NOT A COINCIDENCE

CHAPTER - 41 : I LOVE HIM...

"Well, I guess that went well." I say walking out of the Sky High Hotel.

"Are you kidding me? They were blown away by our designs." She chirps.
I just laugh at her reaction as we walk towards the parking lot.

"So now I want that girls night. And don't you dare tell me you have some other plans. How long are you here by the way?" She asks as we get in the car.

"I'll leave the day after tomorrow. And you can bet, girls day and night are on! Because we are going straight to my apartment, with no stops." I say starting the engine.

"That's what I was missing." She shouts as we zoom through the traffic.

°°°°°°°°°°

"Really? He has changed that much?" Miranda asks me in shock as I tell her about him.

"Yes, Miranda. I was shocked when I saw him. That pale face, that lean body, those dark circles, is not leaving my mind. Apart from that heartwarming smile, there was nothing similar to the old Xavier I knew."

"So what was his reaction when he saw you?"

"He thought I was a hallucination."

"What? Really?"

"Yeah." With that, I explain to her what happened when I landed in Toronto. What happened when he had yet another hallucination and I injured my feet.

"And how did he find out about the year? I thought he didn't have his phone and he didn't have any news channels on his T.V."

Yeah. Xavier doesn't really like watching or reading news. So it was easy for Brian to remove news channels from the package and cancel the newspaper subscription. And even if Xavier did read news, he wasn't in the best state of mind to get caught up in these things. For two months he wasn't even aware of what was happening around him. It was after 2 months, that he started to talk and ask about me and Samantha.

"He didn't but he saw the manufacturing date on the packaging of a product. I shouldn't have left the kitchen." I sigh.

"No I think it's for the best. I mean it's been 4 months since he woke up. It was about time he knows this."
I just hum in response.

"What will you do now?"

"About?" I ask confused.

"About the jack situation."

"Oh...yeah, I think I should tell him the truth."

"Yeah, I think that will be the best." She agrees while taking a sip of her coffee.

"When?" She asks setting down the cup on the table.

"Tomorrow evening. But I am going to call him in the park. Going to a restaurant will be weird."

"Oh god, I hope he doesn't misunderstand me." I whisper lowering my head.

"Don't worry. As far as I know him and have heard from my dear husband, he is a very understanding man. Besides you two didn't have something official right? It's for the best if you two put an end to this at this stage itself."

"I just hope you're right."

°°°°°°°°°°


Next day was a blur as I spent my whole thinking of what I am going to say to Jack. Before I could think of it anymore, I heard the doorbell ring. I descended the stairs and took a deep breath before opening the door.

"Hey!" Jack says in his deep voice and gives me his playful smirk.

"Hi." I say forcing a smile.

"Shall we?" He says offering his hand.
I nod and place my hand in his while closing the door.

Since the park was just 10 minutes away from my house, I suggested to just walk. As we reach the park, we find a bench near a tree and sat down.

"What's wrong, Andrianna?" Jack turns to me after a few seconds.

"Huh? Nothing. Why would you think that?" I ask trying to hide my nervousness.

"Hahaha. Come on. You replied after a day, then instead of meeting at a restaurant, you suggested we go to a park, and you have a worried expression on your face. I am starting to think you have called me here to friendzone me." He chuckles at me, then his expression turns serious.

"Am I thinking correct?" he asks in a low voice but his question is replied with my silent stare.

"Oh, okay. May I ask why?" He adds on, masking his emotions from me.

I again contemplate over my decision to tell him the truth, but then again I owe him that. So I start my story, telling him all about my childhood, then we meeting again, him being my bodyguard, then the kidnapping and the coma.
He listens to everything silently and then averts his eyes as if lost in deep thought.

"Please say something, Jack."

"I ---I don't know what to say." He forces out a chuckle.

"I mean I would have understood if you didn't like me. And thought that we were better off as friends."

"But right now, I feel like I have been used. I mean I had zero chances here right?" He asks looking at me but I keep my mouth shut.

"No no, I would never do that. I didn't think it would turn out this way."

"Yeah neither did I, Andrianna.... Neither did I." He says getting up from the bench and I quickly follow him.

"Great! Um, it was nice meeting you. But I have got something more important to do."

"Jack, please I am so sorry. I know I have hurt you but I hope you can forgive me someday and we can stay in touch...?" I ask nervously.
He turns around to look at me for a while and then turns back around.

"Goodbye, Andrianna." He says with his back towards me and walks off.

I feel a tear escape my eye as I see his retreating back. I shouldn't have said yes to him when deep, deep down I knew that my heart belonged to someone else.
What the hell was I thinking when I agreed to go out. Maybe it was the fact that I was feeling very lonely at that time and I just wanted to be with someone. I never thought I would become one of those heartbreaker girls.
Maybe I should have just lied to him.