P.O.V Paige
I can say that today was a good day despite the unpleasant moment I had when I went to my parents' house to get some clothes. I also admit that I feel a bit envious of Mason. His parents are what I always wanted for myself. Just by seeing the way they look at each other, you can understand the love they share. I never thought that kind of love existed until today.
I'm in the room, thinking about everything that happened during the day. There's a lot of information that I need to process. On one hand, there's Sarah and Ethan, whom I really liked, as well as Mason's parents.
I'm not naive, and I can tell that his relationship with his father isn't very close. However, I didn't want to ask Mason about it. It wouldn't have felt comfortable after everything that happened earlier.
I remember how much I laughed while looking at the childhood photos of my fiancé. I never imagined that his mother would show me everything, knowing that our marriage is based on a stupid contract they signed when he was young, and I wasn't even born yet. After going to the bathroom, I realized that all I wanted was to get back to work. It made me feel bad because when his mother called him, he told her that he had work to do, and it was me who said we would go today.
He must be busy catching up on all the work he has left. Should I help him so he can rest?
Determined, I get up from the bed and make my way to his room. I raise my hand and I'm about to knock on the door when I hear him talking to someone. I smile as I realize that he's sharing everything he did today, but at the same time, I wonder who he's talking to. I shake my head and push away those thoughts that are not relevant. I know I should leave and not eavesdrop on his conversation, but the nosy side of me can't resist staying by this door.
I hear him apologize for sharing everything, which puts me on alert. Who could he be talking to? He ends the call and sighs as if he's annoyed. That lets me know it was an important call. I hesitate to knock on the door. I raise my hand, and just as I'm about to touch the door, I hear him say again,
“Peyton, I'm sorry about everything. I didn't think before speaking. Let's just forget about it and focus on us.”
Upon hearing the word "us," it feels like a slap in the face. What does he mean by "us"? Mason told me he was single. How foolish of me to believe him right away. My mind is racing, trying to make sense of everything. His mother said she didn't know about any girlfriend, and even his friend Sarah doesn't know. Maybe they're all lying to make the contract terms work in his favor.
Surely all this is so that they don't lose their material goods, it may all be a manipulation to keep me by their side and control everything in the relationship. Now I understand everything, that's why I had the agreement ready about our rules apart from the main agreement.
I'm such a fool for blindly trusting. I didn't even bother to have the contract my father signed evaluated by a lawyer. I just accepted everything like an idiot. I step back as my mind continues to search for ideas and possible solutions to this foolish trust, I placed in him without really knowing him.
I feel that everything is happening in slow motion, I stop listening to what continues to speak, it is not because I do not want to continue listening, but I lose control of my body and I do not manage what I do. I don't notice anything around me, I don't know how I got to my bed, I'm sitting there staring at nothing, my gaze is lost in a fixed point, which I don't even look at. I don't even know why I feel so betrayed, I don't know him at all, I shouldn't be affected by his lie, not that I feel anything for him. However, it hurts me, and I don't really understand why.
My thoughts are interrupted by my phone ringing. Without looking at the screen, I answer it. It seems like my body is acting on its own.
"Hello," I say, not expecting the caller to be someone from my past.
"Paige, how are you?" says the voice from my past.
"Dylan?" I say, making sure my mind isn't playing tricks on me.
"Yes, it's me. How are you?" he asks nervously.
"I'm fine. It's been a long time since I heard from you," I say, unsure of what to say.
"Yeah, it's been quite a few years. About five, at least," he replies, laughing.
That laughter tenses up my body. After the last time we saw each other, I never thought I would speak to him again, not after he deceived me.
"How time flies," I respond without thinking.
"I know you weren't expecting this call, especially after what I did to you, but I would like to talk to you in person. I owe you an apology for my behavior back then. You didn't deserve what I did, and I can't stop thinking about you and what happened. I have no justification, but I would like us to talk, if you're willing," I hear him say, and I sigh.
How did all the bad things from my life converge at this moment? Mason's lie, the idiotic ex from my teenage years, who was the love of my life from the age of 14 until he cheated on me and killed what I felt for him.
"I'm not sure if it's a good idea," I say, feeling uncertain.
"I'll be in town for a few days. I suppose you already know that my parents moved to another city, and I would like to take this trip as an opportunity to apologize to you," he insists.
"It's not necessary. It happened so many years ago that it's not needed," I respond seriously.
"It is for me. Give me the chance to talk, and after that, I won't bother you again," he pleads.
"Okay, what could go wrong?" I think aloud.
"Perfect. Can you meet for breakfast tomorrow?" he asks eagerly.
"Yes, I can," I say nervously.
"Let's meet at the café we used to go to. Is that agreeable to you?" he asks again.
"Agreed," I say, and we say our goodbyes before ending the call.
I sigh and get up. I have a lot to think about, starting with having breakfast with Dylan, and then I need to figure out what to do about Mason. I undress and continue planning everything I have to do.
I lie down and stare at the ceiling of the room. I sigh for the tenth time in less than ten minutes. How could I be so trusting? How could I believe someone I don't even know? I was definitely foolish, but I won't be anymore. From tomorrow on, things will change. I won't allow Mason to continue deceiving me.
The next day, I wake up to the alarm on my phone. I only have four days of vacation left before returning to classes. I take a quick shower so that Mason doesn't leave for work before seeing me, and then I leave the room.
I find him having breakfast while looking at his phone, waiting for something. When he sees me come out, he smiles and greets me as usual, but I don't return the smile. I can tell he's surprised by that, but he doesn't say anything about it. I sit across from him and start eating my breakfast. As I notice him watching me, I look up and meet those blue eyes that I used to find beautiful. I raise an eyebrow and say to him, "I need a copy of both contracts or agreements, whatever you call them." That piques his curiosity even more.
"I need a copy of both contracts or agreements, whatever you call them," I say, piquing his curiosity.
"Sure, I'll call my lawyer to have them ready for you when I leave the office," he replies while glancing at his phone again.
"I'd prefer to get them myself as soon as possible. I have an appointment with my lawyer at noon, and I need to bring them. You know, legal matters concerning my father," I say, shrugging and downplaying the importance of what I just told him.
"I understand. Are you okay? You seem different," he asks, looking into my eyes.
"I'm fine, just that today is a very busy day for me, and I'm thinking about everything I have to do," I reply seriously.
"Yeah, I've been there. Well, I also have a busy day ahead. Will I see you tonight?" he asks again.
"Of course," I smile and get up to gather my things.
"You only had coffee. Aren't you going to eat more?" he questions.
"No, I'll have something where I'm going," I clarify and leave the room to get my belongings.
Without thinking more, I leave the suite. I take the way to the cafeteria where we always went in our courtship, remembering those moments makes me go back in time, I feel like going on a date with him, when that will never be possible again. It hurts me to remember that I was very much in love with him, I was ready to leave everything to go with him, to continue being his girlfriend.
Unfortunately, it was only me who was in love, Dylan didn't feel the same for me, not even half of it, because the first chance he had he cheated on me with another girl who only flirted with him.
Without noticing the taxi stops, and I hand over the money, feeling nervous. I glance at the time and realize that I'm five minutes late. I approach the door, surprised to see that he's already here. Punctuality was never one of his virtues, but I guess it's never too late to change certain habits. He notices me quickly as he's already looking at the door. He stands up and greets me with a wave, as if it were possible not to see him.
I smile and make my way towards him. I notice he's sitting at the same table we used to occupy. This place brings back both beautiful and painful memories.
"Hello, you look beautiful," he says, smiling and kissing my cheek.
"Hi, I'm good. And you, how are you?" I reply, taking a seat.
Dylan adjusts my chair and sits in front of me. I look at him closely and realize he's even more handsome than before. I've always been attracted to him, despite the way our relationship ended. I can't deny that he still manages to make my heart skip a beat with just one look. I'm definitely foolish and silly.
"Do you want the usual?" he asks, momentarily catching me off guard.
"I suppose so. It's still my favorite place for one of those," I reply, blushing.
"Alright, I'll order it for you," he smiles and raises his hand.
A waiter approaches, and I expect him to ask me what I want. However, Dylan remembers my favorite coffee from this place after all these years.
The waiter leaves, and we're left alone. I feel nervous about the situation. Dylan places his hands on the table and clears his throat to start talking, but something stops him, and his expression changes in an instant. I turn my head to see what could be causing this, and I think now we both have the same bewildered look on our faces.
How is it possible that we have to come to the same café? Mason just walked in through the door with a beautiful girl. I don't understand why Dylan was taken aback when he saw them. Could it be that he knows I'm going to marry Mason? I turn my head again and look at Dylan.
"Is everything okay?" I ask him.
"I'm sorry, it's just that I thought I saw someone I know," he says, and I know he's lying. He's never been good at it, which is how I discovered his infidelity.
"Sure, and I'm Cleopatra," I say, rolling my eyes.
"First, I have to apologize for all the harm I caused you. I truly was an idiot, immature. I know that doesn't justify anything but believe me when I say I regret hurting you. You're a beautiful woman, and I'm sure there are many who are interested in you. I would like us to regain the friendship we had before we became a couple. I don't dare to find someone else to share my craziness with. Think about it, and let me know when you have an answer," he says, smiling.
"After all these years, are you telling me this? I don't understand why now when we've both moved on," I say, doubting his intentions.
"It sounds crazy, I know. I just want to feel good about myself, and I feel like our breakup, even though we were young, is still an unresolved chapter in my life," he explains, and I think he has a point.
"Fine, let's close that chapter and talk about it," I say, feeling resigned.
"Well, let me start by saying that I didn't even want to do it. I just let myself be influenced by the pressure from what I thought were my friends at that time, you know, young guys full of testosterone. It's not justified, but that's how it happened. As for her, she didn't mean anything to me. However, I didn't have the courage to continue being your boyfriend knowing what I had done. Also, as you know, my parents had everything ready to move because of my dad's job, and I wanted to do something spiteful before leaving. That stupid idea ended up hurting you, and I truly didn't want to hurt you. You're an important part of my life, even though I didn't tell you, I was madly in love with you," he confesses, looking distressed.
"In love? If you're going to talk, tell me the truth. It's not true that you were in love. If you were, you wouldn't have done what you did. If you're going to lie, I'd rather leave right now," I say, annoyed, laughing at his words.
"I'm sorry, but that's how I felt. I'm not lying to you in any way. After I left, I found out that the girl I cheated on you with got pregnant, so I had to go through DNA tests again. That's another matter, but what matters most right now is to show you that my remorse is genuine," he says, taking my hand on the table, and I pull it away.
"The truth is, I don't know what to think. Right now, I have a lot of things to clarify..." I start to say nervously, and I need to stop talking.
When I get nervous, I can't stop talking without thinking. I'm capable of telling him everything about the agreement. He, who has known me since my teenage years, comments with a laugh.
"You're still the same as before, always talking when you're nervous," I nod, closing my mouth.
"Yes, it's something I haven't been able to stop doing," I say, blushing.
"By the way, congratulations. I heard you're getting married," he says happily.
I sigh, not knowing what to say. That topic is complicated because I can't stop thinking about what happened last night.
"I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable," I deny and smile.
"Don't worry, it's just that I feel like I still don't fully know my fiancé. He came into the café recently and didn't see me. I don't even know what he's doing here," I say without thinking and cover my mouth as I realize what I said.
"Well, the girl who is supposedly my girlfriend just entered with a guy. Imagine the ironies of life if they end up together," he says, laughing, and stops when I think he realizes the same thing I did.
"Since we arrived, only one couple our age has come in, and if he's your fiancé and the girl is my girlfriend, what are they doing together?" he asks with a hint of annoyance in his voice.
"I don't know what to think, let alone what to say, but I don't have time to figure it out. I have an important appointment now," I quickly say goodbye, so Mason doesn't see me.
You might think it's best to talk to Mason right away, but I prefer to avoid it for now, pretend I didn't see anything and don't know anything, at least until I know his intentions. It's logical that if I ask him, he'll tell me I'm thinking wrong and try to make himself look good. I don't even know who he really is anymore.
I send him a message asking for the lawyer's address, and he sends it to me right away. I make my way there and pick up the documents. At that moment, I look up the phone number of a lawyer I remember meeting, and luckily, she agrees to see me in her office.
Upon arriving, I tell her that I need this matter to remain confidential. Her firm may not be the biggest around here, but she seems talented.
"Don't worry about that. I have this document that, if we both sign it, everything we discuss as client will stay strictly between the two of us unless it's needed for a trial," she says, handing me a small document.
I read it in silence, and she's right. It states that if she breaks the confidentiality agreement, she'll have to pay a substantial compensation. I finish reading and sign it. She smiles at me and asks,
"Well, tell me what brings you here." I sigh and begin telling her everything that has happened.
I feel like I'm taking a little weight off my shoulders, a burden that I'm sure will eventually stress me out. With just a few days left before returning to classes, the last thing I need is to be preoccupied with anything other than my studies, my future, and enduring three more years with Mason, only for each of us to go our separate ways afterward.
If that's the most important thing for now. As I tell the lawyer everything, I laugh because hearing it all feels like a fantasy story. But I don't think I'm the only one who has experienced or will experience something like this. She doesn't laugh or say anything until I finish recounting everything. She takes a deep breath, and I brace myself for whatever she's about to say.