The Other Side

Chapter 14

Part 1

Nate

"So basically, that's the story of my life." Ryn explained.

After the tantrum in my house, I drove Ryn in my car to one of my favorite places. Somewhere I liked to go when I was feeling down. It was on top of a hill where you could overlook the whole city below. The lights illuminated the city beautifully such that it looked like a place derived from a fantasy world.

When I come here, all my worries are washed away. It was my very secret place. No one knew about it. But now Ryn did. She was lying on her back her head on my lap and I was playing with her hair. Something about the position just felt so right. Her gaze was fixed on the sky  as she watched the sun set in magnificent beauty. One of the many reasons I loved this place.

She explained to me what transpired between the two of them. Caleb and her. They had been best of friends, then she developed feelings for him but lucky for her it was mutual. They became a couple for for almost a year and half. On that fateful day, according to her, Caleb threatened to break up with her if she didn't want to have sex with him. Fearing that she'd lose him, she agreed to his terms but on the very promised day of Lamb's slaughter, she couldn't go through with it. She begged him that she needed more time but he claimed that what good is a relationship if we can't have sex, then broke up with her.

The incident broke her so much that she doomed ever having a relationship again.

" I can't believe Caleb would do that to you. I know I may sound like am defending him but I've lived with the guy for almost half of my life. My whole childhood, I spent it with him and I know he isn't capable of doing something like that." I tried to reason with her.

"So what? You don't believe me? You think I made this up?" She rose into a sitting position and looked at me with contempt in her eyes.

" No that's no it. I believe you. And that's where the problem is. I can feel you're telling me the truth, but I also know that Caleb in his correct sense of mind wouldn't do something to hurt someone intentionally. You were with him for a year and a half I think you also believe that."

" I'm starting to think you're blaming me for something here. Can you not talk in parables and just get to the point. " she said now annoyed.

" I am just saying, did you ever stop to listen to his side of the story? " I knew I was doing something crazy but I liked her, and I wanted that if she were to ever like me back, it would be I alone. I knew that if both of them straightened their differences out, I would lose  her to my cousin but I still couldn't deprive her of finding the truth. Maybe she would find the peace that she wanted so badly. Maybe she would learn to open up her heart once more. Maybe she would enjoy the simple touches of love without having to think of the consequences. Maybe she would appreciate love in its simplest nature. Just maybe. Right in that moment I understood what it meant when people say, you only know you love her when you let her go. If we were ever meant to be, we would find our way back to each other.

"If he bothered to explain his side? He just went MIA on me. I called and texted him for months. I can't even count the nights I spent crying like a baby. And then this one time I called and he picked up, I was so happy that I would get to hear his voice again only to be greeted by a girl who had just had sex with him. Surely, if he wanted to explain his side, he would have done it already."
She was fuming. Her eyes were bloodshot red and puffy from all the crying. Her palms were balled into fists as she paced back and forth away from me.

" I still think you should go to him. Let him explain himself and if you're still convinced that you're better off without him, you would know at least you tried. It would give you the closure that you need. I understand you're still in love with him, from the way you talk about him; you still adore him. I don't think its going to be easy seeing him around yet he isn't yours, worse if he will be dating someone else." I know I would regret it too if I let the person I loved go away without so much as an explanation.