the stranger who stayed

Prologue – A Nagging Feeling I paced around my small apartment, unable to calm the storm in my mind. For some reason, I couldn’t think straight. A strange feeling settled deep in my chest, as if something was bound to go wrong. Trying to distract myself, I walked into the kitchen. “Sheila… we’re running late. We need to go down to the rental store. Your wedding is in five days,” Crystal said as she walked over to where I stood. Crystal had smooth brown skin and warm brown eyes. She was a bit taller than I was. Back in high school, I had been a lonely orphan girl, moving from one foster home to another. Then one day, a vibrant transfer student arrived in class. Her smile was bright and kind. The day she smiled at me and chose to sit beside me was the day everything changed. From that moment on, we became inseparable. We went to college together—different majors, but that never mattered. She was my soul sister. Wherever she went, I followed, and wherever I went, she followed. Her smile slowly faded into a look of concern when she noticed the worried expression on my face. “What’s wrong, Sheila-bear?” That was the name she always called me whenever she was trying to comfort me. She gently pulled me into a hug. “It’s just… I’m having this really nagging feeling about everything,” I sighed. “About your wedding with Henry?” I nodded. “Girl… you know I’ve never liked him,” she said, rolling her eyes. “But if you’re happy, then I’m happy. And you’ve made it very clear that you can’t be happy without him.” “He wants us to meet tonight, and I’m really worried.” “Why? Did you two fight?” I nodded as she gently patted my hair. “I told him I wasn’t okay with Natalie being all over our business. Then he snapped.” Henry and I had met two years ago. Back then, he seemed like the sweetest person. Still, I never really felt like I belonged around his friends and family. And Natalie… I had never liked her. I was never comfortable with the closeness between her and Henry. But whenever the thought crossed my mind, I quickly pushed it away. They had grown up together, after all. It felt unfair to think badly of it. “I’m going to apologize to him,” I said quietly. “I don’t want us to fight. I won’t lose him… right?” Crystal’s expression shifted from worry to anger, and then to frustration. She slowly pulled away and sighed. “I just pray you realize it before it’s too late,” she said softly.