“This is about you not accepting that I have, you know Seth,” “You cannot just come here and pretend that everything is fine. ” Seth stood his ground and looked right into Phoebe's eyes. “Has it really changed, Phoebe? Look me in the eyes and tell me that you don’t have any feelings when we are this close. ” Phoebe hesitated and her heart was pounding. Even now there was something about him that drew her to him. But she is struggling to carve a new life for herself. She refuses to let herself be bogged down by past emotions and feelings. “Seth, you cannot decide whether I should be happy or not, or where my life is heading to, anymore, I have been hurt by you, by us, for too long. ” Seth’s jaw tightened and his eyes turned into deep black pools. “Do you prefer him? You think that Christian can provide for you the things we used to have?” “What we had is over, Seth,” Phoebe replied angrily, her voice shaking. “You had your chance and you messed it up. You never treated me right Ch
She gasped and felt frozen as she was unable to break away from his stare. His words awakened something in her which she had locked deep down within her for a long time. But then she remembered Christian, the security that he provided, the serenity that she got from him. For her, the war continues within. “Seth,” she said softly after several moments, her voice shaking. “I can’t do this. ” Seth’s eyes begged her to look at him as he waited for her response. “Yes, you can. Just let go, Phoebe. Let go of the fear. You know we belong together. ” Before she could say anything, Christian spoke in a tone that could slice through butter. “Is everything alright?” Phoebe quickly swiveled around to see Christian standing a couple of steps from her, looking at her with a frown of concern and suspicion. He looked at her then at Seth and the tension between them was palpable. “I was just asking Phoebe if she’s happy,” Seth said and although his voice didn’t sound angry, he still didn’t loo
Seth lowered his head and his shoulders contracted for a second as if he was expecting a blow. He, however, looked up with a hint of something that resembled fear in his eyes. “I do not know if I can let you go Phoebe” He made her heart heavy with his words and yet Phoebe could not allow herself to be pulled back into his world again. “You have to, Seth. You have to let me go, for both of us. ”Phoebe stood with her arms folded across her breasts to try and contain herself. “Seth, there is something that you have to know, I don’t want you anymore, whatever we had is over, finished. ” Seth’s jaw clenched but he did not say anything to her. “I can’t keep doing this,” Phoebe went on. “You continue to come around, trying to make me remember the life we had, Seth, but it is unfair to me, it is unfair to Christian and it is even unfair to you too You had your time with me, Seth, and we ended up badly We are over, I have moved on and I am trying to start anew with Christian You have to let
Phoebe laid her head on the chest of Christian, she closed her eyes and enjoyed the silence. The rhythmical sound of his heartbeat was soothing and she was reminded of the calmness that he introduced in her life. But even as she stood there with her arms around Christian’s neck, a small part of her was still conscious of what had taken place. It was really hard to bid farewell to Seth. He had been a major aspect of her life, the happy and the sad, and this was like setting a book aside when one is not sure whether or not they are ready to part with it.Christian stepped back a little, looking into her face and into the defiance in her eyes. “Are you sure You’re okay?”Phoebe breathed in deeply and then gave her consent. “I am. It was tough but it was inevitable.”“You have been through a lot Phoebe,” Christian whispered gently, touching her cheek with his hand, “And you don’t have to bear all the pain alone anymore.” He was a man with a gentle hand, very comforting.“I know,” she sai
She embraced the feeling of his hand on her, the warmth that he brought her. For the first time in a long time she felt that a light had been switched on in the dark corner of her heart; she felt that she could leave the past behind her and look forward to the future. But as she slid out of Christian’s arms and looked across the room, she saw Seth again. He was standing alone by the bar, his eyes glued to the glass which was in his hand. The boy made her feel something she could not quite place – a twinge of regret, of longing, and some other emotion that was hard to put her finger on. Christian looked at her and followed her line of sight with a small frown on his face. “Would you like to speak to him?” he inquired, and although he was calm, there was worry in his tone. Phoebe paused for a second, feeling the thump of her heart in her chest. “I. .. I think I have to. Only once again. ” Christian only nodded slowly and the stiffness of his body was quite evident. “I will stay her
“I believe you,” Phoebe whispered, she was so emotional that she could barely speak. “But love alone isn’t enough, Seth. We’ve hurt each other in ways that can’t be undone. You didn’t just break my heart; you broke my spirit. And I don’t think I can ever come back from that. ” Seth’s face twisted in agony and his dark eyes were full of suffering. “I know,” he said softly, his voice rough. “I let you down. But I can change. I can be the man you want. ” Phoebe stepped back and shook her head at the same time. “It’s not about being better. It’s about moving on. We’ve tried, Seth. We’ve tried to make this work and we’ve failed. Sometimes, love is not enough to mend what is broken. Sometimes, it is about letting go. ” Steady silence followed them like fog. Seth’s jaw clamped”, his hands were fisted at his sides as if he was on the verge of losing his temper. “Is it Christian?” he asked, almost in a whisper. Phoebe blinked, and felt the pressure of the question that was asked. She had n
Phoebe nodded her head and felt a certain kind of relief that she had said everything that she wanted to say. It wasn’t easy and it never would be. But it was done. She had said her goodbye to Seth and she had also buried that part of her life as well.When Phoebe and Christian came out into the fresh air of the evening she sighed, the burden of the last farewell was off her. The street was quiet, only the wind blowing through the trees in the vicinity could be heard. It was quiet, calm, as if the opposite to the storm that had been brewing in her soul for ages. Christian looked at her and even though his eyes were tender, they were asking questions. “Are you okay?” he whispered. Phoebe stood in silence for a few moments processing his words, before replying to his question. The oppression was still felt but it was not as strong as before and there was calmness that came with it. She had made the right choice, though it took her a long time to know that she was making the right deci
“I was about to say, I have not said much,” Phoebe finally whispered. “To you, to myself, even to Seth,” there are so many things that I’ve kept hidden, things I did not want to confront. But now after all this I can’t turn a blind eye.” Christian’s face did not change and his eyes were fixed on her face as he nodded for her to go on. He did not hurry her, did not force. He just stood there as he always did, watching her intently waiting for her to be ready. Phoebe gaze to return to the sky, and the stars that sparkled like the dream of a better tomorrow. “I’ve been trying to cling to the past for so long,” she whispered, “I was trying to mend a broken relationship, I thought that if I give enough love to Seth, if I am patient enough things will change for the better but they didn’t. ” Christian moved a little and her eyes followed him again. “Well, now?” he said quietly, his tone filled with concern. “Now that you’ve let go, what do you want, Phoebe?” The question seemed to weigh