First Signs of Love ⇾ C. Evans ✓

063 ⇾ an unexpected christmas & a heart-wrenching end

PART 2 OF CHAPTER 62

. . . . . .

A knock that sounded from the door was what brought Naomi out from her semi-slumber. When the pain washed over her a few hours ago, she'd stumbled her way to her couch and flopped down on it with her hand over her lower abdomen.

She should have known this was going to happen sooner or later but because of the events that happened these past few days, she'd completely forgotten that her best friend was coming to visit.

Another knock sounded from her front door again and this time, Naomi moved to push herself up slowly, determined to get herself up to get the door despite not knowing who might be on the other side of it.

"Naomi?"

Her breath instantly hitched in her throat as she froze in her spot. I must be dreaming, she thought to herself. Why on Earth would he even be here after what I told him three nights ago?

"Naomi, are you home? It's me. . . Chris."

She screwed her eyes shut and released a steady breath. "Oh, Chris. . . " she muttered under her breath before pushing herself off of the couch completely to get the door.

As soon as she pulled the door open, she was met with a rather soft-looking Chris who was bundled in a thick jacket, a scarf around his neck with his hands buried in the pockets of his jeans. She wanted to wrap her arms around him and pull him close to her while his hands carded through her hair but she couldn't, especially not after their exchange just three nights ago.

And that's when realization dawned upon her; it's Christmas. Today was Christmas and she'd told him that he couldn't love her three nights ago.

"You're not protecting him by doing this, you're only hurting him more."

Jen's words rang in her ears, the shrill and piercing sound of it hurting her eardrums as she mentally scolded herself. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Jen was right; she was only hurting him more, and of all the days she chose to do so, it had to be the last three days before Christmas.

"Hi," Chris murmured, his voice as soft as the snow that was drizzling outside.

"Hi," Naomi replied, offering him a small smile while she tried to ignore the swirling feeling in her lower abdomen and the sourish feeling in her lower back.

Chris returned the smile, although his was a lot sadder than she'd imagined it to be because the word itself would have been a complete understatement if you noticed the look he had in his eyes. "How are you?"

Naomi nodded lightly, pursing her lips as she averted her gaze from his eyes to the floor. "I'm good. You?"

"Okay," Chris said, his voice laced with so much desolation that Naomi was sure it wasn't the cold that sent a shiver down her spine. He looked like he was about to say something more but decided against it when Naomi's eyes were back on his. Truthfully, he did have something to say and it was something along the lines of loving her.

Just as Chris was about to ask her if she'd like to spend Christmas with him and his family at his place, Naomi's face scrunched up in discomfort, this wave of pain being greater than the last one she had just a little over an hour ago.

"Naomi?" Chris was by her side in a flash, his left hand snaking itself around her petite frame as he supported her by her forearm. "Naomi? What's wrong? Are you in---"

"My best friend is here," she said in a feeble voice.

"Best friend---?"

"That time of the month," Naomi rephrased, peering up at him as she watched the confused look in his eyes dissipate. When he muttered an "oh" in response, a small smile grazed her lips as she nodded weakly in response. "Yes, it's that time of the month."