Chapter 8: Midnight Interruption.
870 Words
Chapter 8: Midnight Interruption
Weeks passed, and the silence from Marco remained absolute. He still hadn't unblocked Elena, but the good thing was that she was finally starting to move on. Julian was the reason why. He was always there for her, even with his tight schedule in the seminary; he called her whenever he was free, and his presence became her constant comfort.
With this closeness, her feelings for him increased daily. Yet, the more she felt for him, the more she felt a lingering fear. She was terrified that by loving him, she would face the wrath of the Almighty God for distracting a man of the cloth.
Because of his duties, Julian mostly called her at night, usually around midnight when he was finally free from all his spiritual activities. One night, the air was still, and Elena was lying outside her house, looking up at the sky while waiting for his call. When the phone finally buzzed at 12:00 AM, it was an audio call.
"Hey, El," Julian said softly. "I've got my friend Clement here with me. We were just talking, and I wanted to add him to the call so you two could finally meet."
"Hello, Elena!" Clement said, his voice cheerful. "Julian has told me so much about you. I feel like I already know you."
The three of them spoke for a while, Julian and Clement cracking jokes that made Elena laugh for the first time in days. The sound of their laughter filled her ears, making her forget her worries for a brief moment.
But then, a familiar sound cut through the night.
The distinct, low rumble of an engine grew louder until she saw the flash of the headlight. It was Marco’s bike. Her heart stopped, and a wave of cold panic washed over her. After weeks of silence and blocking her, he was suddenly there.
"Julian, I have to go. I’ll call you later," she said quickly, her voice trembling.
"Wait, what's wrong? Elena—"
Before Julian could finish his sentence, she ended the call. She stood up, her legs feeling like lead, as the bike pulled up right in front of her. The screen of her phone was still warm in her hand, a sharp contrast to the cold stare of the man who had just arrived.
Marco killed the engine, the sudden silence of the night feeling heavier than the noise. He climbed off the bike, and for a moment, they just stood there in the dark. Elena’s heart was hammering against her ribs so hard it hurt.
"Elena," he said, his voice softer than she had heard it in months.
Before she could speak, he moved toward her and pulled her into a hug. It was the last thing she expected. He held her tight, whispering into her hair that he had finally unblocked her that night. "I missed you, El. I’m ready to work things out. I don't want us to be like this anymore."
Elena felt a rush of relief so intense she almost felt dizzy. All the weeks of crying, the swollen eyes, and the feeling of being discarded seemed to vanish in that single embrace.
"I want us to sit down and talk so we can settle things properly," Marco told her, pulling back just enough to look at her. "I’ll come tomorrow to pick you up and take you to my place. We’ll talk then, okay?"
Elena nodded quickly, her eyes filling with fresh tears—this time from hope. "Okay. Yes."
As soon as the roar of his bike faded into the distance, Tasha, who had been watching from the doorway, stepped out into the night air.
"Don't do it, Elena," Tasha said, her voice sharp and warning. "Don't accept him back. He’s just going to use you again. You’re falling for the same trap."
"It was my fault, Tasha, not his," Elena argued, her voice defensive. "I’m the one who messed up with Derrick. Marco is being the bigger person by coming back. I want things to work out between us, I really do."
Tasha just sighed and shook her head, walking back inside without another word.
Elena followed her in, but her mind was completely elsewhere. Her phone started buzzing—it was Marco. He was texting her, then calling her, his name flashing on the screen over and over again. It felt like a dream. After weeks of being a ghost, he was suddenly everywhere.
She got so carried away replying to his messages and listening to his voice on the phone that the rest of the world ceased to exist. She forgot about the stars she had been watching, she forgot about her roommate’s warnings, and she completely forgot that she had told Julian she would call him back.
Deep in the quiet halls of the seminary, Julian sat by his phone, waiting for a call that never came. But Elena didn't notice. For the first time in a long time, she felt like she was exactly where she wanted to be.
- Writer
