It had been three years since we'd last seen each other. Standing just a few feet from him, I couldn't help but stare at his magnificent features. I was definitely unprepared for this, I thought to myself. He was busy typing something down on his phone, so he was still unaware of my presence. I stood rather confused, contemplating whether to just walk past him or greet him. Given what happened the last time we spoke, it was definitely bound to be very awkward and tense. And I dreaded any awkward situation.
George and I were once close friends. Rather too close to be called friends. The strong chemistry and connection we had, had been unmistakenly obvious and hard to ignore. Most of our colleagues back then thought we were dating. However, it was nothing more than a secret crush on my part. What happened the last time had left each of us hurt and broken. The fight was intense, a lot of hurtful things were said and on that spur of the moment, we agreed it was best if we both stayed away from each other.
He looked up from his phone just as I was about to go back into the congregation. And as our eyes locked with one another, it was like time froze. I couldn't breathe or stopped breathing, I couldn't tell. The memories of our fight hung heavily in my mind. The atmosphere was thick with tension. It was almost suffocating. The deafening silence did nothing to salvage the situation. I could feel the spark of electricity flowing between us from that single gaze. And when he smiled so warmly at me, I couldn't stop the erratic beating of my heart.
" Amy, how are you doing? It's been a long time" he said, enthusiastically as he sauntered over, closing the distance between us.
" Indeed it has been, I'm doing well, and you? " I answered back, reciprocating his smile.
"Fine. You look great, by the way" he complimented.
" Thank you"
"What are you doing here anyway," I asked.
The George I knew hated coming to events like this. The hall was crowded with so many people, I least expected him to be there.
"Well, the person gracing the occasion is a family friend, so I had to honour her invite". He explained.
With every word that left our mouths as we conversed and spoke, the tension eased little by little. The chemistry was still very strong between us, I noticed, but I couldn't help but be a little cautious and weary as we talked. After all, the wounds from that last fight hadn't quite fully healed. We exchanged numbers before we parted ways, wanting to catch up on lost time.
As days went by we chatted on, getting used to each other again and catching up on old times. He was just as I remembered, maybe even better. We bantered back and forth on most of our conversations like children, and I couldn't help myself from becoming attached again. George was funny, daring and wild. He brought out a part of me I didn't know I had. The connection we had was electrifying. It was refreshing to have him back in my life.
As much as I savoured what we had, I couldn't help but hold back a little. The fight we had that day left us shattered. Though I have healed, the scars are painful reminders, uncertainties of what could happen in the future. Even though I learned my lesson in a hard way, I wasn't sure if he had. We were both at fault. We were irresponsible, and I was a little selfish on my part. But since then, I've turned over a new leaf. The pain of loosing a valuable friend is forever there to teach me a valuable lesson and amend my ways.
"Amy?" He called me one faithful day, looking intensively at me
"I'm deeply sorry for what happened that day, he said, taking confident strides towards where I stood, with remorse written all over his face.
We were at our favourite hang out place, a small eatery where we first met before we became close friends.
"I said a lot of things I deeply regretted, but most of all I regret losing you."
" I can tell you are still careful around me, but I promise you I've changed. Can we just start all over again?" He said, looking apprehensively at me.
I stood silent, letting his words sink in. We both got hurt, but if he was ready to look past all that, who am I to say no, I thought to myself.
" A fresh start then?" I said, extending my hand for a handshake.
"A fresh start", he replied, shaking my hands.