Maggie’sreddish-brown hair glistened under the soft lights in her living room. Light from her tree, her TV, and the string of lights around the room shone down on her, her green eyes sparkling. She looked at me like she had all those years ago, with love and admiration, the love still strong between us.
There wasn’t a day where I stopped loving Maggie. I wanted to make a life for her and me, a life where neither one of us had to worry about money, but instead, I was back home, broke and alone, and hoping my high school sweetheart still loved me.
The moment she opened the door, it was as if someone came by and knocked the air clear straight out of me. I gasped for breath at her beauty, even in her Christmas pajamas and her hair a mess.
I’d never stopped loving her.
But there was a huge elephant looming between us. Or should I say a hugering.
There, nestled on her left ring finger sat a large diamond.
Maggie’s engaged.
A knife cracked open my chest, the pain strong.
No.I shook my head.
It couldn’t be.
Showing up on my ex’s doorstep to find her engaged dashed all of my hopes. But there had to be an explanation. This woman belonged tome.
Now, as we stood in her living room, I confessed my truth and her face softened, her eyes reflecting my pain. But I still couldn’t get past the ring.
“I’m sorry, Maggie. I didn’t know you were engaged. I should go.” I turned for the door when Maggie held out her hand to stop me.
“Not so fast. I can explain.”
“How can you explain being engaged? It’s not complicated.”
“Well, it can be. And mine is. Sort of.”
“I came here because I still love you, Maggie. I never stopped. So, finding out you’re engaged to someone else hurts. Yeah, my situation sucks. I’ve got no job and no family around. But none of that matters to me. What matters is you. I’m sorry I stopped by on Christmas. I should’ve called first. Have a good night.”
“Garner wait. Please. Let me explain, too.”
She was right. She deserved the same chances I had. A relationship was two people, not one.
I sat down on the couch and leaned forward, resting my forearms on my knees, my hands twisting together.
Maggie sat beside me and her scent filled my nose, a soft lavender mixed with a hint of vanilla, the same scent she’d always had. It was like coming home after a long trip, her familiarness comforting and soothing. “I’m not in a relationship with anyone. I haven’t been since you left. I tried to date, but nothing stuck. Nothing felt right. When I was in college, I grew close to my roommate, Kat, who dated this guy from a really rich, high to do family. They didn’t approve of my friend becauseshe wasn’t the same religion as they were and preferred their son to marry a Jewish girl. Anyway, after college, I lost touch with my roommate, but not Aidan. We both studied creative writing, so we became feedback partners. He learned from his family that he wouldn’t be able to collect his trust fund unless he married by the age of thirty. So, he asked me to help him out. We were due to be married next week, after his thirtieth birthday. Once he collected his trust fund, we were going to have the marriage annulled. But luckily, he ended up falling head over heels in love. Once he proposes to her over Christmas, I’m out.”
I studied her side profile. She was so fucking beautiful. My heart felt like it was permanently in my stomach around her.
And that mouth of hers…God did I want to kiss it.
Once I started, though, I might not stop.
Now that my dick hardened and my thoughts were stuck on kissing her, I processed the information.
She wasn’t engaged. At least not for real.
She still belonged to me.
“You never stopped loving me?”
“No. How could I Garner? You were my world. You still are. No man will ever compare.”
I swallowed hard.
