#JustWriteBits - Anthology

Unrequited by DreamerGurl169

He was beautiful.

Maria could not help but stare at Derek during work, after all, when she glanced to the side of her computer, there he was. Derek glanced up from his workstation and noticed Maria looking at him. He gave her a nervous smile and stared back at his computer.

Maria kept thinking that she'll be alright, that she could handle being around Derek, but then he kept smiling at her like, like that, and then suddenly it was back to square one with him.

Derek thought that being nice to the new girl was the gentlemanly thing to do. He did not mind training Maria and sometimes he felt bad leaving her alone in the office at lunch time, and invited her to join him and their co-workers. What he did not expect was the cakes that appeared on his workstation, the Valentine cards signed with hearts and now...Now he suspected that Maria was following him home. He had told his girlfriend but she had laughed it off, saying he had a wild imagination, but no, he did not imagine the mousy brown hair that belonged to Maria bobbing behind the cars parked across from his apartment.

Maria could look into Derek's blue eyes and drown in them, sinking deep into the depths and gladly die. She knew that he felt the push and pull between them, when he leaned in close in pretense of showing her the accounting software system. His cologne reminded her of the woods after a rainstorm. How did he know that that was her favorite smell? She knew that Derek could not proclaim his feelings, what with him having a live-in girlfriend and all, but she gave him hints of her affection. She made cakes he loved, information retrieved from the lunch dates with him. Sure the other co-workers were there, but it was a cover so that his girlfriend could not suspect his growing love for her.

Maria had to see this woman that kept her and Derek from being together. Images of dark hair, grey eyes, toothy smile tormented her as she scrolled through his girlfriend's open Instagram page. Lizzy! What type of name was Lizzy anyways, Maria thought as her nails made scars on the oak desk as her laptop showed her endless pictures of Derek and Lizzy hugging, kissing, cuddling all the things that she should be doing with him. No it was time...Her time to feel his kiss, his arms around her.

Derek had to make this stop. The constant calls, suggestive Snapchats, unwanted Facebook friend requests and early morning cakes... HAD TO STOP. Derek invited Maria to the nearby coffee shop. The friendly neighborhood coffee shop was a great place to break to her that though he was flattered by her advances, he was not interested.

"Maria, no more cakes, cards and messages, Okay. I'm just your colleague, nothing more."

Maria looked at his blue eyes. Was that regret, sadness that she saw?

"Derek? Is this because of Lizzy? I know she won't let you go, but we can make this work."

He shrank back from her wandering hand on the table, her dark brown eyes shining with an unnatural light.

"Are up crazy? I don't want to be with you? I abhor you Maria. You make me sick!"

Maria shrieked! "No! Lizzy is making you say that. Don't let her do it Derek!" She grabbed his hand hoping the connection will bring clarity to him. "We are meant to be and you know it."

He snatched his hand back from her grubby hand, his skin white from her fingerprints.

"I don't want to see any more gifts from you, and if you talk to me about anything other than work, I'll report you to HR."

He made a beeline for the door as Maria's cries echoed behind him.

Derek stepped up to his front door with a zest in his steps. Since his confrontation with Maria it had been a few weeks without anymore little gifts, messages and zoned-out stares from her. She had kept to herself, spending her lunches with her troll collection. His paranoia for being followed home by Maria was starting to fade and it finally felt that things were going back to normal every since the petite mousy brown-haired woman came to work with them.

Today was even better as Maria had called in sick. A whole Maria free day had to be celebrated.

"Babe, I'm home," he called as he opened the door, holding the bouquet of lilies on one hand.

Nothing.

"Lizzy? Babe, are you home?"

He frowned as the silence continued. Lizzy had texted that she was home. He was sure that if she had left the house she would have told him. He walked towards the kitchen to put the flowers in a vase before they started to wilt.

His footsteps halted.

He grabbed the wall for support as his knees buckled from the shock.

"Lizzy!"

Her stillness told him what his mind refused to accept. A patch of her dark hair matted with dry blood and a steak knife...A steak knife was logged in her chest, her blue blouse covered with blood.

"Oh Lizzy," he finally found the strength to stumble towards her as she sat on the kitchen table, her eyes frozen in a wide stare of fear.

"She wouldn't listen."

A shiver of fear moved down his spine. He turned to see Maria, her hands red from blood, her clothes covered with it.

"I had to tell her about us Derek, but she wouldn't listen. She laughed. Can you believe that? She laughed."

"Maria, what did you do?" His voice breaking from his cries.

"She couldn't believe that you could want me. I had to show her. No one laughs at me," her glazed eyes looked at Derek. "Now we can be together, she's out the way."

Derek's face contorted into a look of disgust and anger as he stared at this woman who had taken the love of his life away from him. His eyes glanced to the right and saw utensils clattered on the counter. He managed to grab a small sharp knife and held it against his thigh.

"You are right Maria, Lizzy was the only thing stopping us from being together," he swallowed the revulsion that arose from saying the words. Derek made small steps towards her thinking that if he made one wrong move the skittish Maria would run.

"Come here Maria, give me a hug, I've wanted to hold you for a long time."

"Oh Derek! I knew it."

Maria ran into his arms, her cloy smell invading his nose. He raised the knife and pierced her jugular vein, the blood spurting out splashing on his face and hers. Maria made a strangled noise as she helplessly tried to stop the bleeding.

"Derek?" She whispered before darkness overcame her.

Derek released her body, dropping it on the floor like a bag of garbage. Maria's blood stained the white tiles as her body went limp.

His fingers dialed the phone.

"911," a voice answered.