I burrowed deeper into my blanket, eyes closed tightly silently wishing to forever disappear to another realm and never come back. Dramatic much? Maybe. But at this point, vanishing felt like the only escape from the sheer humiliation burning through me.
From beyond my self-imposed exile, Carrie's laughter rang through the house—loud, unapologetic, and utterly merciless. Shouldn't she be offering comfort instead of cackling at my expense?
"Can you just tell me what's going on? I wanna laugh too" Lizzy's whiny voice carried itself into my room. "And why was Mandy limping earlier? Why has she locked herself in her room?"
Yes, I had been limping. And yes, I had locked myself away like a tragic heroine in a bad romance novel. But couldn't she not piece the clues together and just let me suffer in peace? How on earth was I supposed to rise from what just happened to me?
"Oh my… ha, ha, ha… I'm so… sorry, I just can't help it… ha, ha, ha," Carrie wheezed between bouts of laughter, that kept hitting her like waves.
I clenched my fists beneath the blanket, torn between the urge to cry and the urge to storm out there and throttle her. Not out of actual anger—okay, maybe a little—but mostly because my pride was hanging on by a thread, and her laughing wasn't helping.
I held onto the fleeting hope that, just this once, Carrie might keep my secret. That she might let this one be between us. That hope was shattered two seconds later.
"You know," she started, her voice dripping with mirth, "at first, I actually believed she wanted to join me for a morning run. But then I realized—it was all for the hot hunk next door." She chortles again, the voice sounding chocked this time.
"As...as we ran, it was obvious her mind was elsewhere, constantly scanning the surroundings as if searching for someone…" Carrie's voice faded as the memory came crashing back in vivid, excruciating detail.
I was again back in the park, taking in the beauty in its purest form, before the summer sun could wash away the morning's soft glow. I hadn't realized how many people actually came here for a morning run. But amid the peaceful scenery, my attention was gently stolen by an elderly couple. The husband was kneeling, tying his wife's shoes with the kind of quiet care that made my chest ache. The sight was adorable, romantic—and a little enviable.
I couldn't help but pout, watching them wistfully before glancing down at my own conveniently untied laces. I sighed, wondering if I'd ever find my own "forever." Someone to help me tie my shoes, maybe?
My pace slowed as I prepared to stop and tie my laces—when I saw him.
He appeared at the edge of my peripheral vision, and in an instant, my breath hitched. A rush of heat surged through me, turning my blood into molten lava. Just like that, the laces were forgotten. Stopping was forgotten. My heart thundered as I took him in, every muscle suddenly awake with anticipation.
This. This was why I had been so eager for today.
"There's your Prince Charming," Carrie teased from ahead, her voice laced with amusement. But the words barely registered.
Some people go weak at the sight of a man in a tailored suit. But me? Give me a man in motion any day. There was something about the way he moved—casual but powerful—that lit a fire under my skin. His expression, the slight curve of his lips, the way his shoulders carried that effortless strength—and those arms, dear heavens, those arms.
Our eyes met.
And just like that, my carefully practiced composure crumbled. His face broke into a roguish grin, and in response, I beamed back at him like a starstruck kid spotting their favorite cartoon character. Before I could stop myself, I was waving. Big, bold, unfiltered.
Immediately, I cringed.
Then I laughed.
Then I melted—like boneless chicken tossed into a microwave.
How he managed to strip me down to this giddy, embarrassingly transparent version of myself, I still didn't know. It was like he had some invisible power over me, like a drug I hadn't meant to take. One hit, and I was high on it. Maybe too high, because in my blissed-out haze, I forgot one small, inconvenient detail.
The laces.
I didn't even have time to curse before the universe yanked me back to earth—literally. Gravity, in all its dramatic timing, stepped in with a flourish. My foot caught the untied laces, and with a startled yelp, I face-planted. Hard.
Right there.
In front of everyone.
In front of Nick.
A loud, uncontrolled burst of laughter pulled me back to the present—from the humiliating memory to the even more humiliating reality in my room. I recognized the voice as Lizzy's.
Of course it was Lizzy.
There was no mistaking her laugh—the kind that took over her whole body. I could practically see her: doubled over, clutching her stomach, probably rolling on the floor with tears in her eyes, completely unfiltered in her joy at my disaster.
I curled in on myself even more, mortified all over again. It was jarring. Almost enough to make me want to cry. Especially when I remembered what happened next.
Back in high school, I used to imagine—hope, really—that a certain teacher would face-plant during morning parade, just so we could have a laugh. But never, not once, did I picture myself in that situation. The worst part wasn't the fall itself. No, the worst part was falling in front of Nick. The real worst part was not knowing what to do once I hit the ground.
I could've gotten up, laughed it off like it was all a joke—gracefully brushed it away with a quip. But no. Of course not. For the love of everything that lives and breathes, I found myself completely paralyzed by the sheer magnitude of my shame. If ever there was a moment, I wished the earth would just open up and swallow me whole, this was it.But no. The universe, ever the comedian, let me lie there instead—one with the pavement, mourning the last scraps of my dignity.
"Mandy! Mandy!"
Carrie and Nick's voices rang out in unison as their hurried footsteps closed in. In a moment of sheer panic, my brain scrambled for an escape plan. And what did it land on? The most dramatic, utterly ridiculous option available.
Feigning unconsciousness.
Genius? No. Necessary? Absolutely.
We were in the middle of a park, surrounded by way too many witnesses, and, worst of all, Nick had front-row seats to my disaster. There was no way I was standing up conscious.
"Mandy, are you okay?" Carrie's voice was laced with concern as she gently touched my back.
I remained silent, fully committed to my award-worthy performance.
Then came Nick's voice—soft, amused, and far too perceptive.
"Hey, beautiful, can you hear me?"
Oh no. He knew. He knew I was faking it. Internally, I berated myself for my theatrics, but outwardly, I held my pose like a professional.
A chuckle then a gentle pat on my head followed.
"Planning to make the ground your new home?" I heard him teas.
"The ground is kinder than reality," I murmured, my voice barely above a whisper, before I could catch myself. Wasn't I supposed to be unconscious?
"Are you hurt?" His tone turned slightly more serious.
My pride? Yes. It was Shattered. My dignity? Gone. Nonexistent. My self-esteem? Critically wounded.
But I sighed and muttered, "No."
"Then how about we get up?" He sounded like he was grinning.
"I'd rather not. This is… mortifying."
"Come on, Mandy, stop being stubborn. You're gathering an audience," Carrie urged, her voice edging toward exasperation.
Like I needed a reminder.
"How about this," Nick proposed, and suddenly, I was all ears. "Let me carry you home. You can hide your face in my shoulder, and no one will see you."
Tempting. Oh, so tempting. A perfect escape route wrapped up in broad shoulders and strong arms. But the irony wasn't lost on me—the very person I was most mortified to face was now offering to be my getaway car.
Before I could respond, Carrie's voice turned sharp. "Hey, you! Delete that photo!"
What? My head snapped up ever so slightly.
"Are we shooting a movie here? Is this a drama for public consumption? Delete those pictures right now, or I'll sue you for invasion of privacy! And don't think I'm bluffing—I know every single one of you. If I see this online, I will find you."
A commotion broke out, murmurs and shuffling as people undoubtedly scrambled to comply.
Even in my sprawled-out state, I couldn't help but chuckle. Carrie, my fierce, overprotective best friend, was on a warpath.
"Quite a friend you've got there," Nick mused.
"A blessing and a curse," I agreed, finally cracking a small smile.
Before I could react, the ground vanished beneath me, and suddenly, I was on air, cradled in Nick's arms. My pulse stuttered as instinct took over, and I buried my face into the crook of his neck, my arms tightening around him like a koala in distress.
Considering my current state—dirt-smudged and thoroughly humiliated—letting him see my face was simply not an option.
"Just don't bite me," he teased, a wicked grin in his voice.
I stiffened, my mind instantly flashing back to that incident the other day. Heat flooded my face as I grumbled against his skin, my grip around his neck tightening. Feeling particularly rebellious (and still high on post-fall adrenaline), I stuck out my tongue and accidentally licked his neck.
The reaction was immediate. I felt him stiffened and I held my breath wondering if he would drop me on the ground but a low, husky chuckle rumbling through his chest.
"Bad kitty," he murmured before giving me a not so light tap on the bum.
I gasped. My head snapped up as I locked eyes with him, utterly scandalized.
"Did you just… spank me?" I blurted, half in shock, half in disbelief.
I'd always scoffed at the whole playful punishment trope, assuming it would be annoying at best, infuriating at worst. And yet… here I was, feeling an entirely different kind of flustered.
I braced myself for one of his signature smug smirks, but instead, his expression softened into worried.
"You're hurt," he said, concern lacing his words. Panic flared in me, and I instinctively shielded my face again.
"It's just my pride," I mumbled. "You weren't supposed to see that."
I felt his lips twitched. "I'm just glad I'm here to be your knight in shining armor."
"Yeah, and I'm the perfect damsel in distress," I shot back, rolling my eyes.
That earned a deep, hearty laugh from him, and despite everything, I found myself smiling.
"Please forget today," I murmured a plea.
After a beat, his voice dropped to something almost too soft to catch.
"Forgetting you would be quite the challenge." My breath caught and I forgot for minute how to breathe. Clearing his throat, he shifted slightly. "Should I take you to my place? You've got a bruise forming."
His offer was tempting. Too tempting. But…
"I appreciate the offer, but I'll survive. Just take me home."
The moment I got down from his arms, I murmured a quick thanks and stormed into the house without a glance back. That was how I ended up curled up in my bed. I cursed loudly having enough of my pity party when the infamous Afro Cinema sad theme song started playing from the living room, as if narrating the tragic fall of my dignity in real-time. I got up and matched towards the living room glaring at Lizzy.
"You have one second to turn that off before I—"
"Before you what?" Lizzy cut in, smirking. "Trip again?"
Carrie, who was sitting cross-legged on the rug, doubled on her laughter again. "To be fair, the fall was pretty cinematic."
I hated my friends.
Lizzy tapped her phone screen, and the music blasted out loud
That was it. I lunged.
Lizzy let out a loud shriek, narrowly dodging my grasp, her laughter bouncing off the walls. "I'm just setting the mood! You should really lean into the theatrics. Own your moment! In fact, now that I think about it, Mandy, the universe is totally on your side."
"You mean plotting against me?" I huffed, sinking into the couch with a pout as she turned down the volume.
Lizzy waved me off. "No, no, it's all falling into place. First, your gloriously awkward run-in with Nick caught his attention. Then, the whole gecko situation literally threw you into his arms. And now? He's carried you home. If that's not fate, I don't know what is."
I nibbled on my lip with a scowl, mulling it over. As much as I hated to admit, she had a point. Somehow, all my embarrassing misadventures had fast-tracked Nick and me to a level of closeness that usually took weeks to build.
"I'm with Lizzy on this," Carrie chimed in, shrugging. "Nothing in life is free, babe. Sometimes, you just have to sacrifice a little dignity to gain something worthwhile."
Ugh. They weren't wrong, but still...
I groaned and flopped onto the couch, accepting my fate.
Then, out of nowhere, Carrie's voice cut through the moment like a plot twist. "Okay, serious question—what do you think of pastor's sons?"
Lizzy and I snapped our heads toward her, gasping in unison. "Huh?"