Just a Click Away

Chapter 27

When Greg walked through the door of Will and Jenna's apartment, they automatically sensed that something was wrong.

"Greg, is everything ok? You look pretty agitated." Jenna motioned for him to sit in the open arm chair.

"I don't know what's wrong exactly. Leslie has something on her mind; I know she does, but she refuses to talk about it. She would barely even make eye contact with me. I know that I must have done something wrong, but for the life of me, I can't figure out what it is." He shook his head and massaged the back of his neck.

"She wouldn't tell you anything? How do you know something is wrong? Maybe she's just tired or is having a bad day." Will did his best to think of a reason for Leslie's change in behavior.

"She was in tears when I walked her home. I wish she would just talk to me."

"Maybe she will. Sometimes people just need their space to process whatever is going through their minds. She may want to talk about it tomorrow. Just pray about it, and go to sleep. God can work all of this out." Jenna offered him a reassuring smile.

"You know, Jenna, you're right, just as you usually are. I will pray about it and go to sleep. Things will look better in the morning." With those words said, Greg rose from the plush chair and went to his room.

He knelt by the bed and prayed that God would give him direction, and that Leslie would open up to him about what was troubling her. Just as he finished his prayer, he felt his phone vibrate. Checking the lighted screen, he saw that he had a notification on the Christian Cupid app. He had decided to download the app, when Leslie continued to send him messages through the site, and it had made responding to her much easier.

He hurriedly swiped the screen, and waited for the page to load. Hopefully this would be an answer to his prayer. Maybe Leslie had decided to talk to him about what was bothering her.

As his eyes scanned the message, his brain had difficulty registering the words he was reading. He felt as if all the air had been sucked from him, and sensed himself hyperventilating as his mind struggled to wrap around Leslie's words. He knew that he must be mistaking what he was reading, but each time he read it confirmed the worst.

"I really hate to say this, but I am going to have to stop talking to you. I'm terribly sorry, since you have told me how you feel about me, but I have met someone else. Somehow I know that he is the man God has for me. You are a wonderful person, and I wish you all the best. I hope you find someone who deserves you."

Reaching into the pocket of his jeans, Greg pulled out a small, black, velvet box. Slowly he opened it and gazed at the ring he had bought for Leslie. The beautiful, oval cut diamond caught the light and glistened brilliantly. Salty tears stung his eyes as the shimmering gem seemed to mock his pain. He had purchased the ring a few days after their first date at the corn maze. How had he been so certain that she was the girl for him? Somehow all of this felt so wrong.

Snapping the box shut, he read the message again. No, it was pretty clear that it was over between them. Why is this happening? I thought she cared about me, and she told me she loved me. I must have done something or said something, but what? He could feel physical pain as his heart broke into pieces, and he felt his dreams for the future slip out of his grasp.

A soft knock at the door startled him from his depressed thoughts. "Who is it?"

"It's Jenna. I just had this feeling that you might still need to talk about something. Can Will and I come in?"

"Sure." Greg quickly stood up, and wiped his eyes with his sleeve.

The door slowly opened, and they walked in.

"You look upset. What happened, Greg?" Will walked over to where he stood.

"It's over."

"What's over?" Jenna crossed her arms and looked him in the eyes.

"Leslie and I...it's over. I just got a message from her, and she has met someone else." He shook his head; his face mirroring the shock that was raging through his heart.

"That can't be right!" Jenna threw her hands up. "Greg, she practically lived at the hospital while you were injured. She loves you. I may not know her as well as you do, but I'd say something isn't quite right here. There has to be some kind of misunderstanding. Plus, I don't think she would break up with you over a Christian Cupid message; she has too much class for that."

"She's right. It just doesn't fit Leslie at all." Will shook his head in disbelief.

"Here, read the message for yourself." He handed the phone to Jenna who snatched it up eagerly.

"Something is definitely off here. She doesn't even use your name." Jenna's face bore a puzzled look. "She makes it sound like all you have ever done is just talk, when you been through a whole lot more than that together. Are you sure she knows that she has been messaging you online? I think you can have an account without paying, but you can't see pictures. We used your middle name...could it be possible that she didn't even know that she has been talking to you?"

"That would explain her behavior tonight." Will thumped him on the back. "She may have felt like she was somehow being unfaithful to you by talking to another guy online. She probably feels guilty. You need to talk to her tomorrow, and get this figured out."

A faint glimmer of hope lifted Greg's spirits. "You're right. There has to be a reasonable explanation for this. I know that God brought us together, and I need to trust that this is all a big misunderstanding." He checked his watch and saw that it was after midnight. "It's too late to go talk to her tonight, but tomorrow is her day off...I'll go over first thing."

"That is absolutely what you should do. Don't lose hope, trust the Lord, and everything will work out. You'll probably laugh about this with Leslie fifty years from now." Jenna gave his arm a quick squeeze.

When he had the room back to himself, Greg kneeled again on the floor and asked to God to work everything out. He was able to sleep knowing that God was in control.