After Our Fall, Love Reclaimed

The day I sold the house, I received a call from Selah Martin.

"Lilah, I've decided to say yes to Jayden's proposal."

"Congratulations to both of you."

"I hope you can come to the engagement party, can you make it?"

"I'm sorry."

"You're not over it yet, Lilah?" Selah's voice was gentle, almost pitying. "Some things just aren't meant to be."

"But you know, you're wiser now than you were before. You know when to push forward and when to hold back."

"Still, Lilah, it's pointless. Jayden only listens to me; he's always had eyes only for me."

"See, with just one word from me, he left you behind."

"Selah, what's your point?"

There was a brief pause on the line.

"Lilah Rivera, I've decided to come back, so I wanted to make it clear to you—stop holding onto Jayden."

"Have I been holding on?"

"Don't think I don't know what you're up to."

"You love him so much, there's no way you'd let go, especially now that your family's bankrupt!"

"If he truly has eyes only for you, only listens to you, then what are you afraid of?"

Selah stayed silent for a long moment, so I hung up.

A few seconds later, I got a voice message. Jayden's voice came through, laid-back and dismissive: "Finally got rid of that clingy nuisance."

"I've never felt so free in my life."

"Congrats, Mr. Lewis, on getting your freedom back, haha."

I chuckled, turned off my phone, and moved on.