A/N: Whoo, chapter 7!:D I plan on ending this story in three chapters time, followed by an epilogue. I would really appreciate if you guys could vote and comment if you like this story. I would like to hear what you think about this story...thanks!:) ps, I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT THIS BOOK HAS OVER 500 READS!
Sandra quickly drove home as tears freely fell from her eyes like waterworks. She couldn't believe that her birthday was ruined once again. All she wanted was to break her facade and be her, be happy for one day and her obnoxious neighbor just had to ruin it. Her hands tightly grabbed her wheels as his words replayed in her head.
"I DON'T GIVE A SINGLE FLYING SHIT IF THE REASON YOU ACT SO ARROGANT AND ALMIGHTY IS BECAUSE YOUR PRECIOUS BOYFRIEND CHEATED AND DUMPED YOUR HIGH MAINTENANCE SELF OR SOMETHING.", it kept echoing in his head. Every memories that she had locked away from eight years ago this very day came rushing back.
The moment Andrew confessed that he cheated on her, Mariah being pregnant, Andrew killing himself, Mariah eventually killing herself, the way others had mercilessly taunted her as a murderer, the way she distanced herself from her family and became immersed in isolation. All these memories were as fresh as yesterday.
A new set of tears rolled down her cheeks as her heart constricted in pain. Who was this man and why did his words hurt so much? This was the first time that she has cried in over seven years and it hurt so much. All she wanted was to have a night for herself and he just had to ruin it.
She reached her home and she parked the car just outside it. With frustration, she took out her heels, kicked the door open and threw them away in anger. "Ouch", she heard a deep male voice yell. Her head snapped back to behind her and she caught side of her obnoxious neighbor, holding his crotch and wincing in pain.
"That. Hurt. A. Lot. Woman. I know you're angry, but damn. Why did you have to hurt my family jewels? I would like to have kids someday you know.", he said with clenched teeth. That woman was certainly feisty, he told himself mentally.
Instead of feeling guilt, Sandra began to laugh heartily as she took in the exhilarating scene in front of her. "Oh. God is great!", she said sarcastically as she wiped away her dried tears.She was still hurting but she pushed it to the back of her mind.
She refused to break down in front of this vile man. Her facade was built again stronger than ever as she looked at him with a smirk. Nathan ignored his pain as he remembered the reason he was here. He looked at her brown eyes and the redness on it indicated that she had cried a lot. He mentally punched himself as he walked towards her while smiling nervously.
Sandra crossed her arms and glared daggers at him as he stood just four inches in front of her.
"What are you doing here?", she asked him coldly. He looked at her apologetically as he stared at her face. "I just...I want to apologize for my behavior previously. This is not how I usually am, I swear! I was having a bad day today and you know I just snapped.
I swear I didn't mean the words I said. You are so much more than that. You don't know how guilty I am. I am not very good at doing this, am I? I really mean this, I am sorry.", he said the last part quietly as he stared at the ground, embarrassed.
He still couldn't believe that he had a made a girl cry, especially on her birthday and seeing her tears made him feel like a piece of vile scum. Sandra stared at him dumbfounded, He came here to apologize? She certainly wasn't expecting that. Not that she was about to forgive him anyways.
"Go away jerk. Saying sorry cannot undo the words you said.", she snapped and walked away to her house. Nathan watched her from behind as he scolded himself for screwing up everything. He wanted to apologize, maybe take her out for dinner and get to know her a bit. Just before she closed her house door, he jogged over and placed his feet in between the door, to prevent it from closing.
He pushed the door a little and went inside her house. "Nice house.", he complimented with honesty as he took in the big, neat and well kept house. Sandra glared daggers at him as she tried to push him out of the house. "Can you please get out? It is not nice to intrude in people's house, okay? Get out.", she said calmly but the stubborn man in front of her refused to budge. "I am not going anywhere sweetheart.", he answered cheekily.
"Not until you accept my apology and allow me to make up for my mistakes.", he said and smiled sweetly at her. Once again, she found herself looking at him perplexed. Was this man for real? "Are you bipolar or something, Mr.Obnoxious man?", she questioned angrily. He shook his head. "Nah. Mr.Obnoxious man? That's what you think of me? Ouch!", he said and pressed his chest with mock hurt.
Sandra rolled her eyes as she glared at him coldly. "Right, and you can call me Miss.Cold? What a douchebag. Look, I don't appreciate you acting angry and saying mean things at one moment, and then apologizing and smiling like an idiot the next. I don't know you and you don't know me. Just get out of my house before I call the police, Mr.Obnoxious.", Sandra said with enormous exasperation.
Nathan raised his eyebrows at the woman in front of him. He definitely liked the fact that she was a stubborn fighter. "Look, Miss cold.", he began with a grin as he showed her the birthday card that she dropped.
Her eyes widened as she saw her card with embarrassment. She couldn't believe that someone else saw that she had written a birthday card for herself. All she wanted was to feel normal and loved for one day. It has been many years since she had received something basic like a card or a greeting from anyone else and she wanted things to be normal for herself.
She was getting slightly tired from constantly isolating herself and pretending like she's a cold hearted woman when in the inside, all she really wanted was for someone to understand her. She stared at the ground mortified as a single tear rolled down.
She was certain that this cruel man in front of her would be judging her for her desperate attempt and he was just here to mock her for it. Once again, all the memories of what he said and of the past came back in a flash and she found herself hyperventilating all of a sudden. Her lips trembled as a loud sob broke out of her.
Nathan stared at her with horror and guilt. He just wanted to lighten the situation out a bit and indirectly tell her that his purpose of visit was because he wanted to bring her out for her birthday. Making her cry again was not his intention and he couldn't believe he had made the beautiful woman in front of him cry again twice. His heart clenched when he took in her vulnerable side and at that point, the old lady's words made perfect sense.
There was definitely more to this woman than what she portrays and he wanted to unravel her. He took her into her arms as she sobbed helplessly. "I am sorry, sweety. I didn't mean to make you upset like that. I feel like the biggest douchebag in the world right now. Don't cry. Slap me ten times if it would make you feel better, or you can throw your shoes at my family jewels if it would make you smile.", he said in an attempt to cheer her up.
Sure, getting beaten down there would hurt like hell and might leave him permanently unable to have kids but he was man enough to face it. Nathan swore he saw her lips curved up at his last sentence and gulped. "You're not judging me?", he heard the brunette question him, her voice coming out muffled as she buried her head into his chest. Nathan didn't want to admit it but he felt happy to have her in his arms like that, it felt right. He was surprised at her words as he lifted head to look directly into her eyes. His own blue eyes burning with confusion.
"No...why would I judge you for?", he asked her hesitantly. Sandra visibly calmed down and as much as she didn't want to admit it, it felt good to have someone comforting her when she felt down. Even though he was a jerk, his arms felt strong nice to hold on to, she thought and felt a blush coming in. "I just...you know, it's not everyday that you see people wishing themselves happy birthday.", she said quietly as she stepped back away from him, her eyes solemnly lock on to the floor. But Nathan grabbed her arms and smiled.
"No, I wasn't judging you. I don't have a habit of judging others, especially beautiful women like you...it's kind of like a feminine trait, isn't it?", he joked and Sandra glared at him again as she tore her arms away. She was suddenly embarrassed when she realized what she had done. She had broken down in front of another person.
She felt like hiding underneath the floor as she couldn't believe she let her walls crumble down for a moment. She couldn't believe she allowed herself to be so vulnerable twice today after all these years of remaining strong. She was blinded by anger this time, at herself, at Nathan for bringing out so many emotions. "Get out. Go.", she said icily as she looked at him in the eyes firmly. Nathan looked at her confused. Things were going better for both of them, why did she change so fast in an instant?
"Like I said, I'm not going anywhere till you accept my apology.", he retorted as he made his way to her couch and sat down pretty comfortably, with his legs on her table. "You have a comfortable couch.", he said and grinned at her.
Sandra stared at the impossible man in front of her with astonishment. She really did not feel like calling the police down but if it was the only thing that would chase him out, it would be worth it. She felt seriously uncomfortable having someone like him intruding into her life. She took out her cellphone and threatened him.
"I am calling the police right this instant if you're not leaving.", she yelled at him. Nathan rolled his eyes at the woman in front of him. "C'mon lady, do you really think they would take you seriously? As soon as they see my face, they would be like "omg its Nathan Zieglars! Sir, Can I have your autograph or selfie, please?", they would beg me instead.", he said jokingly but the woman in front of him didn't get the memoir.
"WHAT? YOU ARE NATHAN ZIEGLARS?", she said and gasped loudly. Nathan rolled his eyes again. "Yes, princess. It's me Nathan, will you marry me?", he said sarcastically. Sandra once again didn't understand his joke.
"This is all a joke to you, isn't it? You are a rich and famous man. Don't you have something better to do, like chasing after some stupid blonde model? I should have known you were Nathan Zieglars, after all, you kind of looked familiar as well. It's no wonder you are so obnoxious and rude. I bet you were born to rich perfect parents and had everything handed down to you in a silver, scratch it, gold plate. I bet you never had anything to ever worry about in life.", she taunted angrily.
Nathan stood up abruptly as he walked towards the woman like a lion circling its prey. He pushed her into the wall behind her and held her wrists up, to prevent her from escaping. Every sense of humor left him as what she said made him furiously angry.
It was one thing to mock him, but it was another thing for her to act like she knows him personally or what she has gone through. "Listen here, sweety.", he said huskily, his breath fanning against her neck. He was that close and Sandra felt her heart beating fast.
"Like you said before, I don't know anything about you, and you don't know anything about me. There's more to me than you would ever know. I have gone through being an orphan and being homeless. I hard to work hard to get to where I am now. Don't think you are the only one with problems in life, love.", he said steadily but the anger was evident in his eyes. He looked at her intensely before he let her go.
"Happy birthday, by the way. I wanted to take you out for dinner, but I guess that'll be another time when both of us calm down. I am sorry. Before I go, what is your name again?", he asked her with an unreadable expression in his face. Sandra just stared at him with widened eyes and remained silent, still shocked over what happened. "I guess you'll have to tell me next time then.", he whispered and left home. Sandra stared at Nathan's retreating figure with surprise and remorse.
She was initially angry at him for the way he had judged and assumed things about her, and here she was, judging him just because she's face. She would have never assumed that he was an orphan or used to be homeless.
She was deeply ashamed by herself. Here she was, assuming that she was the only one with problems in life. She realized then that she has never really reflected about others around her, she was too self absorbed in herself...and she suddenly smiled when she thought about him wishing her. He was the first person to wish her after all these years and despite the circumstances today, she still appreciated his gesture, and didn't he mention about wanting to take her to dinner?
She blushed again for a second time today. Who was this man and how was he bringing so many hidden emotions in her to surface? She wondered as she smiled genuinely for the first time then in years.
Maybe, it was also time for her to let go of the past and be herself again.