Allison
I lay on the mat, unable to shake off the thoughts swirling in my head. What are Jayden and I doing? Is it right? Should I end it before things get worse? I felt like everything we were doing was toxic and wrong, and I couldn’t understand why I was catching feelings for him.
I tossed and turned, my mind racing with questions. How did Jayden feel about me? Was he just using me? Was I more of a sex toy than a sex partner? The thought sent a pang of anxiety through my chest. If he was using me, it would be devastating.
Just as I was starting to get frustrated with my racing thoughts, I heard a soft knock on the door. I sat up quickly, my heart skipping a beat.
“Who is that?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.
Jayden’s quiet voice replied, “It’s me. I can’t sleep, what about you?”
I swallowed hard and replied, “No, I can’t sleep either.”
There was a pause before Jayden spoke again. “Okay then, why don’t you come outside? Let’s look around, talk a bit and stuff.” His voice was low and inviting, and I felt a flutter in my chest.
What should I do? Was this the right time to end things between us?
“What the fuck is wrong with you, Allison,” I groaned, slamming my hand against my head. “Why would you think of ending things when you two just made up less than twenty-four hours ago? I mean, you were the one that still accepted him after missing him so much.”
“Are you still there? Sleeping already or…?” he asked, breaking my monologue.
“Oh! Sorry, I’ll be right outside soon.”
As we sat together on the pavement, I gazed up at the star-filled sky. The darkness was almost palpable, but the stars twinkled like diamonds against the velvet expanse.
“Wow, did you see that?” I exclaimed after spotting a beautiful shooting star.
Jayden turned to me, curious. “What?”
“A shooting star! I just saw one,” I replied, still gazing upward.
Jayden looked up, but there was nothing. We sat in silence for a few moments, the only sound being the crickets chirping in the distance.
Then, suddenly, another shooting star streaked across the sky. Jayden pointed, excitement rising in his voice. “Look! I think it’s another!”
I widened my eyes as I spotted the star. “Make a wish, fast!” I urged.
Without hesitation, we intertwined our hands, closed our eyes, and made a silent wish. The moment felt magical, as if the universe was conspiring to make our dreams come true.
As we opened our eyes, Jayden turned to me with a curious smile. “What did you wish for?” he asked.
I grinned mischievously. “It’s a secret.”
“Are you thinking that if you don’t tell me, it won’t come true?” he raised an eyebrow, teasing me.
I nodded, my eyes sparkling. “Isn’t that supposed to be the belief?”
“Come on, It’s just a superstition,” Jayden chuckled, shaking his head.
“And do you think making wishes to a shooting star isn’t the real superstition here?” I scoffed, folding my arms across my chest.
Jayden laughed, rolling his eyes.
“I’m going to tell you, anyway. Besides, I don’t care and believe in all those fairy tales. For me, I hope this wish really comes true.”
“Don’t worry, it will.” I nodded.
“Wanna hear it?” he asked.
I grinned wider. “Alright, let’s hear it.”
A silence hung between us as Jayden continued to stare at me, his gaze piercing through mine. I felt a wave of anxiety and discomfort, desperately trying to break the stillness. I cleared my throat softly, hoping to ease the tension.
“Aren’t you going to say anything?” I asked, trying to sound casual. “You’re literally boring holes into my face with your gaze right now.”
Jayden laughed, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “Sorry,” he said, his voice low and smooth.
I raised an eyebrow, curiosity getting the better of me. “You don’t want to talk about your wish, right? Did you wish about your mother or something?”
He shook his head, his expression turning serious.
“You know she’s free to do what she wants. I want to hold her back, but… I made the wish about me, in particular.”
I nodded, intrigued.
“If you want to talk about it, I’m here and if you don’t want to talk about it, I’m still here.”
His eyes locked onto mine, his gaze intense. “I want to say it,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper.
“I’m listening,” I said, my voice soft as I leaned in. My heart was also racing fast and I wondered if it was because I was anticipating his statement.
He took a deep breath, his eyes never leaving mine. “I wish that I would… truly love someone right, and not hurt that person.”
I stared at him, unsure of what to say. His words hung in the air, filled with a vulnerability I’d never seen before.
Jayden laughed, breaking the silence. “What do you think of the wish, not cool, right? Trust me, I’m cringing hard here right now.”
I smiled and shook my head, trying to brush off the intensity of the moment.
“It’s… It’s actually cool, Jayden,” I whispered, my eyes locked on his. “I mean, it’s such a beautiful wish.”
“Really? Wow, okay then,” Jayden said, his eyes sparkling with amusement. “So you really aren’t going to tell me your wish, right?”
I looked down, feeling a flutter in my chest. “Very soon, I’ll let you know. But for now, let’s keep the wish a secret.”
“What’s the wish all about, then?” he asked, his curiosity piqued. “If you can’t tell me what the wish really is, tell me who’s it about?… You see, I’m such an unashamed curious being.”
I laughed, shaking my head at his mischievousness. “The wish isn’t really about me, but about you, Jayden.”
“Really?” he asked, his voice filled with intrigue, with his eyes widening.
I nodded, trying to stifle a grin.
“Yes, but anyway, I’m not saying anything else. We should head inside now. I’m feeling sleepy,” I said, yawning.
I stood up and entered the house, and when I looked back, I saw Jayden watching me. He quickly started moving, his movements awkward, and I started walking ahead while he followed me from behind. We went to our respective rooms.
As I lay down on the mat, I closed my eyes, and drifted to sleep immediately. Morning came fast, and before I knew it, I was awake already, the sunlight brightening the small room.
I sat upright on the mat, rubbing my forehead, feeling tired. I just wanted to prepare and go back home. But then I started hearing sniffling and crying sounds coming from outside.
I quickly ran out to see Jayden in tears. He was crying!
With confusion etched on my face, I asked, “Jayden, is everything alright?”
Before he could respond, he burst into loud sobs.
I was taken aback, unsure of what to do. “What’s wrong?” I asked, trying to calm him down.
He sobbed uncontrollably, his words barely intelligible. “She left… she left me,” he stammered.
“What do you mean?” I asked, trying to understand.
Jayden took a deep breath, trying to compose himself. “I woke up this morning, and my mom was gone. I called her, but she didn’t pick up. Then I found a letter she left for me.”
He paused, his voice cracking with emotion. “She said she loves me, but she has to leave. She also claims she’s glad she met me for the last time before leaving. She’s gone to France to meet the
so-called love of her life.”
Jayden broke down again, his body shaking with sobs.
“How could she do this to me?” he cried. “I thought we could make up again. I actually wanted to give her a chance this morning so how… why? Just… why me!”
I hugged him tightly, patting his back. “It’s fine. Everything is fine. Let’s go home and return back to our normal lives,” I said, trying to comfort him.
He nodded, still crying. “Yes, let’s go home, please,” he begged, wrapping his arms around me.