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Novel Catalog
Chapter 96 Taking Things For Granted
Nathaniel stood close to Cecilia, his breath mingling with hers, and for a moment, the intensity of the air between them seemed almost tangible. He was still processing everything—the unanswered questions, the doubts that had been festering in his mind for so long.
“Have you ever considered that it’s not that I dislike wearing makeup, nor that I don’t enjoy dressing up in beautiful clothes?” Cecilia’s voice was soft but firm, a slight edge to it. “It’s just that… I’ve never felt the need to do it for you. I’ve always just been me, Nathaniel. But maybe that’s not enough for you anymore.”
Nathaniel’s jaw tightened. He hadn’t expected her to speak with such candor, but her words hit him like a wave crashing into shore—forceful and undeniable. He had never really thought about her choices, her behavior, in such a way. All these years, he had assumed that she had been indifferent to him, but now, in the heat of the moment, it seemed he had been the one who never truly understood her.
His gaze softened, the heat of his earlier anger slowly dissipating. “Cecilia…” he whispered her name as if it held the answer to all his unspoken questions. But nothing came out after that, no resolution, no clarity. Just her name lingering between them like an unfinished sentence.
Cecilia felt the shift in the air, the way his grip on her wrist loosened just slightly, the way his intense gaze seemed to soften. But there was still that lingering tension. It was as if the weight of their history was pressing down on them, too heavy to shake off in just a moment.
“I never thought it would come to this,” she continued, her voice growing more fragile, more vulnerable. “I wanted things to be different. I wanted to be someone who could stand beside you without all the baggage. But… maybe I never really got the chance.”
Nathaniel stared at her, processing her words, but his mind couldn’t seem to form the right response. What did she want from him? What had she always wanted from him?
He had expected her to have all the answers, to have a clear stance, but here she was, showing him a side of herself he had never truly seen. His heart skipped a beat as he realized he had missed so much—missed her, missed the woman who had once confessed her love so unabashedly, so openly, only to watch him dismiss it as something frivolous.
Before he could speak, Cecilia shook her head gently, a bitter smile tugging at her lips. “It’s not your fault, Nathaniel. I just… I don’t know how to make you understand. I wanted to believe things could work, that I could be the woman you needed. But the truth is, you’ve never needed me. Not in the way I needed you.”
Nathaniel’s heart ached, but he couldn’t find the words to comfort her. All this time, he had been consumed with his own anger and resentment, never really considering how much Cecilia had been carrying.
He stepped back slightly, running a hand through his hair, frustration building in his chest. “So, what now? You’re saying it’s over? That there’s no hope for us?”
Cecilia’s eyes shimmered, a fleeting tear threatening to escape. She quickly wiped it away, her composure returning. “No, Nathaniel. I’m not saying that. I’m just saying… I can’t keep pretending. I can’t keep being someone I’m not just to fit into your world.”
The silence between them was deafening. Neither knew how to bridge the gap that had formed over the years. They both stood there, surrounded by the ghosts of their past decisions.
Cecilia finally turned, walking toward the door, but before she could leave, Nathaniel reached out, stopping her.
“Wait,” he called, his voice catching in his throat. “Don’t leave.”
She hesitated, her back still turned to him. Without facing him, she replied quietly, “I’m not leaving, Nathaniel. I’m just trying to figure out where I belong in all of this.”
Nathaniel’s heart pounded in his chest, the weight of her words sinking deeper with each passing second. “And what if… what if you still belong with me? What if I still need you, Cecilia?”
The question hung in the air like an unspoken promise, a tentative plea. But Cecilia remained silent, her heart heavy with the complexity of their relationship, the years of hurt and unspoken words.
“I don’t know, Nathaniel,” she whispered. “I don’t know what you want from me anymore.”
Nathaniel didn’t know how to answer. He wasn’t sure what he wanted from her either. All he knew was that in that moment, the space between them was as vast as the ocean, and he was unsure if either of them could ever bridge that gap.
