Charity gazed at nothing particular, scanning the room, searching for something that wouldn't make her cry. After all, it seemed like all she did anymore was cry. How could Miguel do something like this to her? The woman he supposedly loved?
"It's not worth it," she thought. Obviously, Miguel had been putting on some sort of charade for the past five months, telling one woman he loved her unconditionally while he slept around with another. What puzzled Charity is why he hadn't just broken up with her when his affair with Kay began.
"I never meant to hurt you," he said, sitting on the opposite side of the couch. Even though he still had feelings for her, he didn't want to lead her on and let her think that he didn't love Kay. "And that's why I didn't end things between us. I didn't know how to tell you. After the first time I kissed Kay, I didn't want to tell you and hurt you. I thought I could move past that. But then... things changed."
"And you started to love her," Charity finished his story. "I know what happened, Miguel. You started you love her, and then you started sleeping together. And now, suddenly, there's a baby involved. These things don't just happen. It's not like you magically switched from loving me to loving Kay."
"I know, and... I'm sorry, Charity. I want you to know that I never meant to hurt you. But I also want to say that we obviously can't be together now. If I never had the courage to end our relationship before, at least now I have a little push. I'll be expected to take care of Kay and our baby now."
"So are you going to marry her?" It hurt Charity to ask such questions, but she almost wanted to torture herself with the knowledge.
"Well... I haven't decided yet. My family thinks it's the right thing to do. They believe it's a horrible thing to have a child out of wedlock. And since I love her, it won't be a big problem. It's just that... I always wanted to finish my education before settling down. So, I don't know. But I have to make a decision soon."
"Miguel..." Charity began, facing him, summoning what little strength she had left not to cry, "Why... Why didn't you ever want to sleep with me?"
"Honestly? I DID want to sleep with you, but we had decided long ago to wait for marriage. I know I broke that promise with Kay, but... something happened. I don't know how to explain it. She was just-"
"Please, Miguel, stop," Charity stood from the couch. "I should probably... go get some work done. I haven't been able to think clearly for the past week or so, since you told me about... you and Kay."
"I'm really sorry, Charity," Miguel tried to grab for her hand, but she yanked it away. "I really never meant to hurt you. As much as you may not believe me, the reason I never told you is only because I didn't want you to be hurt."
"It doesn't matter anymore. You succeeded in hurting me. You should have known it would only hurt me worse, the longer you kept the situations a secret. You allowed me to fall even more deeply in love with you; you made me believe that what we had was real."
"It WAS real. WAS. I really DID love you, Charity, and I can't explain what happened to make me fall in love with Kay. Things just happen in strange ways. Please understand."
"I have to go," Charity said through tears, running from the living room to the staircase of the Bennett home. Miguel tried to follow her, but she had already reached the first landing by the time he got to her.
"I'm sorry," he muttered under his breath, "I'm just so... so sorry."
"It's not worth it," she thought. Obviously, Miguel had been putting on some sort of charade for the past five months, telling one woman he loved her unconditionally while he slept around with another. What puzzled Charity is why he hadn't just broken up with her when his affair with Kay began.
"I never meant to hurt you," he said, sitting on the opposite side of the couch. Even though he still had feelings for her, he didn't want to lead her on and let her think that he didn't love Kay. "And that's why I didn't end things between us. I didn't know how to tell you. After the first time I kissed Kay, I didn't want to tell you and hurt you. I thought I could move past that. But then... things changed."
"And you started to love her," Charity finished his story. "I know what happened, Miguel. You started you love her, and then you started sleeping together. And now, suddenly, there's a baby involved. These things don't just happen. It's not like you magically switched from loving me to loving Kay."
"I know, and... I'm sorry, Charity. I want you to know that I never meant to hurt you. But I also want to say that we obviously can't be together now. If I never had the courage to end our relationship before, at least now I have a little push. I'll be expected to take care of Kay and our baby now."
"So are you going to marry her?" It hurt Charity to ask such questions, but she almost wanted to torture herself with the knowledge.
"Well... I haven't decided yet. My family thinks it's the right thing to do. They believe it's a horrible thing to have a child out of wedlock. And since I love her, it won't be a big problem. It's just that... I always wanted to finish my education before settling down. So, I don't know. But I have to make a decision soon."
"Miguel..." Charity began, facing him, summoning what little strength she had left not to cry, "Why... Why didn't you ever want to sleep with me?"
"Honestly? I DID want to sleep with you, but we had decided long ago to wait for marriage. I know I broke that promise with Kay, but... something happened. I don't know how to explain it. She was just-"
"Please, Miguel, stop," Charity stood from the couch. "I should probably... go get some work done. I haven't been able to think clearly for the past week or so, since you told me about... you and Kay."
"I'm really sorry, Charity," Miguel tried to grab for her hand, but she yanked it away. "I really never meant to hurt you. As much as you may not believe me, the reason I never told you is only because I didn't want you to be hurt."
"It doesn't matter anymore. You succeeded in hurting me. You should have known it would only hurt me worse, the longer you kept the situations a secret. You allowed me to fall even more deeply in love with you; you made me believe that what we had was real."
"It WAS real. WAS. I really DID love you, Charity, and I can't explain what happened to make me fall in love with Kay. Things just happen in strange ways. Please understand."
"I have to go," Charity said through tears, running from the living room to the staircase of the Bennett home. Miguel tried to follow her, but she had already reached the first landing by the time he got to her.
"I'm sorry," he muttered under his breath, "I'm just so... so sorry."