Miranda, Steven and Cassandra walked up to them. “Alec,” Miranda asked, “Could I speak with you for a moment?”
Cassandra then asked the same of Ben. They each walked in separate directions, so they could speak privately.
As they walked away from the crowd, Miranda was feeling sad. She realized this may be the last time she would ever see Alec, and thinking of all the pain she had caused him, she tried her best to patch things up between them. “Alec,” she began. “I want you to know that I’m going to miss you a lot. We’ve been friends for as long as I can remember. I’m going to worry about you.”
His eyes were shining from the tears that were about to spill from them. “Miranda,” he stated, “If only I had you to return to, and you loved me the way you love Steven, then I couldn’t bear to leave, but it doesn’t really matter to me one way or another if I return or not, since I can’t have you. I’m not trying to make you feel bad or anything. It’s just how I feel, but I will miss you.”
But he was making her feel bad. She had never meant to hurt him this way, but she couldn’t have done anything differently. She didn’t want to hurt him any more than she already had, but she had no right to keep the gift he had given to her. She had to return it to him before he left.
“Alec, I know this may not be the time, but as you know, the air has been thick between us and now after what you just said, I feel even worse. This may be the only chance for who knows how long though.” She reached into her dress pocket and produced the small box he had given her, containing the locket. “I should have given this back to you a long time ago. I really don’t feel right about keeping it.”
“No, Miranda,” he begged. “Please keep it. I know how you feel, and I know you will never love me in the same way as you love Steven, and I’ve come to terms with that. This was just a birthday present, so just accept it as that, alright, and nothing more? Really, I want you to have it.”
Miranda had tears flowing down both sides of her cheeks, but her voice was so choked with emotion, that when she tried to respond, nothing would come out, so she only nodded.
Reaching out and pulling her into his arms, he added, “I hope Steven returns and you both are happy. Who knows, maybe this is the best thing for me right now. It’ll help get my mind off this whole ordeal.”
“Oh, Alec, please don’t talk this way,” Miranda begged. “There are a lot of girls besides me, and any one of them would be pleased to be yours.”
Alec looked at her sadly and replied, “I don’t know about that, but there is one thing I do know. There’s only one Miranda Porter in the world, and Steven has to be the luckiest man I know.” With that, he bent down and kissed her forehead, then walked off. Such a bittersweet feeling washed over her, as she slowly watched him disappear from sight.
Steven walked up to her then, and wrapped his arms around her, comforting her. “That was rough, wasn’t it sweetheart?”
“Steven, Alec makes me feel so guilty. I didn’t mean to hurt him so.”
Steven sighed. “Of course you didn’t. He’ll be alright. He’ll find that special someone one day.”
She prayed he was right. “I sure hope so. This is all so hard to deal with,” she admitted. “Steven, I wish you wouldn’t go. If you don’t come back, I wouldn’t want to live anymore.”
Gathering her in his arms, he did his best to put her fears to rest. “Hey, now stop that!” He demanded. “Nothing’s going to happen to me. Why, I’ll be back before you know it.” But something deep down inside Steven told him differently. He didn’t understand what he was feeling, but he couldn’t
Cassandra then asked the same of Ben. They each walked in separate directions, so they could speak privately.
As they walked away from the crowd, Miranda was feeling sad. She realized this may be the last time she would ever see Alec, and thinking of all the pain she had caused him, she tried her best to patch things up between them. “Alec,” she began. “I want you to know that I’m going to miss you a lot. We’ve been friends for as long as I can remember. I’m going to worry about you.”
His eyes were shining from the tears that were about to spill from them. “Miranda,” he stated, “If only I had you to return to, and you loved me the way you love Steven, then I couldn’t bear to leave, but it doesn’t really matter to me one way or another if I return or not, since I can’t have you. I’m not trying to make you feel bad or anything. It’s just how I feel, but I will miss you.”
But he was making her feel bad. She had never meant to hurt him this way, but she couldn’t have done anything differently. She didn’t want to hurt him any more than she already had, but she had no right to keep the gift he had given to her. She had to return it to him before he left.
“Alec, I know this may not be the time, but as you know, the air has been thick between us and now after what you just said, I feel even worse. This may be the only chance for who knows how long though.” She reached into her dress pocket and produced the small box he had given her, containing the locket. “I should have given this back to you a long time ago. I really don’t feel right about keeping it.”
“No, Miranda,” he begged. “Please keep it. I know how you feel, and I know you will never love me in the same way as you love Steven, and I’ve come to terms with that. This was just a birthday present, so just accept it as that, alright, and nothing more? Really, I want you to have it.”
Miranda had tears flowing down both sides of her cheeks, but her voice was so choked with emotion, that when she tried to respond, nothing would come out, so she only nodded.
Reaching out and pulling her into his arms, he added, “I hope Steven returns and you both are happy. Who knows, maybe this is the best thing for me right now. It’ll help get my mind off this whole ordeal.”
“Oh, Alec, please don’t talk this way,” Miranda begged. “There are a lot of girls besides me, and any one of them would be pleased to be yours.”
Alec looked at her sadly and replied, “I don’t know about that, but there is one thing I do know. There’s only one Miranda Porter in the world, and Steven has to be the luckiest man I know.” With that, he bent down and kissed her forehead, then walked off. Such a bittersweet feeling washed over her, as she slowly watched him disappear from sight.
Steven walked up to her then, and wrapped his arms around her, comforting her. “That was rough, wasn’t it sweetheart?”
“Steven, Alec makes me feel so guilty. I didn’t mean to hurt him so.”
Steven sighed. “Of course you didn’t. He’ll be alright. He’ll find that special someone one day.”
She prayed he was right. “I sure hope so. This is all so hard to deal with,” she admitted. “Steven, I wish you wouldn’t go. If you don’t come back, I wouldn’t want to live anymore.”
Gathering her in his arms, he did his best to put her fears to rest. “Hey, now stop that!” He demanded. “Nothing’s going to happen to me. Why, I’ll be back before you know it.” But something deep down inside Steven told him differently. He didn’t understand what he was feeling, but he couldn’t
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