Complicated Love

By L.G. Edwards

 

In the heart of bustling city life, Zarina finds herself entangled in a web of emotions she never expected. Drawn to Blake, the epitome of her ideal partner, Zarina navigates the complexities of her feelings, unaware that Blake is already committed to her best friend, Rachel. As the truth unravels, Zarina's world is thrown into disa

• Language: English
• Publisher: Amz Book Publishing Solutions
• Release date: Mar 29, 2024
• ISBN: 9798869347022

Book preview

Complicated

Love

L. G. Edwards

Copyright © 2024 L. G. Edwards

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission from the publisher, except for brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

Contents

Chapter 1: Edina

Chapter 2: A Spark

Chapter 3: Beginning of Love

Chapter 4: The Bing

Chapter 5: No love

Chapter 6: He is the One

Chapter 7: Blake’s Girlfriend

Chapter 8: Shattered Hope

Chapter 9: Nothing Makes Sense

Chapter 10: Just working

Chapter 11: A Disloyal Friend?

Chapter 12: A New Connection?

Chapter 13: Am I Being Unfair?

Chapter 14: The Park

Chapter 15: Entangled Hearts

Chapter 16: Long Awaited Confessions

Chapter 17: A Shocking Turn of Events

Chapter 18: Rainy Roads and Complications

Chapter 19: Unspoken Tensions

Chapter 20: Reconciliation

Epilogue: A Promise Fulfilled

"True love is never complex;

only situations are."

Chapter 1: Edina

It’s been a long time coming, Hannah, but it seems spring has finally come to tide here in the metro area. Expect to see temperatures in the upper 60s with a gradual dip in the weeks that follow. After what seems like forever, it looks like it’s gonna be a great time to start heading outdoors again.

Thanks, Brian. We’ll have more nightly news coverage for you after these messages—

*blip*

With a quick motion, Zarina shut her TV off, tossed the remote back onto the couch, and sat next to the windowsill. The warm cup of freshly brewed coffee nestled between her fingers gave her some comfort as she watched the cobalt-blue sky gradually shift colors. She wasn’t used to waking up this early—definitely not before the sun came up. But today, something felt different. Something made her wake up bolt upright at 5 am in the morning, worried about…something.

Zarina couldn’t put her finger on it. It was like her thoughts finally broke that ongoing chain of normality from her day-to-day, like her past suddenly came rushing back at her at break-neck speeds. While any other morning would’ve had her besieged with yawns, today, she stared off vacantly into the distance in contemplation.

‘Hmm, at least the weather’s nice,’ she thought as thin trails of steam wafted up from her cup.

Living in Edina wasn’t a far cry from her old place back in Maple Grove. Same old weather, same old friendly suburban town-folk. It was still Minnesota, as far as anyone could tell. If anything was different, it was that the place was a bit more upscale. Having a top-rated school district meant it attracted people with a little more disposable income. For every block of empty space, she now came across a new boutique or golf club. It was definitely more ‘city’ than Maple Grove ever was. In simple terms, that meant there was more rent to pay, but it also meant there was more to do on a typical Saturday night. And, if she wanted, Zarina was now only a stone’s throw away from the crazy Minneapolis nightlife.

But that was just it; she didn’t.

Still single at 33, Zarina didn’t exactly have the life she expected to have when she was a young girl. Of course, she hadn’t written the thought off entirely. In the grand scheme of things, thirty wasn’t old, but then again, it wasn’t young either. Maybe that’s what bothered her.

As a teenager, Zarina had dabbled in her fair share of flings, as all young girls do. Unlike most other girls, however, she sought something more meaningful. Being an only child was hard enough, but it was harder when her mother was out of the picture. Just a year after Zarina was born, her mother had walked out on the two of them, leaving it up to her father to raise her all by himself. Whatever affection she couldn’t get at home, she tried to find elsewhere. Here was this girl who, through no fault of her own, was thrust into a world that didn’t give her the same kind of love she put out.

By her 20s, Zarina had wised up about her romantic prospects, having developed a greater sense of who she wanted to be with. Yet, her relationships still proved unsuccessful; they were short-lived and never amounted to much, always fizzling out before they had a chance to develop any deeper.

Then, just a few years back, when her father—the only family she had ever known—passed away, it devastated her. That was when she needed someone else to fill that empty void the most. Too distraught with her emotions, Zarina couldn’t look at her home the same way again. That’s when it was time to walk away, to move on to something that made her happy.

With a sigh, Zarina leaned back and looked at her reflection in the window, staring back at her. Her raven black hair had a severe case of bedhead, with stray strands going all around in every direction. Just below it, her dark-brown eyes were half open, yet they looked like they had enough depth to carry the world in them. Her sharp cheekbones helped balance everything out, a perk of her half-Persian heritage. With one last yawn, Zarina glanced down at her now-empty cup and got up to get ready for the morning commute.

Zarina worked at Serenity Solutions Inc., a marketing and consultation firm that helped small businesses get their foot in the door. The place wasn’t glamorous by any means, but that suited her just fine. She preferred working with a small, tight-knit group of people to a soulless monolith corporation. The way she figured, there were a thousand and one ways to pay rent, but to do that and feel good doing it? That didn’t always come easy.

The outfit for the day was simple, as it always was: mid-rise boot-cut pants, a long-sleeved blouse, and, if it was cold, a classic blazer to tie it all together. The colors were almost always muted to keep the subtlety of her outfits in check. Zarina didn’t like dressing to the nines; it drew too much attention, and it didn’t feel like her. She cared a lot about how she presented herself and never wanted to commit that cardinal sin of coming across as someone she was not. Being on-vogue at the cost of her individuality was a big no-no.

To finish off her look, she dabbed on a little makeup, again, to keep with her subtlety, just enough to hide any obvious blemishes. Once everything was said and done, Zarina grabbed her keys and headed out the door. Sure enough, spring had just about made its way to Edina. The lone bird or two had now turned into a flock that chirped and sang away without a care. New flowers had bloomed, dotting the landscape with bright colors. The floral scents and early-morning dew made the air smell like freshly washed sheets. 

Zarina got in her trusty Honda Pilot and let the engine idle for a few minutes while she completed her daily ritual.

I’m constantly growing and evolving into a better person. I accept myself for who I am. I can’t do everything today, but I can take one small step, she said to herself.

With that, she was off.

***

Blake looked down at his phone to check the time: 12:52 am. On any other day, he would’ve had to go around the bar yelling last call to any remaining patrons. But, this being a Monday evening, there wasn’t a soul in sight.

He looked around the bar from end to end and said out loud, Alright, time to close up here.

Like clockwork, he headed out the front door, flipping the sign over it so it read, Closed.

Just above it, the sign spelled out the name of the place in bold lettering; Taps and Timber. T&T was a local bar that had been built over what used to be a historic tavern. While the remodel really changed up the way it looked, the rustic and cozy stylings remained from the place it had taken over. Besides, Blake liked it that way. He didn’t want to uproot the remnants of what came before. It felt nice to know that some things didn’t have to change.

Still, in his own way, he dressed the place to make it seem like home. When he wasn’t sliding beers down the counter to his customers, Blake would be out back doing some DIY work to restore, fix, or recreate anything that was broken or missing. His efforts certainly paid off, as Taps and Timber became a home-away-from-home for a lot of folks. It wasn’t just the décor, either; Blake’s personality and charisma certainly played a big part in it all.

Blake Luger had spent his entire life in Minnesota, meaning he had been instilled with its values and imbued with its laid-back charm. That’s why, even at the age of 40, the man was the epitome of ‘Minnesota Nice.’ Whether it was a much-needed talk or a weekend favor, Blake was the town’s go-to for anything. His happy-go-lucky expression had been so commonplace that it had practically creased itself into his face.

Blake grabbed the rag off his shoulder and began wiping the bar down with one hand as he grabbed empty glasses with the other. As he did so, his muscles flexed and poked out of his half-sleeved polo. Blake liked taking care of himself, body and mind. He was a handsome man, even at his age, or maybe, especially at his age. His muscular build perfectly complemented his hazel hair and blue eyes. He had it all—looks, charm, and a great personality. As far as any woman within a 500-mile radius was concerned, he was the perfect man.

As Blake reached the end of the counter, his hand grazed against a photo frame that had been placed there. Inside, it had a picture of a man that bore a startling resemblance to Blake—same hair, same facial features, and a smile warm enough that you could roast marshmallows off of it. Engraved at the bottom of the frame, it read, William Luger, father, husband.

Looking at the picture, Blake smiled through his sadness. When Blake was just a month old, his father had passed away in a tragic accident. While on his way to Wisconsin to spend a weekend fishing with his buddies, William Luger’s station wagon had been violently T-boned by an oncoming semi. The aftermath had been too gruesome to retell, and the loss too heavy to bear. Out of the four passengers, only two had been able to walk away from the accident—heavily injured and sufficiently traumatized, but ultimately, alive. Unfortunately for Blake and his family, William Luger had not been one of the survivors.

In the aftermath, Blake’s mother had suffered serious depression, and, in turn, Blake had to come to terms with growing up without a father. Whether he knew it or not, Blake began emulating his father, or at least, what he heard he was like. He knew he couldn’t bring his father back, but at the very least, he could serve as the same source of support for his distraught mother. In the process, Blake had given little attention to his own wants and needs. He tried to rectify this, of course, by trying to discover himself in the later stages of his life. He