Chain of Hearts (BWWM)

Epilogue

A year later

I whistled absently as I grabbed a newspaper from the stand. Dragging my suitcase along, I continued to walk around the duty free store, trying to find something to bring back for my dad.

This was the second time I had flown to California in the past six months and every time I hadn't brought him anything back. I didn't understand why he complained, it was as if he forgot that he had a daughter who resided in California who could send him souvenirs herself.

Browsing through shelf after shelf, my senses pricked up and I felt as if someone was watching me.

I lifted my head and looked around until my gaze fell upon a halo of golden hair. Our eyes locked and I expected her to glare and stomp away but she didn't.

I stopped my search and made my way over to her, hoping she wouldn't leave.

I still couldn't read her features so I wasn't all that sure whether she was still mad at me or not. Just as I was a few yards away from her I saw her face break out into a large smile. It was aimed in my direction but I didn't know whether it really was for me.

"Monica!" I peered behind me at the sound of the male voice only to see a tall black guy with his arms outstretched to her.

He zoomed past me before I saw him lift her in his arms and spin her around.

So the smile hadn't been for me. I should have known.

I stopped dead in my tracks and watched the couple have their moment. I was happy she had moved on from Ethan and had a new man in her life but I still missed our friendship.

I rotated and decided to walk back into the store instead of making myself look like a fool by standing there any longer.

"Asia!"

I turned back around and found her and her man walking up to me. "Monica, hi."

Yet again, there was still no smile on her face reserved for me but she didn't look as angry as I remembered her looking the last time we had been face to face.

"Where's Ethan?"

She was still mad.

Of course she was - she had every right to be but a part of me hoped that a year had been enough to dissolve some of that anger.

I lifted a shoulder in a half shrug. "I don't know, I haven't spoken to him in over a year."

Her face showed surprise. "I thought you two-." I shook my head. "Wow, I thought you guys were in love?" Monica replied, venom and bitterness still lacing her words.

What I thought would be quite a happy reunion was turning sour quite quickly.

"We were Monica but the circumstances weren't right."

"Of course. Cheating on your fiancé with her roommate isn't the best beginning for a relationship." She jibed and instead of being annoyed with it - I sighed.

I had already faced my demons and lived in turmoil over my actions; I wasn't about to let her drag me down to feeling that overwhelming guilt and disgust all over again.

I smiled sadly at her. "It was nice seeing you, Monica, I have a flight to catch and I'm guessing you do too." Smiling courteously at the man she stood with, I walked past them both.

I guess some things were meant to be left shattered and as much as it hurt me to leave our friendship that way - I knew that I had messed up too much to try and salvage the friendship.

By the time I found a bench and sat down, I couldn't find Monica anymore. Sighing heavily, I opened the newspaper and tried to forget about the awkward encounter.

***

Two weeks later

"Asia?" As the barista called my name, I snapped out of the bubble I had placed myself in whilst working on my laptop. I wasn't one who usually visited coffee shops to work - especially ones that were on the other side of town. However, it was all part of my new approach to life of trying to live as spontaneously as I can.

I stood to collect my beverage but when I found my seat again, I couldn't help but notice that something else had been scrawled on the side of the cup.

Realising that it was a number, I looked towards the guy who had served me and smiled.

He was adorable.

Adorable but not for me.

I could almost hear India in my ear screaming for me to go over there and invite him to sit with me. She had been on a self assigned mission to get me a man for the past few months.

What she continuously failed to grasp was that I was comfortable as I was. I dated here and there but nothing too serious. I was focusing on myself and my career.

With that being said, I resumed my typing on the laptop and continued to do my work.

For twenty minutes I worked uninterrupted, motivated to finish the pieces had been assigned.

"Langston." Another name was announced to collect their order and at the sound of the familiar last name, I couldn't help but sneak a glance at who it was.

I froze and my fingers stilled as I found myself staring at Ethan Langston

He looked good - scratch that, he looked great.

He spotted me within seconds and where I expected to feel some sort of butterflies or a flutter - I felt none of that.

I expected to feel my heart rate spiking up. I expected my palms to start sweating or for goosebumps to appear on my skin but instead I felt... Nothing.

As I stared at him, I realised that I wasn't reacting in the way I was so used to reacting.

In that moment, I could almost hear the sounds of my chains being broken. The chains that had bound me to him and held me in place for all these years.

And I could feel my heart soaring as an immense sense of pride washed over me.

I contemplated whether to ask him to sit down when those cerulean eyes hovered over the seat in front of me.

It seemed as if he made the decision for me because his mouth flipped up into the heart stopping boyish grin. Thankfully my own heart didn't stop - nor did it speed up.

Yet again - nothing.

But I couldn't help it when my lips spread into a returning smile.

He lifted his free hand and waved at me. I waved back, knowing it would be rude not to and then within a few seconds, he had left the shop.

Just like that.

The moment I had been dreading was over within 20 seconds and it hadn't been as bad as I had expected.

Ethan Langston had come and gone and he hadn't left a mess in his wake much like he had before.

I couldn't help but think that this was me officially being done with everything that had happened.

I had fallen in love and gotten my heart broken.

Only to fall back in love and break another person's heart.

I had been so miserable for a large portion of my life and now I felt... Free.

I felt so free and so happy. With new excitement, I tapped away at the keyboard, ideas bursting into my head.

I knew that when I eventually told Jamal that he would be proud of my reaction. He loved the new Asia.

I loved the new Asia.

The new Asia was winning.