Chapter 116: Chapter 116

“Ava?” he is the first one to call my name. So I untangle my arms on Dmitri and walk to him. I kiss him on his cheek as a form of greeting and says, “Hey, Seid. Didn’t expect you to see here!”

I try to be civil and I smile even though I am so damn nervous about this unexpected rendezvous. Why now? And why with Dmitri?

“What are you doing here? And why are you with him?” he peeks on Dmitri who keeps his distance from us for sometime.

“Uh, I have things to do, how about you? What are you doing here?” I ask him back. I wonder because there’s no probably reason why he should be here so I thought he must be meeting a friend or a client.

But his face tells me so, it is indeed related to him. He didn’t answer my question and his eyes are just fixated on Dmitri.

“Avery, tell me what’s going on, does Jeff knows about this? Are you pregnant with that man’s child?” he straighforwardly asks me without any buckle.

“Am I what?” I suddenly feel offended by what he said, although, there’s a good reason why he must think that way, still, I just can’t when it is from him.

As I raise my voice, I feel Dmitri’s presence behind me. He suddenly pulls me back and then he goes in between us, “Siegfried Cohen, fancy seeing you here, huh?” then he extends his hand.

Nervousness eats me alive because nothing good happens when these two meet. I sigh and cover my face with my palm.

But to my surprise, Seid remains calm and gladly accepts Dmitri’s handshake, “It’s been a while, Mister Sullivan. I heard you’ve been in partnership with my friend, Ava. Does that partnership involve you tailing her everywhere she goes, for example, a fertility center?”

Or so I thought, and there it goes, the rumble continues. They squeeze each other’s hand, not having the intention to let go,

“And how about you? Do you work under her fiance now, or are you just jealous that I get to be with her when you can’t?” Dmitri’s voice is firm.

“Oh, believe me, I wouldn’t stoop down the level of coveting someone else’s fiance,” Seid rebuts.

“Or maybe you just can’t can you?” Dmitri counters.

Their argument starts to gain a lot of attention, so I have no choice but to butt in, “Will you two start acting like grown-ups?” and then unlink their hands by force.

I pull Dmitri’s hand away from Seid, and I see him looking at my hands, feeling dismayed and disappointed.

“Dee, will you wait for me in the car, please?” I ask him. And he didn’t question me and he walks out peacefully on his own, “Okay, meet me in 15,” but he kind of gives me a time limit.

Then I face Seid, “Can we talk, please?” he nods and we go out on the rightwing exit, and find a bench outside where no one is around.

We sit down and I start explaining, “Seid, what you saw earlier, I am here to donate some egg cells, nothing else. I know I shouldn’t be with him but–”

He holds my hand and stops me from what I’m about to say, “–No, Avery. I was wrong, I am sorry. You don’t need to explain to me. But please, you need to tell, Jeff, the truth.”

I sigh not because I am tired of his rants, but he’s right all along. “I know, Seid, I know. Believe me, even I don’t know what I really want,” and I confess the truth.

“It’s hard to see someone you truly love drifted apart from you without even realizing. Take it from me. And it is even harder to accept that by the time you recognized you grew apart, it was already too late. Just like what happened to us. It was my fault, and I know it now, and I can’t do anything to get you back,” he bows his head and he almost crumples the envelope he’s been holding.

“Still, I am sorry for hurting you. And, I am sorry about what Dmitri said earlier. He probably went overboard,” I pat his back.

“No, Avery. There’s nothing you should apologize for, and I hate to admit, but he’s probably right about it. I–I, somehow, am still hoping of getting… my chance… with you,” his voice fades.

“That’s why I’ve been around you, not as a friend, not because I am concerned, not because I am friends with Jeff, but maybe, deep inside, I have a hidden agenda of stealing you back from Jeff when the opportunity comes,” he sighs.

I stand up and step back, “No, that’s not true,” my heart breaks from what I’ve heard. I am devastated hearing from him that he’s not a friend who cares for me. Now, I am even more confused. I don’t want to keep on hurting Seid either.

“Is this what I do, cheating on Jeff, and now hurting Seid?” I ask myself.

The only reason why I think it’s okay to be friends with him is the hope that he’s already moved on, or maybe I’m too blind enough believing that I am helping him move on, when in fact, I keep on hurting him, instead.

Tears fall from my eyes. Seid wants to hug me and tells me everything is okay, but I throw his hand away, “Ava, please, maybe even as friends?” he asks me.

“No no, I can’t anymore. I’ll hurt you more. It is better if we don’t see each other anymore. This is for the both of us,” I cry.

He tries to reach out for my hand as I walk away, but I throw his hand away from me, and the envelope he’s been holding flies away with it.

When it lands, it lands on where I am standing, so I pick it up, I sniff and say, “Uh, sorry. Here you go, Siegfried.”

But letters and words catch my attention so instead of giving it back to him, I withdraw it from his trembling hands. I look at his face and his face looks devastated.

“A-avery, c-can I get it back?” his voice quivers and it gives me a hint that something is wrong with him.

I see his name on top of the paper beside the words, ‘Patient’s Name:’. Is he sick? If yes, somehow, I need to know.

So I move further away from him so I can read it, and Seid just stand there frozen. His mouth are partly parted, and his eyes are just focused on me, while tears flow from both of them.

I carefully read every sentence, and most of it is in medical terms, but some words stand out and don’t even need any explanation, I mutter it aloud without knowing, “STD: HSV, Male Genital Herpes.”

If only my eyeballs can gouge out of my sockets from what I’m reading right now, they would have fallen right off the bat.

I look at Seid, and now he’s sitting on the beach, crying miserably. I don’t even know whether to comfort him, or if I should even say anything.

“S-seid?” I call his name in a soft manner. I sit beside him, collect his head and let him rest on my right shoulder.

“I’m sorry, Ava. I’m sorry, I didn’t intend to,” these words are the only things he said.

But they confused me, why would he say sorry, why would he apologize if it happened just recently?

I let him sober up, and when he’s no longer sobbing, I face him and ask him the most difficult question I ever asked him in my life.

“Seid, d-dit it happen, before me or after me?” I gulp as I ask him directly. He looks at me, still crying without a sound, “It happened when we were together, Avery.”

Shock befalls me, I feel my heart constrict a bit, “W-what do you mean?”

He sobs and he begins to tell the story, “I was n-naive, during our second year together, I g-got drunk on our college night, and there was this girl, Sophia, s-she put some ecstasy on my drink. And something happened between us, but I-I thought it was you, I was having sex with.”

He holds out his head, “Damn it!”

I keep quiet, such revelation is hard to absorb quickly, especially when it is a confession of your long-time ex-boyfriend, who was also your first love nad your first heart break.

I take series of deep breaths, I use my hands and shake it like a handfan near my face to reduce the uncomfortable feeling inside me.

I don’t even know what to feel, should I get mad at him? Should I slap him? Should I curse him? Or do nothing?

“My God, Seid. For 10-fucking years, I was so crazy over you, I was faithful. You accused me of cheating, but you’re the one who’s been lying all along,” in the end, my frustration is revealed.

The disappointment in my face can’t be erased.

“It was a single mistake,” he said, and I scoff, “What a lame cliche excuse, Seid. At least I am man enough to admit I am a cheater. No offense. And no, that’s nothing I am proud of, either. But hey, at least admit, right?”

“You are right. I am sorry, Avery. I was wrong. I cheated, and now, becuase of that stupid mistake, I’ll suffer a life-long consuequence,” then he chuckles.

I calm myself down, “So, there’s really no cure, huh? Is it that bad, Seid?” I ask him.

He nods, “Uh-huh, but I am taking daily medication to stop the spreading, itchiness, pain, and possible breakouts,” he even adds.

I sigh, “I’m sorry. I am sorry for being harsh earlier, I was just mad. But, I’m really sad to hear that happens to you.”

And at that certain pain, a thought came to my mind, a question that needs to be answered,

“Seid, may I ask you another question?” I shyly begin. And when he gives me his approval, I finally speak up, “Is that the reason why you wouldn’t have sex with me?”

He smiles and says nothing, and finally, the questions I’ve had for the longest of time has finally been answered, but unfortunately, it was a devastating one.

“D-do you want me to go with you?” I offer.

“No, Ava. I’m good. At least, it feels like a heavy burden has been lifted from my heart, and finally I let it out. So thank you,” he smiles.

“No, thank you for protecting me, and sorry for not knowing, Seid,” I warmly hug him.

And there we bid our last goodbyes.