Love or not love

Let’s give us another chance

~Natalie’s pov~

I’ve been unhappy since Henry started working at the bar. His presence at the bar bring back so many memories I’ve been trying so hard to forget and most of all i no longer concentrate at work. I hang out with Zack a lot so I could ease all the stress and hard emotions from seeing Henry all night at the bar. ‘Why can’t he just leave?’.

He and Erica have been spending a lot of time together lately and I can’t lie I’m not quite happy with that because obviously she’s hanging out with my ex but I don’t blame her, she doesn’t know. They’ve been going to see movies together and hanging out at cool places together. Then when she’s back from one of their numerous dates together, she would text me and tell me all about it and I would pretend to be so happy for her. I can’t continue like this and i know if Erica ends up falling for Henry I would be so broken because even though I try to deny it, the fact is that I still love Henry even after everything that had happened between us.

At work, Erica wouldn’t stop staring at Henry and he would wink at her and they would spend most of their free time at the bar talking, smiling and touching each other. I felt so heartbroken because I thought Henry was actually sorry for what he did and really wanted to apologize after stopping me that day. Although, he actually tries to check on me sometimes but I would purposely ignore him.

One afternoon, Erica couldn’t stop calling me and I was with Zack so I couldn’t pick up immediately but when I called her, I found out she had a bad day and got fired from her work at ‘the pizza place’. I felt so sorry for her, I had to leave my date with Zack and go to her house so I could comfort her only to get there and see Henry already taking care of her. He couldn’t sleep over so I had to stay over so I could take care of her.

The position I saw Henry got me worried because I know him too well. I saw worry in his eyes, he was so worried about Erica, maybe he likes her. Only the thought of them together made me sad and if Erica ends up loving Henry and later finds out that he’s my ex, she would be so heartbroken. ‘ I don’t want her to get hurt, she’s like a sister to me’. Maybe I’m the one still holding on to a long time grudge with Henry . I feel I should just let everything go , I want Erica to be happy so I’m ready to sacrifice the memories I had with Henry so that both of them can just be happy together without me being grumpy anytime I see them together but I have to warn Henry not to break her heart.

A month after the incident with Erica and a billionaire CEO which made her loose her job at the pizza place, Erica and Henry’s relationship grew stronger and I could also feel it. Erica forgot all about the incident and became happier which made me happy too, She started looking for another day job which Henry was assisting her with. It won’t be easy for her to get a day job that would pay her as much as she got paid as a delivery girl at the pizza place. After some weeks I realized there was no need to keep keeping grudges with Henry so I decided to talk things through with Henry so I could just trash everything, move on with my life and be genuinely happy for my friend Erica.

On Monday evening I made sure I got to the bar earlier so I would talk with Henry, he is always punctual to work unlike my humble self. When I got into the bar, I saw him dusting the drinks on the shelves so I walked up to him. “Hi , Henry” , “hi , Natalie” he replied and turned to face me. “ can we have a conversation?” I asked. “ yes” he replied and We moved over to a table near us and sat down. “There was something you wanted to explain to me the other day about you and your colleague I saw together, don’t get it twisted, I’m still mad at you about everything that happened between us but it’s obvious to me that you and my best friend Erica are in love with each other, so I want to just trash out the grudges i have with you so I can be genuinely happy for my friend”. I said and released a sigh of relieve because I never wanted to have this conversation with Henry but I have to for my best friend Erica. “ yes I know you’re mad at me about everything and I’m so sorry things turned out that way between us and I would have handled things in a better way but I didn’t and I’m so sorry about that. Look Natalie. . I never cheated on you with my colleague, that day I got sacked from the office for beating up my boss’s son who turned out to be my female colleagues abusive ex, I got drunk and she took me home and slept over because it was too late for her to leave, so she had to borrow my shirt. When you saw us the next day and thought I cheated on you, I couldn’t go after you because I felt like a disappointment to you and I didn’t want burden you, I felt it was better for you to meet someone new and better, someone who would be able to treat you like a queen you are and I still regret my actions till today, I’m really really sorry Natalie, I wish I could turn back the hands of time and make things right between us”. After hearing everything he said I felt really bad , I shouldn’t have concluded that he cheated on me . . I should have listened to him and not allow my anger get the best of me. “ I’m so sorry Henry, I didn’t know, I should have tried asking you instead of storming off like that, I feel so bad that you had to go through all that alone without me being there for you” I held his hand tightly on the table. “ I’m really sorry Henry, I concluded to fast”. “ it’s okay Natalie, I played a huge part in it too and I regret everything, I couldn’t stop thinking about you since that day”.he said looking at me straight into my eyes. “ Me too, even if I try denying my feelings for you all the time, i know deep down I still love you soo much and life hasn’t been the same without you Henry, could we give our relationship a second chance again?” I asked waiting to hear a positive answer. “ I would have said yes if we had this conversation last month but now it’s not possible anymore because I’m In a relationship with Erica now, we made it official last night”. He said and I could see the pain in his eyes. It’s been long since we’ve been together but I swear I could feel a fresh kind of pain. It felt like a spear went through my heart. The pain was to much for me to bear. “Henry . . We c. . Can actually tell her about everything she would understand us, this is just a big mistake. . You won’t be happy with her as much as you’ll be happy when you’re with me”. I said and place is palms on my chest. “But if we do that, it would hurt her badly , she’s going through a lot right now”.he said “but I’m hurting too Henry. . I’ve been hurting all those times we’ve been apart. . I love you Henry , I haven’t been able to get over you after all these years” I said and tears rolled down my eyes. “ I know Natalie, you’re one person no one can replace in my life ever but. . I think I like Erica too and I really want to give our relationship a chance, i’m sorry Natalie,I hurt you badly, I never even thought we would meet again and when I saw you and Zack together, I was hurt but I feel you deserve a better man who would love and treat you better , I don’t deserve you Natalie”. He said and I saw a tear roll down his cheeks too. “ but our love is unique Henry, I don’t care about the money , all I care is you”. I said and held his hand tighter. “No Natalie you deserve a man who would treat you better, I don’t deserve you”. He said , stood up from the chair he sat and went into our boss’s office and when he came out he just left the bar without saying a thing.