Beautiful Goodbye

Chapter 1 - Part 1

Maya

I always thought love would live up to the fantasies I had created in my mind. Like the moment I realised I was truly in love, that when I had found my soulmate, the one if you will, everything would change. The sky would turn brighter, my smile would become wider, and I'd feel complete once I had the love of my life in my arms.

But none of that happened.

A long overdue reality check came to smack me in the face, to remind me that love like that didn't exist. And it never would. Not for me anyway.

This realisation would have been all well and good, had I not realised this on my wedding day - the day I was supposed to marry the supposed love of my life. Sitting on a bench just a few steps away from the wedding tent in my sheath-designed wedding dress wasn't exactly helping like I hoped it would either. Especially not with the ongoing gush of wind freezing my legs.

I had so many questions, but no answers. Clearly, the fresh air hadn't helped clear the doubts from my mind. What was I going to do? Although I felt like this was a compromise of sorts, Chase loved me and I loved him; just not in the way I imagined I would. I couldn't just leave him at the altar of all places. No, he didn't deserve that. And I felt like I owed him something for all he had done for me. It was only right that I married him, wasn't it? Who else would have stayed with me through the sleepless nights, comforted me after the endless nightmares, cared for me after-

"Is this seat taken?" The distressing thoughts swarming inside my head were instantly pushed aside once I paid attention to the slightly amused voice above me. Looking up, I was immediately captured by this stranger's  gaze. He was insanely tall, meaning I had to crane my neck at a slightly uncomfortable level to meet his eyes. They weren't brown or green, but they weren't exactly hazel either. There were no words to describe them. I could imagine losing myself in his eyes if I wasn't careful enough. As my gaze slid to the rest of his face, the wind was repeatedly blowing his brown, curly, unmanageable hair across his face, making him have to squint his eyes to look at me clearly, having given up trying to sweep his hair back with his hands. His face was deathly pale, but his features were sharply defined, making him look eerily similar to a ghost. Had it not been for the subtle rise and fall of his chest, I would have truly thought he was a ghost.

"Is this seat taken?" he repeated, exasperatedly, his warm eyes falling to the bench I was currently sitting on, then back to me. Too scared to say anything else and embarrass myself further, I mumbled a quick no whilst averting my gaze from him. He sat himself down on the bench without further any further hesitation. How long had I been staring at him? Surely he must have noticed, or maybe he just didn't care.

Looking in the other direction to distract myself from the stranger's presence (as well as my confusing thoughts) I focussed on the scenery around me. Chase had certainly chosen a beautiful spot for our wedding - Central Park. Falling from the tall, old trees that surrounded the wedding tent decorated in golden lights were the bright, beautiful fall leaves. The earthy smell of autumn was in the air, and the promise of the most beautiful rain. Most brides hated even the slight possibility of rain on their wedding day, but I loved the feeling of being drenched completely. Raindrops running down my face as I smiled from ear to ear, spinning around whilst trying to catch them on my tongue. I smiled at the thought; Chase knew me all too well.

"Well that's a change," I heard the man say.

"Excuse me?" Turning my attention back to him, I began to question if he had been staring at me this whole time.

"You're excused," he replied flatly.

"What?" I was very confused at this point. Who was this man? And what was he excusing me from?