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N
athan visited me. It was a surprise. I did not expect to see him unless we were working. I looked at him with a question mark visible on my face. He just shrugged his shoulders and sat down on the bed beside me. “What brings you here?” I did not even wait for him to sit down before asking him that. “I did not say I was leaving; I just said I needed time to think." His expression betrayed nothing. “And have you thought about it?” He stayed quiet. "You are an important person in my life and a good friend. I do not want to lose you. But still, I do not want to put my life in danger.
So yeah, I am still torn. I thought maybe seeing you might help, but it just made me even more confused." He just sat quietly afterward. I did not know how to help him. His confusion was valid. The emotional part of me wanted him to choose me, and I did not want to lose another friend, someone I loved and trusted. The rational part of me wanted him to walk away; it knew that nothing good would come out of his association with me.
However, this was not my decision to make. It was his, and I was going to let him handle it alone. He just sat there silently. His nose scrunched up the way it did when he was thinking too hard. “Have you told the police?” I nodded my head. He then fell silent again. "What did they say?" "They are looking into it. They have also increased my personal security." "Ahh, okay. That would explain the guards standing outside." I nodded my head. "Funny thing. Do you know how I said I wanted Detective Ocon to apologize?
Well, he came by yesterday and did exactly that." A grin broke out on his face. “Wait, you are serious? What did he say?” I could not help the grin etching on my face either. "Well, he came by and said he judged me unfairly based on his own past experiences. He should not have done that and was sorry.
As compensation, he would work his hardest on my case." Nathan laughed at that. It felt like ages since I had last heard him laugh. “Wow. No shit,” he laughed again after saying that. It all felt so normal. It felt good. Both our smiles died down again, thinking about the reason he had actually come here. I waited for him to say something, anything.
But he just remained quiet. We were sitting right in front of each other, yet it felt like an eternity existed between us. I had once read somewhere that old age must be cruel, remembering all the broken bonds and getting used to being left behind. Right now, I felt all of it in intensity. “I think I want to stay.” I looked at him in shock and disbelief. "Before you say anything, life as a lawyer is already quite dangerous. You will not believe the number of people who are out to get me. I had been thinking about getting personal security for a long time already. I don't think I want to give up on you. I want you to see this through, and I want to be there for you. I want to see you succeed. So, I will stay because I think our friendship is worth it." I just looked at him. Disbelief, awe, all of it went through me. He had reignited hope in me when there was none left. It was like a weight had been lifted off my shoulder. I was not alone. Not alone.
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