DIANAI tried so hard to conceal the shock on my face, as I stared at the man before me. He was almost the same height as Mr Leota, tall with a lean figure, his perfectly cut beard framing dark eyes that eyed me in judgement.I hoped deep down as I stared at the man that Mr. Leota was mistaken. What kind of Ill luck did I have??“Nice to meet you.” I managed to say said with a shaky smile, but he didn’t smile back, he only nodded and turned to Mr. Leota, completely ignoring me.“Shall we go?” He raised a brow. “-we’ll miss the reservation if we spend more time here.”“Relax, old man, we’ll make it in time.”Mr Leota waved him off with a scoff.Old man? I stared at the man with slightly raised brows.How old was this guy exactly?“You say that everytime and we miss it everytime.” Ryan rolled his eyes.“Have a little faith in me.” Mr Leota smirked.“And where exactly has that gotten me?” He raised a brow at him.“Desperately in love with me.” My eyes widened as Mr Leota nudged him sligh
DIANA It was Mr. Leota at the door. He didn’t have the usual smirk on his face, he looked serious… too serious.“You’re here…” I mumbled. He didn’t say anything, just walking past me into my apartment.My heart pounded as I stood by the doorway, turning to him slowly as I shut the door.Did he already know?He wasn’t even looking my way, his back was turned to me instead, and my mind raced as I imagined what he’d do next.Would he yell? Cuss me out? Fire me? The suspense was killing me as I stood there.Finally, he turned to face me, walking towards me and closing the gap between us as my breath hitched.“I wasn’t expecting you to come here..” I watered my lips, staring at him with drawn brows.“Why?” He only raised a brow.“You were with your friend, so…” I looked away, hiding the anxiety I felt.“Hm.” He hummed, his eyes regarding me for a moment.“You guys seem really close...” I swallowed, my gaze flashing to his for a moment to catch his reaction.“We are.” The smile that rose
DIANA They say there is nothing more destructive than fire. I used to believe it too. But even when my body pushed him out of the path of the collapsing ceiling engulfed in flames, I didn’t realize it. When I felt numbness and striking pain as I was wheeled to the ER, I didn’t realize it. When all I could hear was his voice, not the sirens, not my mother’s cries, even then, I didn’t realize it. Until now. It feels like a nightmare. Like I am still under the influence of morphine, and any moment now, I’d see a unicorn fly above me. The tears effortlessly down my cheeks, my heart clenched in pain, my knees could give out on me at any second. “What did you just say?” My voice cracked, I could not hide my shock nor my pain “You heard me, Diana. I don’t feel this relationship is good for us anymore” He said calmly, like he wasn’t ripping me apart, body by soul. “What does that even mean Kevin?! Where is this even coming from??!” I was confused. We were fine a couple o
DIANA How long must a house burn before it becomes ashes and smoke? It’s been 3 weeks, 2 days and 4hours since he left me. And I am still burning, still hurting – an end no where in sight. And it’s been exactly 3 weeks, 2days and 4hours since I left my apartment, I have now become a stranger to sunlight. It’s been a mixture of fear and despair with a sprinkle of depression – I have never experienced such anguish for all the 26 years I have lived. It still feels so unreal. Ive sent him voice notes every day since he left, begging and pleading for him to come back; voice notes that almost always ended in a hysterical emotional breakdown that lasts for hours-I’m used to it now. It’s now part of my daily routine, along with wailing anytime I see something that reminds me of us, which is practically everything in my apartment.Every where I look I see him, I remember every moment we spent together on the couch, the nights we spent making love – he was my first, in every sense of the
DIANA When does the line between reality and dreams begin to blur? How broken must the fragments of your reality be before you start to question it?I hoped and prayed in my heart that this wasn’t real; that any moment now, lily would scream my name and I’d wake up in my bedroom. “Diana, I think we should go” Lilly said quickly as she dragged my arm. I jerked my arm away immediately, not taking my eyes off the abomination playing out before me. The way held her and kissed her, it made my blood boil.“Diana, wait!” Against reason, I clenched my fists and marched towards them, ignoring Lilly’s call. When Natalie caught my eye, she smirked, holding Kevin’s hand tightly “Diana, I didn’t expect to see you here, I thought you’d spend the rest of your days in hiding”“Kevin, what is this ?” My voice shivered as I struggled to hold back my tears. Maybe the baby was someone else’s. Maybe she was just a one night stand he used to forget me“This is his life now, I and his baby, it’s a g
DIANACan beauty be born from ashes?How wasted do you have to be to see a rainbow in a casket?Thankfully the bar wasn’t crowded. It was dimly lit, setting an ambiance I loved. There was a life band playing some soul music, faint chattering echoed in the atmosphere.“What would you like to drink?” The bartender asked with a smile “something strong that can cause temporary amnesia” he laughed. I wasn’t even joking.“Coming right up” and he starts mixing different poisons. This is going to be a long night.“Make that two” his voice was so deep and smooth, I immediately had goosebumps- the good kind.I turn to face him, and for a moment, I blacked out. I have never met a man so beautiful. His face was a divine work of art, and his eyes- lord those eyes, I would die in them if he let me.“Here you go, I call it ‘One night stand’ just for you” the bartender handed us our drinks.What kind of a name was that ?“Are you planning on actually getting a one night stand?” His eyes gleamed“Hel
DIANAIt doesn’t hurt as much anymore.After burning all our pictures and anything that reminded me of him. I was a bit better.I renovated the apartment, changed all the furniture- I have completely detached myself from him; well I’d like to believe I have. I don’t cry that much anymore, just once or twice a week. And I don’t call him anymore, Infact I’m this close to deleting his number – little progress is progress none the less.Ive started going out more, mostly to hang out with Lilly. I quit my job the day after that embarrassing encounter with Natalie, I couldn’t stand seeing her everyday and her bump grow.. I’d run insane. I started a business of my own, an event planning company, and so far, it’s been going great.I don’t feel that anxious anymore when people glance at me. I tell myself everyday – only you can see those scars. No one else.I still don’t look at my reflection, and even if I catch it in the elevator, or a mirror in the hallway, or a window, I do not indulge f
JEROME When do the lines between reality and fantasy begin to blur?How deep do you have to go for it to become so difficult to tell them apart?I see her in my dreams. I imagine her in my arms on most nights, skin to skin, entangled in my sheets.She has haunted me now for three months three weeks and a day. She is persistent in her torment.I went to the bar four more times hoping I’d see her.I lurked around the neighborhood just to see if she’d reappear.Those eyes torture me in my sleep, those round brown eyes, they touched my soul, sparked something in me that I’ve never felt before.I don’t even know her name. But she’s all I think about, how she felt so close to me, how soft her skin was, her lips reminded my of the gates of heaven- her body was a divine work of art.I have never craved someone this badly. I have tried to forget her- nothing is working.I’m on the brink of insanity. I spend every waking moment wondering who she is, where she could be.How could someone have a
DIANA It was Mr. Leota at the door. He didn’t have the usual smirk on his face, he looked serious… too serious.“You’re here…” I mumbled. He didn’t say anything, just walking past me into my apartment.My heart pounded as I stood by the doorway, turning to him slowly as I shut the door.Did he already know?He wasn’t even looking my way, his back was turned to me instead, and my mind raced as I imagined what he’d do next.Would he yell? Cuss me out? Fire me? The suspense was killing me as I stood there.Finally, he turned to face me, walking towards me and closing the gap between us as my breath hitched.“I wasn’t expecting you to come here..” I watered my lips, staring at him with drawn brows.“Why?” He only raised a brow.“You were with your friend, so…” I looked away, hiding the anxiety I felt.“Hm.” He hummed, his eyes regarding me for a moment.“You guys seem really close...” I swallowed, my gaze flashing to his for a moment to catch his reaction.“We are.” The smile that rose
DIANAI tried so hard to conceal the shock on my face, as I stared at the man before me. He was almost the same height as Mr Leota, tall with a lean figure, his perfectly cut beard framing dark eyes that eyed me in judgement.I hoped deep down as I stared at the man that Mr. Leota was mistaken. What kind of Ill luck did I have??“Nice to meet you.” I managed to say said with a shaky smile, but he didn’t smile back, he only nodded and turned to Mr. Leota, completely ignoring me.“Shall we go?” He raised a brow. “-we’ll miss the reservation if we spend more time here.”“Relax, old man, we’ll make it in time.”Mr Leota waved him off with a scoff.Old man? I stared at the man with slightly raised brows.How old was this guy exactly?“You say that everytime and we miss it everytime.” Ryan rolled his eyes.“Have a little faith in me.” Mr Leota smirked.“And where exactly has that gotten me?” He raised a brow at him.“Desperately in love with me.” My eyes widened as Mr Leota nudged him sligh
DIANA I had this pressing urge to slap whoever just knocked on the door, but to also thank them - who knows what would have happened if we had gone on with it… I tried to distance myself from him, but his grip was rock solid.“Mr. Leota, there’s someone at the door.” I tried prying his hands away, but he didn’t even budge.“And?” He raised a brow, shifting closer:“They’re probably here to see you.” I furrowed my brows in amusement at his nonchalance.“Then they can wait.” Then he leaned in, placing kisses on my neck, each one a spark flying through my body.“They could w-walk in at a-any moment.” I managed to breath out, desperately holding on to the last thread of restraint in my head. “I don’t mind that.” His hands around my waist fastened their grip, with no plans to release me.“Well, I do.” I strained to say, my voice coming out weak and airy. He wasn’t listening to me. His tongue danced on my neck like a paintbrush on a canvas, I couldn’t tell what he was painting, but all
DIANA Why must the universe always be against me???“Whatever nonsense you have to spew from that smelly mouth of yours can wait, I have a meeting to be at.” I scoffed, rolling my eyes at his scowling face.“So you think you can talk to me anyhow you see fit??” He took a step closer as his scowl deepened, his grip firm on my arm. “I would have said worse if I had more time.” I sneered. I tried to release myself from his grip, but it was futile. “Let go of me!” I frowned at him as I let out a breath.“What did you do to get into his bed??” He practically spat out, his eyes wide in rage.“I’m not having this conversation with you.” I pressed my lips together, turning to the side in irritation.“Answer me!!” He yelled, his tone dark as he pulled me closer.“I owe you no explanation! You hear me??” I pulled back, my anger rising as I stared at him. “None.”“So the rumors were true after all?” He smirked bitterly suddenly, “-you did find at fuck your way into the company.”“Kevin!” I ex
DIANA The kisses were cold, the ones the wind left sporadically on my skin as I stood by the window of my apartment. A heavy sigh left my lips as I watched the sight before me - it was nothing like Paris. The streets of Paris would have brought out the artist in me, if I had stayed a bit longer. I would have filled pages with the unmatched charm they had to offer. I would give anything to go back there…To him. Was Paris really beautiful, or was it just him? The way he made me feel? The way everything he did made me believe I was special? That i was the only one he’d ever do those things for? Then there was a knock on the door, that pulled me out of my thoughts.I walked over to the door, wondering who it was when I opened it.My eyes widened as I came face to face with Kevin, my heart skipping a beat at the two figures behind him, their faces concealed with masks.“What are you doing here?” I felt utter fear at the sight, but I held my ground, staring Kevin dead in face.“To pu
DIANA What was he doing here??? I stopped in my tracks when I saw Kevin outside the restaurant, his back turned to us.“Dee, don’t engage, let’s just leave.” Lily shook her head frantically as she pulled me away.“Can’t I have one day-” I scoffed in irritation. “-Just one day free of this asshole??” “Don’t let him ruin your day Dee, let’s go.” Lily held my hand, her eyes pleading as she led us away. I frowned at her, my eyes lifting to Kevin’s figure ahead.“Were you asking me to leave because of him?” I scoffed, staring at her with a scowl.“What, no! That’s not it ,” She turned to look at Kevin. “I’ll explain when we get to your apartment, but I don’t want a scene.” She stressed, leading us away.“You think I’d cause a scene?” My lips parted in disbelief.“When you and Kevin are in the same room? Yes, the both of you will cause a scene-” She pursed her lips, staring round. “-and we can’t have that with your current situation.” She shook her head.“What do you mean?” I took a step
The flight back home was beyond soothing.It was just me in the jet, with the exception of the flight attendant and the pilots, but that was okay. I rested my head against the soft seat, staring at the departing city of Paris with a faint smile.I can’t believe I just traveled to Paris.For a date. I shook my head, turning back to the empty space of the jet, still in disbelief.My gaze wandered a bit too many times to Mr Leota's seat opposite mine, and I bit my inner cheek at the empty seat. I’m already missing him..I sighed, leaning back as I thought about everything that had happened. How chaotic can one date go? We traveled, he bought a freaking mansion, we had a date on a boat, I nearly drowned, we had another date at a restaurant he completely booked, and now..Now I’m here.On my way back. Alone.What was so important that he couldn’t come back with me?I didn’t want to know the answer, staring out the window as the buildings shrank as we flew higher, and eventually the smoot
DIANA I gaped at him in disbelief. He couldn’t be serious.“You booked the whole restaurant???” I stared at him wide eyed.“Don’t you like the privacy?” Mr Leota cocked his head to the side.“That’s not the point, Mr. Leota!” I let out a breath, staring at him in disbelief.“This soufflé is really good.” He said calmly, taking a spoon into his mouth, completely disregarding what I said. “Are you always like this?” I chuckled, shaking my head slightly.“Charming? Yes, all the time.” He smirked as he sipped his champagne.“I meant do you always go above and beyond for a woman?” I rolled my eyes, leaning back.“You think this is above and beyond?” He raised a brow. “If this isn’t, then what is?” My brows drew together to a slight frown.“Something I can’t pay for.” He said, his voice was low as he stared at the dish.“And what’s that?” I couldn’t stop my curiosity when I asked, raising the spoon to my lips.“Something I do not have to give.” He sounded guarded as he revealed, meeting
DIANA My eyes were stuck to the window, watching the buildings pass me by as we drove.I couldn’t even look at him.Why was I feeling this way? Like I wasn’t in his arms the night before.The last time I’d slept that peacefully was when he slept with me in my apartment , and for some reason, I thought I’d never experience that again. And yet here I was..I turned to him, watching him quietly as he drove, how his hands gripped the steering wheel… how much I envied the steering wheel- DIANA! “What happened to the driver?” I swallowed, tearing my gaze away from his hands.“I fired him.” Mr Leota said plainly.“Why?” I stared at him in shock, my brows drawn together. “Did he do something? “His services are no longer needed.” Was his inly explanation.“I see…” I mumbled, but i couldn’t help thinking that he only fired him because of that incident. “Is it because of what happened last night?” I asked, blurting out exactly what I was thinking.“It’s safer not having a third party arou