Chapter 157: Do You Love This Man?

"I am sorry, Amelia," Amaka said carefully, her demeanor completely changed. "I have never seen him like this; I am kind of shocked."

"It is not your responsibility to apologize," I said, carefully weighing my next words. "Did you know he was bisexual?" I asked. Her eyes snapped up to me, tears in them. I stood up and walked around, taking the now vacant seat.

"Oh, dear. It is nothing to cry about," I said. "Donald and Justin are both bisexual and had no era till they met each other. It doesn’t mean he still doesn’t like you. Did you guys talk about possibly rekindling what you had before?" I asked, and she nodded, swiping a tear.

"I had no doubt he never forgot about me, but I was taken aback by his reaction to Donald and the way he treated you. It was just horrible," she said, sobbing.

I grabbed a tissue and handed it to her before pulling her close to me. She cried into my shoulder. Whatever happened at lunch was now ruined by his actions.

"That… this was nothing compared to how I have been treated by a man," she said. "But I am not worried. Most of the time, when men who are not sure of their sexuality react like that, they don’t even mean to. He will come around, and I am sure he will apologize, if nothing else, beside the fact that Justin is his friend and he wouldn’t do anything to mess with this contract. But also because he seems like a decent human being." I assured her and let her cry for a while before she sniffled. She sat up straight and looked at me, her pretty eyes clear and bright from her tears.

"Take the rest of the day off," I told her, wiping the last few tears from her cheeks. "I can finish up what I need for tomorrow."

I could imagine the pain she was feeling right now after reconnecting with a long-lost love and feeling like all hope was lost. She nodded and, with a quiet goodbye, she left. I worked for another couple of hours, somewhat distracted, before a deep voice spoke to me. I looked up, startled to see Johnny; my hackles went up, and he didn’t look mad. If anything, he looked remorseful.

"I was the last person you want to see right now, but I couldn’t work knowing I was an ass to you earlier," he said from the doorway. All the tension left my body. I honestly wasn’t expecting to get an apology so soon.

"I am truly sorry for overstepping and disrespecting you and your relationships," he said. "It is not my place, and it was out of character for me."

"This clay, apology accepted," I told him. "If anything, it is Amaka that you need to get back on your good graces." He sighed and took a step forward.

"Do you mind?" he asked, gesturing to the chair, and I nodded in approval. He sat and took a deep breath.

"I am assuming she had shared our past story with you and how I had to let her go," he continued. I nodded in confirmation.

"I never in a million years thought I would ever see her again, and when my wife passed away, I wanted to find her, but I felt like she deserves better and most likely had moved on. But when I saw her yesterday, it was like this was meant to be, and I swore to myself that I would never love another woman if it wasn’t her because I knew that no other woman could have my love." He sighed, his knees beginning to bounce with nerves.

"Ever since my wife died, I never let myself enjoy the company of a woman because Amaka was the only one on my mind. So I turned to men. I didn’t know if I even liked men, but it was the only way I felt like I wasn’t betraying her, and currently, I am seeing a man who wants more, but I can’t give it to him." He paused, looking down at his hands.

"Do you love this man?" I asked. He tilted his head as he studied me.

"I don’t know," he said. "I was angry earlier, not because I wanted to take Donald from you, but just more so how open and honest you were about being with two people equally. I didn’t even know that was possible. I promised that Amaka was the only one who could have my heart, but it never crossed my mind that I could give my heart to more than one." He spoke with such anguish, and it broke my heart.

"I am saying this as a woman who never knew you could love more than one," I said. "The worst thing you could do is deny them both love because you don’t know what to do. In a relationship like this, you learn together as you go. The key is, if you want to be with both this man and Amaka, they need to be okay with that. Either sharing or both of them being in a relationship together, but don’t hide it from each other. You will only break their hearts." I explained. He studied me intently before nodding and standing up.

"Thank you, Amelia," he said. "I have a lot to think about, and I value you more than words can express. I promise, I will make it up to Amaka before the workday tomorrow. I never wanted to hurt her more than I have so many years ago." He spoke with a soft smile and extended his hand to me. I took it; he raised my hand to his lips and gave it a soft kiss. He was so French, and I almost giggled.

"Have a good night, Johnny, and good luck with everything," I told him before he took his leave.

I flipped back into my chair. What a fucking day?