Chapter 50 Blakely
Blakely
Christmas Eve
Life has been so busy lately. Between buying furniture, decorating, and moving into the new house so we could be in before Christmas, I haven’t stopped to think about getting Kai anything for Christmas.
I went shopping for Amari to buy him a gift, but I never thought to get him something from me.
Kai and Amari were wrapping last-minute gifts when I told them I would be back.
As I walk into the mall, the bustling of last-minute shoppers fills my ears.
Great, I should have come earlier. I hate shopping at the last minute.
The shelves are practically bare, and you have to settle for what you can get.
I’m not even sure what to get Kai. This present feels lousy, because I didn’t put more thought into it.
Kai never cares for presents, so I’m sure with anything I get him, he’ll be appreciative.
As I make my way over to the cologne section, I realize most of these last-minute shoppers are men. I giggle at myself, knowing I’m included with them.
You could never go wrong with a cologne. Right? I go around the counter, sniffing the ones that catch my eye. There are so many that smell so good, making it hard to choose.
“Blakely.”
I’m surprised by the sound of my name. Turning around, I find Liam standing right before me in blue scrubs and a black jacket over the top.
He has a little scruff growing around his jawline.
He’s always kept his face shaved. I’ve never seen him with so much hair, and it’s not even a lot of hair.
They say when girls chop their hair and change their style after a breakup, it means they’re over it.
Is this his way of showing he’s over it?
Guilt rushes through me, seeing the man I hurt standing in front of me.
My stomach twists, knowing that I’m in the men’s cologne section.
It practically screams that I’m here for one person only—and that person is Kai.
“Hi,” I mumble, my voice tripping over a two-letter word.
“How are you?” he asks, with the same pain in his eyes that was there when I left him.
I swallow the lump in my throat. “I’m good. How are you?”
He shrugs his shoulders. “I’m getting there.”
He’s holding a jewelry box in his hand. It’s only been a couple of months since we split.
Is he buying that for a girl? Does he have a girlfriend?
Who am I to question it when I went straight to Kai after only a couple weeks?
I hope he has found someone. He deserves to be happy.
“That’s good. How’s work been?” I ask, not knowing what else to say or how to start a conversation.
“Busy. You know, with the end-of-year and everything.”
I nod, understanding, because our office has been extremely busy, too.
“I’m assuming you and Kai are back together?” he asks, eyeing the cologne. “Given you’re here in the guy section.”
I avoid his gaze as I nod. He drops his head down and stares at the box in his hand. “I had bought this for you when we were together. For Christmas,” he says, lifting the box up.
I stay quiet, not knowing what to say.
“I forgot about it, and they asked me to come pick it up since it’s been so long. I can’t get a refund for it.”
“Oh,” I say with my lips tightly together. More guilt rushes through me. I hope it wasn’t expensive. “I’m sure I would have loved it,” I say with a wide grin to hide the guilt.
His lips turn into a slight smile. "Well, I better let you go so you can finish your shopping,” he says, looking around. “So you don’t miss out on whatever you need. Everything is looking pretty empty.”
“Yeah, it’s crazy right now.”
“It was good seeing you, Blakely.”
“It was good seeing you, too.” We both smile and turn away from each other. I take a few steps before I hear him call out.
“Blakely.”
I glance over my shoulder and spot Liam, still standing in the same place. I turn fully to face him as he lowers his head, then lifts it again and asks. “Are you happy?”
A slight grin forms around my lips. “I am.” He nods with disappointment. “Are you?” I ask.
“Not right now. But in time, I will be,” he says, breaking our eye contact as he turns around and walks away.
Everything happens for a reason. There’s always a plan for our lives.
It’s crazy how much you can try to stop your life from going one way, only for it to take you where you’re meant to be.
I believe Liam came into my life to show me how much I truly deserve when all I could do in that time was give up on a second chance to love.
I thought that second chance was with him—only to find out that the second chance I was holding onto so strongly wasn’t with him, but with my first true love. The love of my life.
My Forever and ever.