Chapter 24 - The sealing of fate
1165 Words
Isabel was still on her stroll in Riverside Park, walking leisurely by the riverside, when her phone started buzzing. ‘John’, it said on the display. Her heart leaped and summersaulted in her chest.
“Hello stranger,” Isabel smiled teasingly as she answered the call. She stopped walking and sat down at the nearest bench.
“Hey,” John replied, his voice hoarse. “How are you?”
“I’m good. On my way home from work... How are you?” She sensed something was off. John seemed very tense.
“Are you out?” he asked.
“Yes! The weather's so nice, so I thought I could get some fresh air and walk home.” Isabel was starting to become nervous.
“Is it?” John paused. “Ah yes, now I see…”
“Are you home? Or at your parent’s?” She started chewing on her nails. This conversation was not at all what she had expected it to be! John seemed very... distant.
“Yeah, at my parent’s… I’m looking out the window now. The moon is already up.”
“Is it?” Isabel twisted, gazing at the sky. “I can’t see it.”
“I do. It’s the New Moon already.”
“New moon? But I can’t see it. Shouldn’t there be a little crescent?”
“No, that’s the Waxing Crescent Moon,” she could hear John smiling, and she relaxed a bit. “The New Moon is totally black… I’ve always been intrigued by the moon’s phases and colours.”
“Colours?” she asked with raised brows. “Isn’t it always white-ish?”
“Naah…” John chuckled. “It can be yellow, brown, red… Once, when I was a child, it was purple.”
“Purple moon?! Wow, I didn’t know…”
There was a pause in their conversation, and Isabel was drawing circles in the gravel with her shoe. What was going on? Why were they talking about the moon? Why was this conversation so terribly stiff? It was making her heart sink.
“Isabel, I…” John started, but stopped abruptly.
“Yes…?” Isabel waited patiently, but as he said nothing more she continued. “John, are you OK? You sound a bit… off.”
“I’m fine,” he sighed. “I just…” he paused again. “Listen. I have to tell you something.”
“I’m listening,” she said with a kind voice. The sun was hiding behind a few red-coloured clouds and she shivered, suddenly starting to feel cold.
“I’m not coming back to town.”
“What do you mean? Not this week?” She felt like she was in an elevator that started falling, without any brakes.
“No, I mean… Ever. Or at least for a very long time. I’ve got a new job… and it’s quite far away. But before that, I have to go on a long business trip. All over the country actually.”
“OK…” She didn’t know what to say. Was he… breaking up with her?
“I’m so sorry… I know, I should have told you earlier, but I couldn’t. I want you to know that I really appreciate the time we had together. I think you are amazing! But this… us… will not work out.”
“John, are you serious?” Isabel’s heart started pounding, her eyes full of tears.
“Yes... I’m sorry. Isabel, it's not you! It's me..."
"Like that would make me feel better," she snickered. "Seriously, John.This weekend... It meant the world to me. And I really thought we were on the same page here? It was not just some one-night-stand?"
"Isabel, you're everything a man could possibly want in a woman. If we had met at another time, another place, things would have been different. But I can't see you anymore. I’m… I’m really sorry. I should have told you.”
“Yes, you should have!” her cheeks were already wet from tears. “You really should have, John. This is not OK. This is f*****g not OK...”
“I know. Isabel, please. I’m sorry!” he pleaded.
“Well, thank you for sharing.” Isabel hung up and threw away her phone, hiding her face in her hands.
She started shivering from shock and from the pain that was welling up in her chest. She wanted to scream! Her anger was boiling inside of her, her sorrow flooding her eyes. She had to hug herself, rocking from side to side, trying to calm down. This couldn’t be! Why did he do this? They should be together. They were the perfect match! And she was sure he felt it too... So how could he ditch her like this?
Isabel sat there for hours, staring blankly in front of her. The sun had already set, and it had been a stunning sunset with the clouds burning with bright red and orange colours. She didn’t notice any of it. She was so upset and engrossed in her feelings, she hadn’t even paid attention to the burning sensation at her back.
"Isabel?" A familiar voice woke her up from her haze. She was still seated on the bench, hugging her knees, and she looked up, her gaze meeting a friendly face.
"Hey, are you OK?" Marcus was squatting down by her side, looking at her with concern.
"What? Oh Marcus? Hi..." she smiled at him faintly.
"How are you?" he put his hand on her knee with a sympathetic look on his face.
"I've been better," she chuckled, wiping off the tears from her cheeks.
"Yes, it looks like it..." Marcus smiled reassuringly. "Want to talk about it?"
"Not really," she grimaced. How could she talk about being dumped by one man, with another who had just recently been flirting with her?
"OK," he chuckled. "Want to talk about something else? Can I buy you a drink somewhere?"
"It's Monday... We can't go out having drinks! People would think we are alcoholics," she sniggered.
"In such case, I'm already screwed. In other people's eyes, I mean," he laughed. "Come on, you must be freezing anyway." He offered her his hand.
"I don't know..." Isabel took his hand and he helped her up.
"Goddess, your hand is cold. We should get you an Irish coffee or something."
Isabel stiffened by his words. Did he just say 'Goddess'? She had heard John say it too a couple of times. She had thought it was cute, some fun twist of saying 'Oh my God'. Was it a coincidence, Marcus saying it as well?
"OK... Just one drink," she linked her arm with his. "And after that you'll escort me home."
"Deal," he grinned as he took off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders. They started walking slowly, side by side, along the river, as bypassers smiled at them with admiration, probably thinking they looked like a beautiful couple.
- Writer
