Bonus Story: Bright and Red

Miranda Anderson is on the verge of falling off from the corners of the world after discovering that her fiancé had been cheating on her and even has a kid. Her best friend is there to help her in this trying time and put her back in the market. She goes on a search for something new after burning her past and scattering the ashes. On this journey into getting her life back, she meets Kyle, who has loved her from when they were little, even if they never really took it beyond platonic. But now the skies are open and the birds of love can fly. It has been two years since she last saw him and the question remains if the feelings he once had for her are still burning bright and red.

 

Chapter 1

Nate was perfect. The most perfect gentleman in the entire world. I guess when people seem too good to be true, they usually are. I actually did love him and this was what made it more painful. I could feel my heart beating faster, thumping at my chest, pounding my ribs with so much ferocity and inspired rage. I think back at how wonderfully well things were going before the vicissitude that had left me in such sorry state. My life was bright as roses at noon day. My work mates were envious and some even jealous. I wore a smile that turned a cold snowy night to a bright summer afternoon. Nate and I were the perfect example of love... or at least how it should be.

 

I used to have exasperating daydreams and reveries of a perfect honeymoon with the love of my life, under the duvet while the snow peeked from the windows. The icy snow melting by heat of our passion, the sweet words he would say into my ears after filling me up for the first time while I squeezed the edges of the bed in unrivalled ecstasy.  All gone!  All gone, in just a twinkle of an eye! Poof!

 

Another beep sound rattled my ears and disturbed my stream of thoughts; well, it was more like a conjuring ocean of thoughts. I guess the earlier dozen messages would already be over a hundred now. Nice heartwarming compositions from friends who wanted to make me feel better, emotional ones from my girlfriends and close buddies, and most especially, a million apology messages from Nate. I knew too well not to check or read any of them. The reason simply was that I knew that I still felt something for Nate. I mean, how could I not? This was a man that I had loved for two years─ two years that appeared like the entirety of my life; a man that I had given my world to and put my heart in his hands; a man that knew everything about me... my fears, my likes, my weaknesses, my lies, my secrets; a man I thought I knew; a man I once wished to spend the rest of my life with.

 

It is an uncanny feeling that comes with a sudden rush of despair when you discover that the last two years of your life have been a lie; a fairytale love story; a far contrast from reality; a damning reverie; a thirsty desert walker's mirage; a fallacy withal.

 

I wrapped my arms around me and took a look at Eunice. She prepared wood for a fire on the hearth. I had begged her to get me out of Uncle Richard's house and bring me to her home, because I feared Nate would manage his way to see me. I was not ready to hear the sound of his voice. It would break me beyond repair. Apart from Eunice, only no one knew where I was. I thought Ice cream would do the trick, but it only made my cold heart grow colder.

 

This unfortunate turn of events took my mind back to Kyle. He always did love me, and I him, even if we never talked about it. I had gotten a call from him recently. He sounded well. He sounded lovely. I had not seen him inn nearly three years. Kyle was nice as always. I thought about calling him. Probably his voice would calm me, even if he did not know. I knocked the though back out of my mind. A lovely guy he was, but I was not ready to move on yet. I needed to find balance and stability, clear my mind and rationalize my thoughts.

 

The fire came up wildly, making Eunice jump back and chuckle. It immediately gave the room a snug feel. Eunice rubbed her hands together near the fire and then got on her feet. I watched as she took off her scarf and threw it to collide with her brown lady hat. Next, she took off her coat and playfully threw it at me. She always did that to cheer me up... throwing her things at me. I displayed a wry smile and walk to meet her beside the fire, taking my seat on one of the two chairs strategically placed near the fire place.

 

"Cozy, huh?" She wriggled her body and fell in her chair.

"Yes, it is really cozy. Thank you for doing this." I smiled at her, genuinely.

"Come on... You know I did not do anything. I only agreed to get you here because I needed company," she winked at me.

"Selfish witch!" I joked.

"You see? You are getting better already. A few more days and you would be back to your normal self,"

What was my normal self exactly? I wondered.

"I feel empty," I said, watching the hard wood burn under the glowing fire.

"You shouldn't. In fact you should be happy that you could get out of it before it got too far. What if you got to discover he had a kid six years into your relationship and possibly, marriage?"

She had a point.

"Yes. But at least everybody would not have witnessed my shame like that. That party was the grandest public humiliation in America." I grimaced.

She smirked, knowing that I had indeed considered the angles.

We remained silent.

“You know, sometimes I just think that maybe if I had not planned that surprise party for Nate, things would still be the way they were. I cannot believe I humiliated myself like that in front of his friends and mine.” I whispered as I remembered the events of the previous day.

 

It was Nate’s birthday and I thought I would surprise him with a party at the place that he least expected… his house. I had a spare key that he did not know about, so getting in was not going to be a problem. I invited my friends and some of his and we all agreed to meet at his house. That day, I called him to make sure he was somewhere else and immediately began preparations. I also told him that I had to leave town for something very urgent and he sounded very sad that I would not celebrate his birthday with him. The plan was in motion. I watched through the window and the moment I saw his car approaching, we all took position and waited for him to open the door.

“Surprise!” we screamed just as the door pushed open.

Ironically, we were the surprised ones, as he walked in with a woman and a kid. His jaw dropped.

And just then, the kid looked up and said “Daddy, are we having a party?”

I had never been that mortified in my life as I tried to process it all in my mind.