"Hey… I got your message. I've been holding a lot in too. Maybe it's time we clear the air and talk properly. I'm willing to see you."
***
As the notification popped up, Justin grabbed his phone and read Bella's reply. His eyes widened and his mouth dropped.
"JOHN!" he shouted, leaping from the couch. "Omg… BELLA REPLIED!"
John turned sharply, surprised. "Wait, for real?"
Justin nodded quickly, reading the message over again like he couldn't believe it. "She said she's ready to see me. Bro, she actually replied…"
A wave of emotion hit him, hope, nervousness, regret all tangled into one.
Justin's Reply:
"Can we meet now? At our favorite spot?"
Bella:
"Yes."
As soon as Bella's message came in, Justin's heart raced. He tossed his phone onto the bed, bolted up, and rushed to his closet.
"John! She said yes!" he yelled, already halfway into a clean shirt.
John peeked from the kitchen. "Bro… breathe."
Justin didn't even respond, he was focused. Changed into fresh clothes, sprayed his perfume, grabbed his car keys, and dashed out the door like everything depended on this one meeting.
Justin sat quietly on the bench under the old tree, their old spot. The breeze was soft and cool, brushing against his face like a memory. The evening sun cast a golden hue, and everything around him seemed to slow down. His heart beat loudly in his chest.
Then, he saw her.
Bella.
Walking slowly toward him, dressed simply but radiantly, just like he remembered. She wasn't smiling. Her face was unreadable. But she was coming. That was all that mattered.
Justin stood up immediately, emotions swelling inside him, relief, guilt, longing. As soon as she got close enough, he moved in for a hug, unable to stop himself.
But Bella didn't return it.
Instead, she gently pushed him away.
"I'm only here to talk, Justin," she said calmly, her voice low but clear.
Justin stepped back, nodding slowly, the weight of her rejection hitting harder than he expected.
Justin sighed, rubbing the back of his neck as he sat back down beside her, keeping just enough distance to respect the wall she had built.
"Sorry if that was too far," he muttered, eyes fixed on the ground. "I just… I missed you, Bella."
Bella nodded slowly and folded her arms. "I'm not here for apologies just yet. I came to clear the air."
Justin glanced at her, hopeful, but uncertain.
"You said I ghosted you," she began. "But Justin, what did you expect me to do?"
He looked at her, confused. "I swear, Bella… I didn't know what I did wrong. If I did something, anything, you should've told me. I would've apologized."
Bella exhaled sharply, finally ready to let everything out.
"You really want to know why I pulled away?" she asked. Without waiting for a reply, she pulled out her second phone and opened a chat. "Look."
She showed him the anonymous message, the one with the photos attached. Photos of him and Chloe, too close for comfort. The messagesthat read, Don't be fooled, Justin is using you, he's seeing Chloe. And many more.
Justin's eyes widened. "Where did you get this?"
"It was sent to me," Bella replied. "And it didn't stop there. I saw Chloe's chat that other day, remember? And then I saw you with her again… walking and laughing like nothing mattered. And as if that wasn't enough…"
She paused.
"I saw you again. With that bitch Melanie."
Justin's throat tightened. He opened his mouth to speak but Bella held up her hand.
"I needed time to process, Justin. You were telling me one thing but doing another. You let me look stupid. And I didn't want to confront you without proof. I just… I needed space."
Justin blinked, processing everything she had just dropped on him. The guilt was starting to creep in, slow and heavy.
Justin's face contorted in disbelief as everything sank in. He held his head in his hands, overwhelmed.
"So this… this was why you ghosted me?" he asked softly, lifting his eyes to meet hers.
Bella said nothing. Her silence was enough confirmation.
Justin leaned forward, pain lacing his voice. "Bella… I swear on my life, it's not what you think. Please."
He reached out, but she subtly leaned back. He respected it and dropped his hand.
"Chloe was just a friend," he began, his voice shaking. "I was messed up when you stopped talking to me. I didn't understand it. Chloe was around, checking up on me, helping distract me… and it got blurry."
He took a breath, the guilt deepening in his eyes.
"I was hurting, Bella. You were gone. I didn't know why. I felt like I lost everything."
Bella stared at him, unreadable.
"And Melanie?" he continued. "She only reached out to me on Instagram recently. We've just been hanging out , nothing serious. She's not… she's not you."
He looked at her, searching her face. "I never wanted to hurt you. If I had known what you saw, what you felt… I would have come running to explain. I thought you just got tired of me."
He swallowed hard.
"Bella… you've always been it for me. I didn't replace you. I couldn't. I still haven't."
Bella's voice was low but steady, "Then why… why didn't you ever ask me to be your girlfriend, Justin?"
Justin's eyes widened a little. He leaned back, rubbing his hands together nervously. "Oh my God, Bella…"
He exhaled deeply. "I wasn't just ready… not yet. That's the truth."
She looked away, trying to keep her composure.
"I know it sounds like an excuse," he added quickly, "but I needed to get myself together. I wasn't expecting someone like you. You came into my life so fast, so deeply… I didn't want to rush it and mess it all up."
Bella's silence made the air feel heavier.
"I guessed you overthinked everything," he said gently. "And maybe you were right to. I just wish you'd said something… I swear, I was going to ask you. Just not that soon."
He looked her in the eyes now. "I really loved you, Bella."
A beat of silence passed before he added, softly but firmly:
"And I still do."
Bella's eyes instantly welled up. She blinked rapidly, fighting the tears. She sniffled lightly and turned her face to the side, quickly regaining control.
Justin saw it. His heart ached seeing her that vulnerable. He didn't speak further, he just watched, hoping she'd believe him.
Bella took a deep breath and wiped her eyes quickly before looking up at Justin.
"Okay," she said quietly. Her voice was calm now, too calm. "I hear everything you've said."
Justin looked at her, hope flickering in his expression.
She continued, "But Justin… it's kind of late now."
He blinked, confused. "What do you mean?"
Bella looked away for a second, then back at him. "I honestly do still love you," she admitted, her voice breaking just slightly, "and I hate myself for saying that out loud… because I'm now in a relationship. I have a boyfriend."
Justin's face dropped. The words hit him like a slap. He didn't even get a word in before Bella slowly stood up.
"I just needed to clear the air. That's all," she said, her tone final. "Goodnight, Justin."
She turned and walked away quickly, not daring to look back. As soon as she was a few steps away, the tears came harder. She wiped her face with the sleeve of her jacket, doing everything not to sob. Her heart pounded, her chest ached, but she didn't stop walking.
Justin sat there, frozen. He didn't chase after her. He couldn't.
He leaned forward, elbows on his knees, both hands covering his face as silent tears ran down. He couldn't believe it.
Bella… had a boyfriend now.
And it wasn't him.
The clouds had been heavy for a while, but no one expected the rain to come down this fast.
As soon as Bella disappeared into the distance, the skies broke open. The first drops were soft, but within minutes, a heavy downpour followed.
Justin didn't move.
He sat there, still on the bench under the old tree, drenched, head bowed, his hoodie soaked and clinging to him. The wind picked up, and the cool evening air bit into his skin, but the storm outside was nothing compared to the storm inside him.
Bella's last words echoed over and over in his mind:
"I have a boyfriend."
"I still love you."
"It's kind of late now."
His heart felt like it had been torn from his chest.
He had come here with hope. He thought maybe,just maybe,Bella would forgive him. That they could go back to how things used to be. But instead… this. She was gone. And with someone else.
He stared at the ground as the rain soaked through his clothes, the bench, his shoes, everything was wet except the part of him that was already drowning on the inside.
Meanwhile, back at their apartment, John was starting to panic
The rain was now heavy, thunder rumbling in the distance.
He checked his phone again, still no reply. He had called Justin four times.
"Where the hell is this boy?" he muttered under his breath, slipping on his slides and grabbing his keys. The rain hit him hard as he stepped outside.
Then it hit him.
Their favorite spot.
John jumped in his car, windshield wipers on full speed as he raced down the road. The streetlights glowing dimly behind sheets of water.
As he pulled into the hidden path leading to the garden, his headlights cut through the rain and then he saw him.
Justin.
Soaked. Slouched. Broken.
Sitting exactly where Bella had left him.
John threw open the door and ran toward him.
"Justin! Bro!" he yelled.
Justin slowly looked up. His face was red, drenched from the rain or his own tears, John couldn't even tell.
"She's gone, John…" Justin said in a quiet, cracked voice. "Bella's really gone…"
John didn't ask questions. He just helped him up, his arm around his shoulder, guiding him to the car.
"Let's get you out of here, man," John whispered. "Let's go home."
And together, they walked back into the storm one of them wet from the rain, the other drenched in heartbreak.
John didn't say a word as he helped Justin into the car, the rain pouring down relentlessly around them. Though he wanted to ask what had happened, the silence between them felt heavy enough ,John knew it wasn't the time for questions.
He just started the engine and drove through the storm, eyes fixed on the road, the sound of rain pounding against the windshield filling the space.
When they reached the apartment, John quickly helped Justin inside, guiding him to sit down. Without hesitation, John fetched a towel and helped Justin strip off his soaked clothes, replacing them with dry ones he grabbed from the closet.
Justin sat quietly, shoulders slumped, as John moved around the room with practiced ease, no words, just support. Sometimes that was all anyone needed.
A few minutes later, John noticed Justin shift uncomfortably. He moved closer and sat down in front of him, looking straight into his eyes.
"Talk to me, man. What's going on?"
Justin took a deep breath, his voice heavy but steady as he began. He told John everything, the anonymous messages Bella had received, the pictures of him and Chloe that had been sent , and how Bella had seen him with Melanie. He explained how all of it had built up, pushing Bella away.
"And then," Justin finished quietly, "she told me… she has a boyfriend now."
John sat back, the weight of the confession settling between them.
John's eyes widened. "What, a boyfriend?"
Justin nodded, his voice breaking as tears welled up again. "Yeah… she moved on."
He wiped his face roughly. "I still love her, man. I never really moved on. I just pretended like I did, trying to keep it together."
John put a hand on Justin's shoulder, his voice calm but firm.
"Bro, it's time to let her go. She has a boyfriend now, and you gotta respect that. Holding on won't do you any good."
Justin swallowed hard, the weight of it settling in. John continued,
"It's tough, I know. But sometimes loving someone means knowing when to step back and let them be happy, even if it's not with you."
Justin nodded slowly, eyes downcast. He knew John was right, but the sting of Bella moving on cut deeper than he expected. It wasn't just about losing her, it was the realization that things had truly changed, and maybe he'd lost her for good. The pain settled heavy in his chest, reminding him some wounds take time to heal.
****
Bella burst into her room, tears still fresh on her cheeks. Without a word, she shut the door behind her. Kathy, hearing the noise, hurried after her, concern written all over her face.
"Bella, what happened? Did Justin say something? Talk to me," Kathy urged gently, stepping closer.
Bella wiped her eyes, her voice trembling. "I... I overreacted, Kathy. I should've asked him about those messages and pictures instead of just believing the worst. After everything, hearing his side... he's innocent. I feel like such a fool, like a devil for doubting him."
Kathy reached out, pulling Bella into a comforting hug.. "Don't blame yourself, Bella. Anyone would've reacted the way you did, especially with all that confusion and hurt. But remember, you have a boyfriend now. You deserve to move forward and be happy."
Bella looked down, her voice barely a whisper. "Kathy, I still love Justin. I can't lie to you."
Kathy sighed softly, searching Bella's eyes. "So, what do you want to do?"
Bella hesitated, uncertainty clouding her face. "I don't know."
Kathy gave her a small, encouraging smile. "Then just do whatever feels right in your heart. But remember, Justin is your past now. It's time to move on."