Afraid to tell her
Author’s pov
James stood still, feeling his own breath as he gazed at the table in his bedroom. His phone kept ringing, but he was afraid to answer it. It was Thursday afternoon, the day Juliana was supposed to visit his mum and learn about his past. When his mum was calling, he thought Juliana was already there, and his dark history had been revealed to her.
“I have lost Juliana,” he murmured to himself, walking over to the window.
“My mum would have told her the unimaginable things I did to the women in my past. But there’s a big difference. I didn’t have any feelings for those women, and that’s why I treated them that way. But Juliana, she’s different. Just thinking of her makes my heart race,” he thought. Suddenly, his phone rang again, and it was a call from Juliana. He walked back to the table and saw that it was Juliana calling this time. He felt confused but slowly answered the call.
“Hi sweetheart… where are you?” his voice trailed off.
“I’m heading to your mum’s place, but I’ve changed my mind. I don’t want to go alone. I want you to introduce me to your mum. Where are you?” Juliana asked.
“I’m at home. I thought you had already gone there. In that case, come to my house, and we’ll go together.”
“Okay, I’m on my way,” Juliana replied, and the call ended.
“Oh my goodness! I thought she had gone to see my mom,” he muttered, picking up his phone again and dialing his mum's number.
“Hi mum…” Before he could say another word, his mum interrupted him.
“I’ve been calling you. Where were you?”
“I’m sorry,” he replied.
“Is Juliana still coming? It’s past 2 pm, as you told me.”
“Mum, I’m sorry, but both of us are coming to your place.”
“James, do you think I should tell Juliana about your past life, as I promised her on the phone?”
“Mum, there’s a saying that goes, ‘Tell the person you love the truth at all times.’ My heart is pounding, but I want to turn over a new leaf. I want her to accept me for who I am. I’ll tell her that I’ve changed and she should embrace the fact that I won’t do those awful things again…”
He was still speaking when he heard the sound of a car outside. He quickly said to his mum, “Mum, I need to go. Expect us within the next forty minutes,” and ended the call. James held the phone in his hand and rushed to the door upon hearing a knock.
“I’m coming.”
Then, within a few seconds, he opened the door and saw Juliana standing there in a white gown with a rose pattern. He was amazed by her beauty and couldn’t resist opening his arms and embracing her.
“You look gorgeous!” he exclaimed.
“Thanks,” she replied with a smile.
“Are you ready to go?” she asked.
“Um… yes,” he stammered, closing the door. As he locked it, he added, “I suppose I’ll be the one driving the car. You shouldn’t have to worry when I’m around. That’s an embarrassment to me.” Then he winked.
Those words made Juliana chuckle, and she said,
“Driving isn’t a hassle.”
“But I can’t let you drive. I want to be your chauffeur,” he gently took the key from her hands. They walked towards the car, got in, and James took the driver’s seat. Juliana sat in the back, and after driving for about five minutes, Juliana spoke up.
“Do you think your mum is still expecting me today?”
“Yes, she even called me, thinking you had changed your mind about visiting her. I don’t know why she is excited about you.”
“Really?” she asked.
“Yes, I assured her we were on our way.” James glanced at Juliana through the rearview mirror. After their brief conversation, he caught her glancing at her phone, and then it rang.
“Hi Stephanie!” Juliana exclaimed with excitement. Their eyes met, and the mention of that name made James’s heart race.
“Juliana, it’s been a while. Where have you been? I tried to surprise you with a visit, but you weren’t home.”
“You should have called me. I’m with a friend.”
“Male or female friend?” Stephanie giggled and continued. “The one you told me about?”
Juliana, aware that James could hear their conversation, quickly said,
“Please, can we talk later?”
“Hmm… when will you introduce me to him?”
“Stephanie, I said later, and I’ll call you.” Juliana ended the call and tried to look at James, but he pretended to focus on his driving.
Juliana took a deep breath and slowly tapped her right foot on the car floor. Her mind was filled with many thoughts.
“I love Gabriel, but something is holding me back from fully accepting his relationship. But I can’t be without him and I feel his absence and presence.”
The car remained silent, and both of them were lost in their troubled thoughts. Juliana hadn’t made up her mind about introducing James to Stephanie, and James, on the other hand, didn’t want to meet Stephanie in Juliana’s presence.
As the car approached James’s mum’s house, it finally came to a stop. James cleared his throat and said,
“Dear Juliana, this is my mum’s house.”
Juliana remained in the car, looking at the building through the glass and she said,
“Your mum’s house is beautiful. She’s a lover of flowers and beautiful trees.”
“Yes, she loves flowers,” James replied. They both got out of the car and walked towards the front door. Before they reached it, James’s mom opened the door.
“Good afternoon, Juliana,” James’s mom embraced her. When they separated, she added, “I didn’t tell you my name when we spoke on the phone. Call me Lisa, that’s my favorite name and the name my late husband gave me.”
“Nice to meet you, Mrs. Lisa. Now I see why your son is so charming. He got his looks from you,” Juliana smiled, and it seemed like they had known each other for a long time. James was amazed by their lovely conversation, like that of a mother and her beloved daughter.
“Oh, before I forget, I brought you something,” Juliana said.
“You didn’t even tell me,” James said.
“Must she tell you everything?” Lisa teased her son.
Juliana walked to the trunk of her car, opened it, and took out a red dress and two expensive wrist watches.
“These are for you,” Juliana said.
“For me?” Lisa looked at her son and said, “Where did you find this angel?” Her smile widened her eyes.
“Please, let me leave you both. It seems like your conversation can’t be interrupted.”
The way James said those words made Juliana and Lisa chuckle. Lisa pointed to a beautiful tree and said,
“Let’s go sit under that shade.” She took the things Juliana bought for her, and they walked to the tree. Underneath it were three chairs painted pink and white, and they sat down. Juliana couldn’t wait, and as soon as they sat, she spoke up.
“Lisa, I haven’t met you in person before, but the moment I saw you, I felt warmth in my heart. I’m here because of your son, Gabriel. I’m afraid to enter into any relationship due to some past bad experiences.”
“Don’t worry, I understand what you mean,” Lisa reassured her, placing her hand on Juliana’s shoulder.
“Lisa… what do you think women dislike about Gabriel?”
“People make mistakes in their lives, and my son has made some too. One thing I can say is that James, or rather Gabriel, has never brought any woman or introduced any woman to me the way he introduced you. So, I can tell you with certainty that my son is in love with you. Good women build their homes, while promiscuous ones destroy theirs. From the moment I saw you, I fell in love with you. Any man who left you has missed something he will never find again. Juliana, use your hands to build your relationship.”
As they were talking, James came out with a bottle of wine and three cups. When they saw him approaching, they stopped talking. James sensed it and he didn’t say a word. He opened the wine, poured it into the three cups, took one cup, and went back inside, this time going to his room and sitting down. He couldn’t bring himself to drink the wine and placed it on the table, and he was deeply worried.
“If Juliana finds out about my past, will she still want me?” he thought, pacing around his room. The longer they stayed outside, discussing, the more panic grew in his heart.
“How long will my mom tell her about what I’ve done?”
Then, without knocking, James’s mum opened the door and walked in. When James saw her, he hurried towards her and asked,
“How did it go? What did you tell her about me?”
“Nothing. I’ve found a friend. If you want her to know about your past, you should be the one to tell her. It’s your relationship, and you need to take charge,” she said and looked at my eyes. James was speechless and didn’t know what to reply and he watched her mom leaving his room. As Lisa was about to leave James’s room and was standing at the doorpost, Juliana was approaching the door.
“Where is Gabriel?” She asked her mum and Lisa only pointed her fingers. When James heard her voice, he rushed and embraced Juliana, and there was immense joy in her eyes.
“I want to take you out. I know I have not taken you out since we know each other and my friend Stephanie will be joining us,” Juliana said.
“What?” James’s heart raced when she mentioned Stephanie, and he wondered, “Should I tell her about my previous relationship with Steph
anie, or should I come up with an excuse not to go out with her?”
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