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Chapter 01
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"You know you should leave him. You deserve better, Jeremy." Tiara urged to Jeremy and held his hand. Jeremy remained silent, staring out of the cafΓ© window. It was a busy city. A long line of incessantly honking cars had formed on the road. It was snowing now and the slippery road made commuting a dangerous task even for the best of drivers. Everyone was in a hurry to be at home but the snow had other plans. The tricky pavement was as slippery as the road and those walking would often get a mini heart-attack as their foot slid a bit more than they expected it to. Then there were the teenagers goofing around and sliding all over the pavement, generating frowns, scowls and even growls in some cases. The carefree spirit and I-don't-give-a-damn attitude that these teenagers had was missing in the nineteen year old Jeremy Green sitting inside and looking but not taking in the scene outside.
"Are you even listening to me, Jer?" Tiara slightly pressed Jeremy's hand to bring him back from his thoughts lingering on the one person who had been pivoting Jeremy's life around himself.
Jeremy sighed and looked at Tiara. His bright green eyes had a deep emotion of resignation and submissiveness. "I can't leave him, Tiara. You don't understand this."
Tiara had heard a lot of this "you don't understand" for a better part of last year and was in no mood to let the conversation into that cul-de-sac direction. She began in this fashion.
"Well, then please explain to me. Tell me what I don't understand. Who do you think you're kidding, Jeremy? Have you looked at what you've become ever since you met him? Where is the Jeremy I knew? Where is that happy, carefree, awesome friend I had? Who is this shadow of the Jeremy we all looked up to?"
Jeremy listened to Tiara's exclamation with no sign of emotion except the look of resignation and submissiveness that he always wore now. He made no comment. He didn't say a word. No tear followed this reproach. That corner in his heart where something of this kind would have triggered some emotion, some response seemed to have become inert, indifferent, and incapable of feeling or emoting. He simply shrugged his shoulders and went back to staring outside the window.
The traffic was still dragging itself on the road. The number of people on the pavement was less now but the sense of urgency to return to their warm homes had increased. The high-rise buildings and the skyscrapers on the opposite side of the road stood majestically against the black sky. The light in the tiny windows of the high buildings seemed to present a sense of peace, calm and belonging. Emotions that had long deserted Jeremy. Tiara was right. He had changed since he met him. But, she didn't know. She didn't understand that he could not leave him. He had been trying to work things out for a year now. And Jacob wasn't that bad. Jacob had his issues and there had been ugly moments but he knew despite everything Jacob loved him.
"At least respond to me Jeremy. You have no idea how much it pains us to see you this way; how much it pains me. You're going down the road of self-destruction. There is no coming back. There's time Jeremy. Let him go and come back to us." She yearned with tears in her eyes.
Jeremy looked at her with concern. He wiped her tears with his hands and kissed her on the cheek. "I am with you guys, Tiara. Nothing will happen to me. This is just a bit complicated. Jacob and I have some issues but then that's something all relationships have. I don't want to ruin what special bond we share just because of mere issues."
"Mere issues?" Tiara's voice rose as her patience gave way. "You are so delusional. You refuse to see the truth of the relationship. You refuse to see how it is gnawing at your heart, weakening you at the core, slowly destroying you."
Jeremy looked down at his coffee. The steaming cup of coffee was now cold and still. He didn't reply to what she had just announced. There was some part in him telling him to listen, but there was the dominant side that refused to let him think, to let him question, to let him analyse his situation. As he sat ruminating over his inability or perhaps his refusal to accept, his cell rang cutting through his thoughts. He checked the caller. The photo of an exceptionally handsome, well-built athletic guy about 25, with jet black hair and giving a forced smile with a raised eyebrow surfaced on the screen. Jeremy sighed and received the call knowing what would follow.
"Where are you?" A rough voice spoke on the other side. He knew this did not bode well.
"At the Costa CafΓ©. I'm having coffee with Tiara." Jeremy answered apprehensively.
A long silence followed after he spoke. Nervousness made its way through him as he started feeling uncomfortable and slightly sweaty despite the cold. When the silence and Tiara's burning look started disturbing him, he spoke.
"Hello? Jacob?"
"You have fifteen minutes." The line went dead. This definitely meant bad. He quickly got up and asked for the cheque.