Chapter 2 Cacophony of chaos

Raphael and his cousin, Rachel, were entangled in each other's arms. Is this a dream? I wondered as time seemed to stop, leaving me alone with the reality in front of me.

I stood there, paralyzed, as my mind struggled to process the scene before me. Raphael's eyes, usually bright and warm, were closed, lost at the moment. Rachel's hands were tangled in his hair, her nails digging into his skin.

I felt a wave of nausea wash over me, followed by a crushing sense of betrayal. How could he? How could he do this to me?

"Raphael," his name, the venom on my tongue escaped my lips like a sob.

They halted, shocked by my presence. "Amy," he called, more like a question.

Quickly, he struggled to free himself from Rachel's hands while Rachel struggled to cover herself and her shame, if she felt any.

"Your cousin," I mouthed as my eyes locked onto Raphael's face, searching for answers.

"This is not what it looks like," he mumbled as he struggled to get out of bed.

The sight of him crawling on the bed broke my heart. A sharp pain of betrayal gnawed at me. His cousin, of all people in the world.

Hearing his voice could drive me off the bridge of sanity. I should leave before I do the unspeakable. I took a step back, my hand releasing the door handle as if it had burned me.

"Amelia," I heard my name as I stormed out of his house. The once familiar space was now hell for me. I could burn away from the betrayal if I spent an extra minute in his house.

As I slammed his door, the sound of their passion continued to fill my ears. His face, Rachel's face, their entwined bodies, everything flashed before me, a cruel reminder of what I'd just witnessed.

Tears rolled down my face as my feet carried me away from his place. As fast as my legs could go, I ran into the alley, far away from Raphael.

On Christmas Eve, my life took a turn, a negative turn. My boyfriend, whom I had loved for three years, was cheating on me with his cousin. The woman I had celebrated three Christmas Eves with. The same person that had cheered me up whenever I was stressed. How can someone be so two-faced? I don't even know what to believe anymore.

Where are they cousins? Or was it just a lie they told me? Tears screamed down my face as my legs moved fast. I shuffled in-between passerbys, hoping no one would think of me as crazy.

This was not the Christmas I had imagined. This was not even on my mind. I had plans to decorate a Christmas tree with him. Bake Christmas cakes and cookies. Maybe we could go ice skating together. These were my plans, but Raphael had a different plan entirely.

How long have they been together? How long have they been laughing at my blindness to their scheme? How long have I been fooled by those two? Oh my God, help me. Only if I could end this all.

Without thinking, I just headed towards the other side. One moment, I was running on the sidewalk, away from the shock of Raphael's betrayal; the next, I was running into the road, oblivious to the danger awaiting me.

Car horns blasted around me, a mixture of sounds that pierced my eardrums. I froze, paralyzed in the middle of the road, as the world around me turned into chaos.

My legs trembled beneath me, threatening to give way. And then, they did. I collapsed, squatting on the road, my hands clamped over my ears in an attempt to block out the noise.

The sounds swirled around me - horns, tires screeching, people shouting. I felt like I was drowning, unable to escape the turmoil.

Then I felt the unexpected, I felt warmth spreading around me, as a gentle touch cut through the chaos that had threatened to consume me. Someone wrapped their hands around my shoulders, firm but gentle, helping me up.

As I stood up, still supported by the stranger's hands, I felt a wave of dizziness wash over me. The cacophony of car horns and screeching tires still echoed in my ears, making my head spin. But the stranger's hands remained on my shoulders, steadying me. I couldn't bring myself to look at him, ashamed of my breakdown.

"Hey, it's okay," a voice whispered, soft and soothing. "It's okay."

Is it really okay? Will everything be okay? The question swirled through my head as I heard the stranger's reassuring words.

I hesitated, unsure of how to react. But something about their touch calmed me. I let them guide me up, my legs trembling as I stood.

Their hands remained on my shoulders, steadying me as they led me out of the road. We reached the sidewalk, and the stranger turned to me to face them. His eyes locked onto mine, filled with concern and something similar to care.

"Are you okay?" He asked, his voice low and gentle.

I nodded, My eyes remained fixed on the ground, avoiding his gaze as I processed what had just happened. But the stranger's hands lingered on my shoulders, offering comfort.

"Did something happen?" he asked, his voice filled with empathy.

I hesitated, unsure how to explain the turmoil inside me. The image of Raphael in bed with his so-called cousin still seared my mind.

Would it sound right if I told this gentleman that I ran into the road because I caught my boyfriend cheating?

"Just...need a minute," I stammered, trying to catch my breath.

The stranger nodded and released his grip on my shoulders, but remained beside me. We stood there in silence, the city's noise fading away.

"You can talk to me if you don't mind," he said, breaking the silence, his gentle voice sounded inviting.

As I regained control, I turned to face him. His features came into focus: kind eyes, strong jawline, and a gentle smile. His face looked familiar, but I couldn't place my hands on it yet. My head was too fuzzy to think straight.

"Everyone has plans on Christmas Eve but thank you," I whispered, my voice barely audible.

He nodded, his smile widening. "Change of plans, then. You can be my plan on Christmas Eve."

My plans for Christmas might have been ruined, but making a new one wasn't a part of my option. All I wanted to do was to lock myself up in my room and cry until I could cry no more.

"I know I sound weird, but I don't want to leave you by yourself tonight. Let's get ice cream and help you calm down. After that, you can retire tonight," he said, not pressing me to give in.

Reluctantly, I nodded, agreeing to go with him. Ice cream or not, I just don't want to be alone on Christmas Eve.