Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Jonathan hurried after Laura. His footsteps quickened to close the distance between them. He watched her back as she walked ahead, her figure illuminated by the light of the corridor leading back to the main hall. He had so many questions, so much he still needed to say, but it was like the space between them was growing wider with each passing second.

When they finally reentered the hall, the lively buzz of conversation halted as eyes immediately locked onto Laura. People swarmed around her, eager to congratulate and to offer their admiration for Nathaniel's soon-to-be bride. The crowd seemed to form a barrier between Jonathan and Laura as they began pushing him further to the edge, where he stood watching in frustration.

"She's beautiful, isn't she?" a familiar voice beside him said, a hint of pride and amusement lacing the words.

Jonathan glanced sideways, spotting Nathaniel standing casually with his hands in his pockets, his eyes trained on Laura with a smile that could only belong to a man hopelessly in love.

Jonathan clenched his jaw. "You guys aren't even close. You don't know her the way I do. How did you two even end up together?" His voice dripped with disbelief, unable to mask the bitterness of feeling bested by his own brother.

Nathaniel chuckled lightly, turning to face him while the teasing smile never left his lips. "You two are best friends, right? Why didn't you end up together?" he replied, his tone playful but his gaze sharp.

Jonathan's glare deepened, but Nathaniel continued before his brother could fire back. "I think that's the thing, Jonathan. You had your chance. But you didn't want her the way I do. I knew from the moment I saw her... She's not just someone to laugh with or hang around. She's the woman I want to build my life with."

Jonathan scoffed masking how his chest is tightening. He wasn't sure if it was anger, jealousy, or something deeper—something he hadn't even begun to understand until now. But watching Nathaniel's easy confidence and the way he spoke of Laura as if he had always been the one meant to be by her side, only twisted the knife further.

"Just because you think you love her doesn't mean you know her." Jonathan shot back. "You don't know her like I do."

Nathaniel's smile faded slightly, his expression turning serious. "Maybe not. But I want to. And that's the difference, Jonathan. I'm not afraid of what I don't know about her. I'm in this for the long haul."

Jonathan's fists tightened, knuckles white as he struggled to find the words to tear through Nathaniel's unwavering confidence. Just as he opened his mouth, the lights dimmed, and the soft strum of music filled the room. A spotlight illuminated the center of the hall, focusing on Nathaniel and Laura, who stood in the glow, their smiles growing wider as they turned to each other.

The crowd instinctively backed away, creating space for them, as if this moment had been scripted long before. Jonathan remained frozen and was unable to move or tear his eyes away. He could only watch as Laura's delicate hands were clasped in Nathaniel's, his grip firm but gentle, as though this connection was eternal. It wasn't just a simple dance. It was a statement, one spoken not in words but in the language of touch, closeness, and unbreakable promise.

Jonathan's chest tightened painfully as the music swelled. It was clear—painfully clear—that this was it. The finality of it weighed heavily on him, as if Nathaniel and Laura were showing the world, him included, that they were bound together. That there was no room for anyone, especially Jonathan, to come between them.

As they began to dance, moving in perfect sync with the song, every spin, every touch seemed to tell the same story. This was no fleeting romance; it was forever. Jonathan felt himself sinking deeper into his own turmoil, watching his best friend become something more to his brother—something that he could never be. (Song: Heaven by Calum Scott [video provided above])

His throat tightened as the world around him seemed to blur. But the two of them who were still under the spotlight, remained sharp and vibrant. Every glance, every smile they exchanged only solidified the truth he'd been dreading. I lost her. Laura was no longer his confidante, his safe space. She belonged to Nathaniel now, and the image of their hands intertwined sent a pang of pain through him.

He could hear the crowd clapping softly, watching with admiration as the couple moved together, oblivious to the turmoil within him. But Jonathan couldn't tear his gaze away, stuck in the painful reality that unfolded in front of him, knowing that no matter what he said or did, the bond between them was now unbreakable.

As Jonathan stood there, motionless in the dimly lit room, images of a future he never wanted to imagine began flashing before his eyes. He saw Laura in a wedding dress, radiant and beaming, but not for him—for Nathaniel. He could picture it clearly: the vows, the rings, the promise of a life they'd share together. And worse, he saw them with children, smiling, happy. The thought was unbearable that twisted something deep inside him.

In those fleeting visions, he saw himself too—alone, watching from a distance, filled with regret. The burden of all the moments he had pushed her away crushed him now. Every time he had told her they were just friends, every time he had dismissed her feelings, thinking he was doing the right thing, it all came back to haunt him. And now, she had found someone who treated her better. Someone who cherished her. And that someone was his brother.

The music swirled around him, dragging him deeper into his own despair. He hadn't noticed how loud it was or how the crowd around him buzzed with excitement. All he could focus on was the scene playing out in front of him—the two of them, lost in their own world, while he stood outside of it, alone and forgotten.

Then suddenly, his tears came slowly and unnoticed until they warmed his cheeks, steady and unrelenting. His lips trembled as a sob clawed its way to the surface, and without thinking, his hand pressed against his chest, as if trying to hold together the pieces of himself that were quietly falling apart.

He didn't wipe the tears away. He didn't care who saw him, who noticed. His heart felt too heavy, too shattered to put up any front. Every smile Laura gave Nathaniel, every small affectionate gesture they shared, was another nail in the coffin of his pain. Jonathan was sinking, and for the first time, he couldn't pretend to be indifferent. He couldn't hide behind his usual bravado. All he could do was stand there, broken, watching as the only person who had once made him her world was now someone else's.