Ochanya {Completed}

THIRTY SIX

Alia

After a week of not hearing from Leo. I decided to reach out to him again. I can't stop thinking about him and I just want to make him forgive me so we can get back together.

He loved me for years before I knew him at all and I'm sure he still loves me. I just need to get him to say it.

I dialed his number and it rang for a while before he answered it.

"Hello" I said faintly.

"I told you I'll call you when I get back" he said

"I know you came back three days ago and I've not heard from you" I replied.

"How did you know that?" he asked.

"I saw it in a blog, I guess the paparazzi trailed you from the airport " I replied and he sighed.

"so what do you want from me?"

"I just want us to see and talk, I have a lot of things to tell you"

"Really?" he said amusingly

"Yeah" I replied.

"Okay, where do you want me to come to?" he asked.

"The regular eatry we used to meet" I replied.

***

After 15minutes I got to the eatry I used to meet Leonard for our romantic lunch three years ago. I sat and waited for him to arrive. I looked outside and I saw him getting down from his black Range Rover. He toiled with his car key as he walked with into the eatry full of life. He looked around the eatry and I waved until he saw me. He came closer and sat opposite me.

"How was your trip?" I asked.

"It was doPe" he said with a smile, popping the P.

"I'm glad you're here, I won't take your time I promise" I said and he nodded. I played with my fingers across the table trying to find the right thing to say.

He spoke up after few minutes of silence.

"I thought you wanted to talk and here you are not saying a word, Look_" he paused. "I have a lot of things to do, start talking or I'll take your silence as the cue to leave"

"I don't know! Okay! I don't know what to say! I'm trying to look for the right word but I'm just speechless, all this while all I know is I needed to see you, I wanted to see you cos... cos_" I paused and sighed before continuing. "Cos I miss you Leo, I miss us" I said with a shaky voice. I waited patiently for him to say something. He leaned closer across the table.

"There's no us Alia" he said calmly.

"What?" I said inaudibly

"There was never us, what we shared three years ago wasn't real, you didn't love me enough to do one thing, just one thing to make me happy! I loved you a_"

"Loved?" I cut in as my hope shattered.

"I loved you a lot, you were my everything, my first priority and I was ready to marry you, but you reject me not once, not twice, I wanted you to be with me, I wanted kids with you but you didn't love me enough to do that for me, you placed me second in your life, you_"

"I know I was wrong Leo and I'm sorry, what we had was real, I loved you and I still do" I cut in again as my voice shook, I can feel tears running down my cheeks.

"wait Alia! What did you think? That I'm a fool? Because I do everything you want and I make you happy doesn't make you are the dictator in our relationship, that was the first time I ever asked you to do something for me, I even tried to threaten you into giving in by walking away that night but you never called or try to win me back, I waited several days and months to get a call from you and tell me, everything is gonna be fine, I waited for days for you to come tell me some soothing words that we love each other and we are gonna be fine! now after that three years you wanted me to wait back then is here, you suddenly remember you have a guy somewhere you want back?" he asked and I took his hand.

"I have no excuse or justification! I was wrong and I wasn't a good girlfriend, I'm sorry for hurting you Leo, I'm sorry!"

"you didn't hurt me Alia! In fact you shutting yourself out of my life was a big relief, I would have made a big mistake by marrying you if you had not shown me who you really are, you are just a controlling and selfish woman that's all about her career, don't call me again!" he said and walked out of the eatry.

I felt my body shrink as I reminisced everything he just said to me, I felt ugly, rejected and unwanted. I gulped as another ball of tears rolled down my cheeks.

When I rejected him three years ago, he must have felt this way, so I definitely deserve this, whatever treatment I get from him, I deserve it.

Suddenly I felt a spark of strength and determination within me.

"I'm not giving up, I'm not losing Leonard to another woman, I didn't fight for him three years ago but now I will" I mumbled and smirked. I wiped my tears and walked out of the eatry full of determination.