I never thought I’d light a candle for Jasmine again.
Not after everything she did to me, to Niccolo, to herself. But as I stood there in the little chapel attached to the hospital, the flame flickering weakly in the glass, I couldn’t stop the memories from finding me.
I remembered how we used to lie on the grass in high school, our skirts wrinkled and our laughter echoing through the field. She’d braid my hair while we whispered about the boys we liked – mine was always Scott, hers was whoever made her feel like a princess for the day.
We were foolish, I suppose, but we were happy.
Before envy sunk its claws in. Before we grew up and ruined each other.
A nurse tapped my shoulder softly, pulling me back. “Miss Smith? He’s awake.”
My heart lurched. I blew out the candle for Jasmine whispered, Goodbye.
–
for the girl she used to be
–
and
When I stepped into Niccolo’s room, he was sitting up, a fresh bandage on his forehead. He looked like hell. But he was alive.
When he saw me, his mouth curved in that half–smile that always managed to break something open in my chest.
“Hey, you,” he rasped.
That was all it took. The tears I’d been holding back spilled out, hot and stinging as they slid down my cheeks. I stumbled forward, pressing my palms to his chest just to feel his heartbeat.
“Why are you crying, huh?” he teased weakly. “This is the most romantic wedding postponement ever, don’t you think?”
“Don’t joke about that!” I sobbed, hitting his shoulder. “You nearly died. And all because-” My words cracked, the rage I’d buried for so long bubbling up. “Because of her. Because of Jasmine. And Scott. And everything-”
Niccolo grabbed my wrist gently, his thumb brushing over my knuckles. “Hey. Look at me, Nadine.”
I met his eyes. There was no darkness there. No betrayal. Only the warmth I’d fought so hard to believe was real.
“I’m here,” he whispered. “I’m not going anywhere. I’m sorry I wasn’t there when you needed me. I’ll spend every day proving to you that you’re safe now.”
I leaned in and kissed his forehead, letting my tears soak into his hair. “It wasn’t your fault. Not any of it.”
For days after he woke up, I stayed by his side, feeding him soup when he was too stubborn to ask, fluffing his pillows, ignoring his protests when he insisted he could walk to the bathroom by himself.
Dear Husband, We were never Marrieds
Every hour I stayed in that hospital room, I felt pieces of me stitching themselves back together
Sometimes I’d catch Scott lurking outside the ward, eyes sunken, suit rumpled. He never came in, just stood there, staring through the glass as if he was trying to memorize this version of me the version he could never break again.
One evening, I stepped out for coffee and found him leaning against the wall like an exhausted ghost.
“What do you want. Scott?” I asked.
He didn’t even look up at me, just exhaled a laugh that sounded like it hurt.
“Nothing.” he said. “I just… wanted to see if you’re okay.”
I folded my arms, my heart weirdly heavy. “Well, you’ve seen it. I’m okay. He’s okay. We’re okay.”
He nodded, eyes distant. “Good. That’s… that’s all I ever really wanted for you. Even if I didn’t know how to give it.”
–
I studied him then the man I’d once given up everything for. The man who’d taught me what it felt like to shatter from the inside out. There was pity in me, but no love left. Not
anymore.
“Go home, Scott. You don’t have a place here anymore.”
He looked at me, eyes glistening, and for a moment I saw the boy I’d chased for years. The boy who’d never really loved me back.
“Yeah,” he whispered. “I know.”
–
Two days later, I heard he’d been in an accident drunk driving, they said. I don’t know if he did it on purpose. Maybe he wanted to feel something break inside him, too. Niccolo sat beside me when I found out, gently folding my trembling hands in his. I didn’t cry for Scott, not the way I did for Jasmine. But I did feel something. A small flicker of regret for the girl I used to be the girl who’d spent half her life believing love had to hurt to be real.
I sent flowers to Scott’s hospital room. White lilies, the ones he always said reminded him of purity and promises. Maybe it was stupid. Maybe it was my way of saying goodbye to that part of my life for good.
When Niccolo was discharged, we walked together in the gardens behind the hospital. The sun was warm, the first hint of spring in the breeze.
I leaned into him, his arm steady around my shoulders. For the first time in years, my mind didn’t buzz with what–ifs. It was just quiet.
“Do you regret any of it?” I asked him suddenly. “That you’re here with me… after everything.”
Niccolo kissed the top of my head. “If you think I’d ever regret you, Nadine, you don’t know me at all.”
He tilted my chin up, his eyes soft and unflinching. “Whatever shadows we came from…
I never thought I’d light a candle for Jasmine again.
Not after everything she did to me, to Niccolo, to herself. But as I stood there in the little chapel attached to the hospital, the flame flickering weakly in the glass, I couldn’t stop the memories from finding me.
I remembered how we used to lie on the grass in high school, our skirts wrinkled and our laughter echoing through the field. She’d braid my hair while we whispered about the boys we liked – mine was always Scott, hers was whoever made her feel like a princess for the day.
We were foolish, I suppose, but we were happy.
Before envy sunk its claws in. Before we grew up and ruined each other.
A nurse tapped my shoulder softly, pulling me back. “Miss Smith? He’s awake.”
My heart lurched. I blew out the candle for Jasmine whispered, Goodbye.
–
for the girl she used to be – and
When I stepped into Niccolo’s room, he was sitting up, a fresh bandage on his forehead. He looked like hell. But he was alive.
When he saw me, his mouth curved in that half–smile that always managed to break something open in my chest.
“Hey, you,” he rasped.
That was all it took. The tears I’d been holding back spilled out, hot and stinging as they slid down my cheeks. I stumbled forward, pressing my palms to his chest just to feel his heartbeat.
“Why are you crying, huh?” he teased weakly. “This is the most romantic wedding postponement ever, don’t you think?”
“Don’t joke about that!” I sobbed, hitting his shoulder. “You nearly died. And all because-” My words cracked, the rage I’d buried for so long bubbling up. “Because of her. Because of Jasmine. And Scott. And everything-”
05:05 2322=C F C = L L
Niccolo grabbed my wrist gently, his thumb brushing over my knuckles. “Hey. Look at me, Nadine.”
I met his eyes. There was no darkness there. No betrayal. Only the warmth I’d fought so hard to believe was real.
“I’m here,” he whispered. “I’m not going anywhere. I’m sorry I wasn’t there when you needed me. I’ll spend every day proving to you that you’re safe now.”
I leaned in and kissed his forehead, letting my tears soak into his hair. “It wasn’t your fault. Not any of it.”
For days after he woke up, I stayed by his side, feeding him soup when he was too stubborn to ask, fluffing his pillows, ignoring his protests when he insisted he could walk to the bathroom by himself.
Every hour I stayed in that hospital room. I felt preces of me stitching themselves back together
Sometimes I’d catch Scott lurking outside the ward, eyes sunken, suit rumpled. He never came in, just stood there, staring through the glass as if he was trying to memorize this version of me – the version he could never break again.
One evening. I stepped out for coffee and found him leaning against the wall like an exhausted ghost.
What do you want, Scott?” I asked.
He didn’t even look up at me, just exhaled a laugh that sounded like it hurt.
“Nothing,” he said. “I just… wanted to see if you’re okay.”
folded my arms, my heart weirdly heavy. “Well, you’ve seen it. I’m okay. He’s okay. We’re okay.”
He nodded, eyes distant. “Good. That’s… that’s all I ever really wanted for you. Even if I didn’t know how to give it.”
I studied him then – the man I’d once given up everything for. The man who’d taught me what it felt like to shatter from the inside out. There was pity in me, but no love left. Not
anymore.
“Go home, Scott. You don’t have a place here anymore.”
He looked at me, eyes glistening, and for a moment I saw the boy I’d chased for years. The boy who’d never really loved me back.
“Yeah,” he whispered. “I know.”
Two days later, I heard he’d been in an accident
—
drunk driving, they said. I don’t know if
he did it on purpose. Maybe he wanted to feel something break inside him, too.
Niccolo sat beside me when I found out, gently folding my trembling hands in his. I didn’t cry for Scott, not the way I did for Jasmine. But I did feel something. A small flicker of regret for the girl I used to be the girl who’d spent half her life believing love had to hurt to be real.
I sent flowers to Scott’s hospital room. White lilies, the ones he always said reminded him. of purity and promises. Maybe it was stupid. Maybe it was my way of saying goodbye to that part of my life for good.
When Niccolo was discharged, we walked together in the gardens behind the hospital. The sun was warm, the first hint of spring in the breeze.
I leaned into him, his arm steady around my shoulders. For the first time in years, my mind didn’t buzz with what–ifs. It was just quiet.
“Do you regret any of it?” I asked him suddenly. “That you’re here with me… after everything.”
Niccolo kissed the top of my head. “If you think I’d ever regret you, Nadine, you don’t know me at all.”
He tilted my chin up. his eves soft and unflinching. “Whatever shadows we came from Chapter 21
