Firework

Chapter 14

My heart clenched at the sight of Jared’s condition, but I stood there, unsure of what to do next. Serena was the first to worry, whispering in my mind that both Jared and his wolf, Black, were in great pain. But I decided to wait patiently outside his room. When the doctor who had been attending to Jared finally emerged, I thanked him before stepping inside.

I walked slowly into the room and approached Jared. He looked so pale. But when he saw me, he tried to force a smile and attempted to sit up.

“No, no, you don’t need to get up,” I said, gently urging him back down as I took a seat next to his hospital bed.

With a hoarse voice, he started to speak, “Olivia….”

I interrupted softly while opening the lunch box I brought with me, “Quiet, you must be hungry after all that vomiting. I asked the nurse earlier, and she said it was okay for you to eat since you haven’t had dinner or rather, you didn’t eat the food provided. Let me help you, okay?”

Jared nodded and smiled weakly. After a few bites, he murmured, “Olivia, I’m sorry.”

I smirked and asked repeatedly, “Sorry for what? For going to a bar to celebrate Georgia’s birthday and forgetting mine or to please your ex–girlfriend, whose birthday is the day after mine?”

He looked ashamed and replied, “I… I actually prepared a gift for you that morning, the fireworks was also for you. But then I saw you got a gift from Thomas, the man that I have always been jealous of. So, I took it out by not celebrating your birthday and going to Georgia’s surprise party instead.” “Is that why you threw away Thomas’s gift?” I asked, my tone sharp.

Jared lowered his head, apologizing again. “I am sorry.”

“Jared, look at me. Have you ever thought about how much it breaks my heart to understand you, every time you run to Georgia, every moment you try to please her whenever she asks? Yet here you are, jealous of Thomas and hurting me that easily?” I couldn’t help but let my frustration out.

“Olívia, you have always been the stars in my eyes. Without you, there’s a hollow space inside me that will never be filled. I….”

I cut him off before he could finish, “Then why do you always prioritize Georgia?”

He hesitated for a moment before finally continuing, “There is a reason why I kept going to her. After Georgia and I broke up, she suffered from severe depression because she realized I wasn’t her mate. People in the Pack always thought we were a perfect match, which made her feel like I should only be hers.

“A year after I started being with you, George begged me to meet her. He thought it might help his sister recover. So, I promised Georgia that I would always be there for her until she found her mate, with the understanding that Georgia and I would never be together.

“I also explained to Georgia that I had my eyes on you since I was a child, the day I first saw you at the border with my father.”

“What?” I asked, stunned. Not because of Georgia’s depression story, but because of Jared’s sudden confession, something he had never told me before.

He continued, “It’s been ten years, eleven months, twelve days, and a few hours since the first moment I saw you. You were the most beautiful girl I had ever seen. The absolute bane of my existence. When our mate bond was established, it was the happiest day of my life.”

Without realizing it, tears began to flow from my eyes. I started to understand what Thomas had meant

earlier.

But I also knew Jared could be using this as a way to get forgiveness from me again. So, with my remaining common sense, I responded, “The day I left you and wanted to reject you was the worst day of my life. It was when you asked me to join you and your friends for dinner at a restaurant I had always wanted to visit.

“But no matter how much it hurts, I don’t know why I’ve never truly hated you. Even today, I find myself forgiving you over and over again. But words mean nothing to me anymore.”

Jared took my hand, his grip firm but gentle. He explained, “Olivia, the reason I wanted to have dinner at that restaurant was because I knew you wanted to try it. But that day turned into chaos, which broke my heart.

I squeezed his hand in return, looking into his eyes before replying, “Thank you for the dinner‘ s reason, but I’m too tired of feeling like a stranger in your life. The fact that you still chose to date Georgia, after being in love with me for 10 years, indicated that your love was not genuine.

He directly explained, “It is her who confessed to me, at that time, I also thought you dated Thomas, so accepted her confession. But when our mate bond appeared three months after Georgia and I dated, I chose to come to you. The thing I didn’t expect was that my decision would hurt you until recently.

“Olivia, you should know that the day you wanted to reject me made me realize if I couldn’t find a way to untangle my heart from yours. I feel the pain I caused you as if it were my own. Would you give me a chance to piece everything back together?”

I answered in a cold tone, “As long as you prioritize me first and show me that you love me, like you say you do, I think we can start over. But it’s your last chance.

“I’ve promised your parents, and I promised Thomas too. I’ll double my promise for you. Is that fair?” Jared asked, his hand gently caressing my cheek, wiping away the tears.

I nodded, not saying anything more. I decided to trust him one last time.

His hand moved from my cheek to my lips. His thumb brushing over my lips, sending a shiver down my spine.

He whispered, his voice husky, “Thank you for giving me another chance, my destined mate, my other half. I promise I won‘ f’disappoint you anymore.

Before I could respond, he leaned in and kissed me deeper, more insistent. His lips were warm against mine, and for a moment, everything else faded away.