Shattered Love, The Cost Of Truth

Chapter 6

A sudden moment of quiet. Smith was silent for a while. When Ava was done calling, she turned to him and said, 

Ava: I'm sorry, I love you, forgive me. I want to be with you, not him. 

Smith: Give me a minute to process this. I can't tell you how I'm feeling right now. It was a lot for me. I couldn't take in what you did. I didn't know why you did it either. I need a moment. Please forgive me. 

Ava: I'll give you the time you need, but I won't stop texting you, I'll text you, but don't just leave me unread. 

She left. Smith stood there for a while watching her walk away. At this point, he started to remember all the beautiful moments they had together. He walked home slowly. Everywhere became so quiet, and everything was silent for him. The night wasn't so good, for he couldn't stop thinking about Ava. She, on the other hand, couldn't stop crying and thinking about him, looking at her phone again thinking he would call, but he didn't. The next day, Ava kept watching her phone hoping he would text her, but there was no sign of Smith. She sometimes wanted to text him, but then she dropped it back when she opened up their chats and there were so many Unreplied texts from her. So she dropped it again. You could imagine how things were for Ava. She finally had a chance to be with someone she loves, (like she would say) but then she let the situation of not being able to face the fears of letting go of the one person she doesn't love (like she said). But then finally she did, but the person she thinks she loves doesn't seem to feel the same anymore. And now she felt like she had lost both the chance of the one she loved and the one who loved her. It's a terrible feeling for Ava, I would say. But still, she still hoped in her heart that she would see the person she loved one day someday walking up to her again with an astonished smile on his face. It was another night. Mateo was gone for night duty as usual. There was no one else at home except Ava, of course. She heard a knock on the door. She kept listening, but the knock wouldn't stop. It was the laundry guy she thought. She walked to the door to open it. She opened as she got there, but something surprising happened. Someone grabbed her so quickly that she wouldn't even know or see who it was. He started kissing her, but then she could smell Smith. Soon as she knew it was him, she had these tears of joy flow out of her eyes. Once again she cried, but with a smile on her face. "I love you", she said, with kisses and" I love you more" he responded. Smith spent the night with her so they could both tell each other how much they really missed each other. They both promise never to leave each other, (premises we all make I guess). Once again, they had beautiful moments. The next morning as usual Smith left. Later in the evening Mateo came home, early than he used to. 

Ava: good evening, welcome (she greeted him) 

Mateo: Thank you. 

Ava served him food. After eating his dinner, he called her out and asked her to sit down. He said he had questions to ask him. At this point, Ava was curious. She knew something was wrong. The he goes, 

Mateo: Tell me Ava, why are you here? 

Ava: I didn't want to get married as mom and Dad wanted me to, so I left them to come stay with you.

Mateo: So are you ready to get married now? 

Ava: no I'm not. 

Mateo: So why are you flirting on someone else already? 

Ava: I'm not. 

Mateo: are you not? Are you dating Smith? Are you in love with him? 

Ava was so lost at this point, she knew she was in big trouble. She didn't know what to say. Then she goes, 

Ava: No, no, I'm not dating him, and I'm not in love with him.

She thought everything would be settled with just one lie. Then she would find out how he knew what was going on, and maybe she would come up with another game plan with Smith, but no, it wasn't like that. One lie sometimes, no matter how good it is, it can't fix everything. But Mateo was smarter. 

Mateo: give me your phone (he said) 

At this point, Ava felt trapped. She handed Mateo the phone. He opened it, and then he saw a lot of their messages. He found out all the things they'd been saying, all the times Smith had been coming to visit while he was gone for work. And he also saw when Smith said to Ava about his brother knowing they were together and that he was cool with it, which is not really the way it sounds. Antonio noticed but didn't really have time for them. He also saw how they both planned to be visiting when he was not around, and all the bad words they used to flirt with each other on chat. Mateo couldn't say anything, he took the phone from her till further notice. Mateo called Antonio and then he told him everything accusing of him of being away and told him. He was so upset and he felt betrayed by Mateo and also by Antonio. 

Antonio explained to him that he knew nothing about it, and that he only noticed that something was going on, and he didn't actually think of confronting them or telling him about it. Antonio, at this moment, was upset. He remembered he asked his brother about this once, but he told him nothing was going on. He was upset, because he didn't want anything to ruin his friendship with Mateo. He called his brother, 

Antonio: Smith, I once asked you about you and Ava. You said nothing was going on. Then why am I holding a screenshot of the text of you and her and all the times you've been visiting her while Mateo was gone for work that I know nothing about? 

Smith couldn't say anything, he just stood there as he watched him talk. Antonio asked him of his phone. He handed it over to him. Antonio then said he was going to keep the phone away from him. (He wanted to take the phone from him too, as Mateo did to Ava). But Smith wasn't really having it. He didn't like the way Antonio was about to treat him like a kid. He said he needed his phone back, but Antonio said no, and wanted to leave. Smith didn't let him walk away until he handed him back his phone. Antonio was upset, and then he slapped him on his face. Smith was so angry that he tried fighting back, but he still had the urge on him, not to fight his senior brother, so all he wanted to do was not let him walk away without giving him his phone back. But Antonio wasn't ready to give it to him, he kept punching him in the face. It was really a rough night for all of them: Antonio, Mateo, and the lovers, Smith and Ava. Something that had never happened before. The night that they would never forget. Ava would never have thought of her brother being so mad at her that he said he would never do anything for her again apart from letting her stay in his place until she found her own space. Smith never thought a day would come that he would fight his brother, a day his brother would keep punching him in the face. After a long fight, Smith left. He went and sat in a corner. He sat up the whole night crying. He couldn't control himself, he had no one to talk to. Everything seemed gone to him, "life" at that moment had no meaning to him. No one to run to. From that night onwards, everything changed. Things weren't the same anymore for Ava and Smith. Both Smith and Ava have been without phone for three days and as you no there were no chances of hearing from each other. They both miss each other so well, "perhaps". Everything wasn't perfect anymore. I guess to find out about love if you've actually loved someone or been loved, you need to go through these obstacles, then you will find out if you could love or be loved no matter what it takes. We all make sacrifices for the people we love if we truly love them, ain't that right? 

Finally Ava's phone was handed back to her, but Smith's wasn't. Ava was able to contact him though his friend. She called Smith friend and ask him if he could talk to him. I guess that's what love is about and that's the sacrifice I meant. Smith was so happy when she called. They both talked and tried to comfort each other. Smith felt so happy to know she'd call even after what happened. And Ava was happy to know he'd still love her even after what happened. She told him about everything her brother had said, Smith told her about how his brother fought him. They felt pity for each other. 

Mateo never called Smith to ask why he would still date his sister even after he specifically asked him to help keep an eye on her. Smith thought maybe if he talked to him and told him about how he really feels about his sister, maybe he wouldn't be so upset. Maybe he would forgive him and let him love her. It's been a week now. Antonio stopped providing for his brother, for he said since he as become a man to make his own choice, he should also care for himself. Smith had been jobless since. He was only working with Mateo for some cash, but now Mateo wouldn't call him for work again. Smith was alone craving and dying inside of him, but this didn't stop him from loving Ava. He never regretted meeting her. He was so broke, he didn't know what to do. He went to his uncle's for someday so he could clear his thoughts and forget about everything that happened. Maybe when he returns everything will be just fine, everything will go back to normal the way it used to be. But things weren't working like that. When Smith returned, Antonio wasn't at home. Smith remembered Mateo had a party that day. Antonio was there. He decided to go too. Maybe he could use this opportunity to settle everything with Mateo and tell him he's sorry for betraying him and everything. When he got there, things weren't as he thought they would be. They all took him as a total stranger. No one acted like they saw him, his presence didn't really matter to no one, he felt lost and in the middle of nowhere. He didn't let that get to him, he tried his best to go talk to Mateo. Mateo didn't really give him that time, but then he told him he was busy and that he could talk later. But then finally he had his attention. He couldn't really express how he was feeling and everything he wanoto say, but he said he is sorry for what happened. Mateo acted like everything was cool, and he told him it was fine. Smith didn't understand what that meant. He thought maybe he would finally approve him to date his sister. He went back inside to go talk to Ava. Ava was inside the whole day. She couldn't even look Smith in the eye when he came because he didn't want any problems with his brother and Smith's brother. But now confidently, Smith walked to her. She was inside alone, he hugged her and kissed her on her. She was shaking and she said. 

Ava: you'd put us in trouble. 

Smith: I know, but don't worry, I talked to your Mateo, I told him I was sorry. He said no problem. I think we're cool now, and, of course, we are cool now. You can kiss me. 

Ava was happy to hear the good news. They thought it was good news. They kissed each other again and sat down together to talk while everyone was enjoying the party. Poor Smith, he quickly forgot the pain he passed through and everything that happened. He hoped everything was going to be fine again, as it used to be. Was it really good news? I know he (Mateo) said no problem! But did he really mean it? Or how did he mean it, what did he mean when he said no problem?