51. Stella
51
STELLA
R ain drizzles down the window panes as I step into the cozy coffee shop, the familiar scent of fresh coffee and pastries enveloping me. My gaze scans the room until I spot Anastasia sitting in our favorite quiet corner. She catches my eye and gives a small wave, concern etched on her face.
“Stella, honey, what’s wrong?” she asks the moment I slide into the seat across from her. Her eyes fill with worry as they take in my tear-streaked face.
I’ve been holed up the last few days, not even leaving my house to go to work, crying about Elio like some lovesick teenager. I hated it…so I forced myself out today and who better to see than my best friend?
“It’s just...everything,” I choke out, the words barely escaping my lips as I struggle to hold back a sob. Anastasia reaches across the table, her warm hand covering my trembling one. A fresh wave of tears trails down my cheeks.
“I’ve never seen you like this before,” she whispers, squeezing my hand.
“Ana, I messed up so badly,” I confess through choked sobs. “I never meant for any of this to happen, but now it’s all falling apart.”
“Stella, I’m here for you,” Anastasia reassures me. “Tell me everything.”
My heart races as I gather the courage to speak. “It started when I accidentally sexted Elio instead of Paul,” I confess, my cheeks flushing with embarrassment at the memory. “And I’m sorry for lying. I never meant to lie to you. Paul is so incredible, and I wish I actually would have sexted him because I doubt he would have broken my heart, and then I didn’t know how to tell you. And then I kept sexting Elio, thinking it was Paul and then I found out it was Elio, and I couldn’t stop. So we slept together, and then called it off and then started dating.”
Anastasia’s eyes widen in surprise, but she remains silent, allowing me to pour out my tangled emotions without interruption.
“Owen came back into the picture, and I didn’t know what to do. I was so confused, Ana. And then, just when I thought things couldn’t get worse, Elio breaks up with me because he doesn’t want to fight his son for me.” My voice trembles as I recount the painful memories, the tears threatening to return.
“Stella, I’ve never heard you talk so fast,” she admits. “That’s a lot.”
“You don’t hate me now, do you?”
“No,” she says quickly. “I mean I hate that you lied to me, but who you end up with is your decision. It’s not for me to get in the middle and tell you what to do. I just wanted to help you move on although your ex’s dad might not have been who I recommended.”
I sigh. “I know. I’m so stupid.”
“You’re not stupid,” she reassures me. “Do you want Owen back?”
“Heck no.”
“What do you feel for Elio? I mean, really feel?”
Her question catches me off guard, forcing me to confront emotions that have been swirling around inside me. I take a deep breath and close my eyes, letting the memories of stolen moments with Elio wash over me – his tender touch, the taste of his lips, and the way he made me feel truly seen.
“Love,” I whisper, hardly daring to believe it myself. “I love him, Ana. More than I’ve ever loved anyone before.”
Anastasia’s eyes soften at my admission, and she reaches out to squeeze my hand reassuringly. “That’s what matters, Stella,” she tells me, her voice full of sincerity. “You need to trust your heart and fight for the love you deserve. Don’t let him back off because of Owen.”
Her words resonate within me, igniting a spark. I clench my fists under the table, feeling the sting of my nails against my palms as I try to steady myself. She’s right – If there’s even a chance that Elio and I can be together, I have to take it.
I deserve to be happy.
“Thank you,” I whisper, my voice thick with emotion. “You’re right. I can’t let him go without a fight.”
Anastasia smiles softly, her eyes shining with pride. “That’s the spirit, Stella. You’ve got this.”
With a newfound sense of purpose, I wipe away my tears and rise from my seat. My legs feel steadier than they have all day, rooted in my resolve to win back Elio’s heart. Every fiber of my being yearns for his touch, for the tender embrace that had once made everything in the world seem perfect.
“Ana, I don’t know how to thank you enough for always being there for me,” I tell her, my voice firm with gratitude.
“Promise to never lie to me again, and we’ll call it even.”
I laugh. “I promise.”
“Good,” she nods. “Now go get him.”
I run right out of the coffee shop to do just that.