia laughed hard. "Jesus, Emily! You're behaving like you've never loved anyone before! As if you've been single your whole life."
I laughed too. "You think I'm pretending? Omg, I'm not...well, maybe I forgot about love."
For a moment, I considered sharing my secret about Alex with Mia, but I quickly decided against it. The guilt of keeping secrets from her lingered, but I justified it by telling myself that she might not understand. I thought it was better to keep quiet than risk complicating our friendship.
Mia's voice brought me back to our conversation. "So, what have you decided to do? Will you try the relationship out or just wave it off?" she asked.
There was a brief pause before she responded, her voice laced with uncertainty. "I don't know what decision to make. I'm confused and scared. I don't want to be scammed, but I want to experience true love – to be with someone who loves me and vice versa. I'm scared that I'll be used and dumped."
I empathized with her concerns. "I understand your point of view perfectly, but I want you to know that not everyone is out to get you. There are still loyal and good people out there, like me, who will love you unconditionally and never give up on you."
Mia's past experiences had clearly shaped her mindset, and I wanted to reassure her. "Don't let your past relationships stop you from meeting great people. Just try it out, but be careful. If it works out, that's amazing, and if it doesn't, you'll find someone else who loves you."
Mia's voice softened. "Awwn, thank you, sweetheart. I love you."
We chatted for a bit longer, discussing my return plans and teasing each other,as we wrapped up our conversation, Mia said, "You know I'm here cheering for you, my love."
I smiled, feeling grateful for our friendship. "Thanks for calling, Mia. I missed you a lot."
Mia laughed. "You're welcome, darling. Okay, goodbye. Let's get to our daily activities."
As we said our goodbyes, I added, "Alright, bye... my regards to your love."
Mia's laughter filled the line before she hung up, saying "DAmn!"