Anna
I stared at the window during the whole ride, which was not that long as my apartment is only 15 minutes away from the packhouse by car. As soon as I arrived home I took off my shoes and walked to my room, plopped down on my bed and dialed Elena.
'I am ready,' I whispered as soon as the call connected. 'Well, before he left... Oliver actually proposed to me...'
'What!! Someone proposes to my best friend and I only find out about it after three years?' She yelled.
'Who proposed to my baby sister and why I was unaware of this,' I heard my brother ask.
'Shh, I will tell you later,' said Elena.
'Sorry for not telling you...' I mumbled and tears stung my eyes.
'Did you two just eloped then...?'
'What? no! We did not get married... but I did say yes...'
'I need a moment here. Wait, if you said yes why the heck did he leave you for three years?' she asked raising her voice. I could tell she was angry.
'He was offered a scholarship in some European country and wanted me to marry him and move out of the country and away from the pack with him. He did not understood why I could not do that. He did not want to have a long distance relationship either. He just wanted me to abandon my life and follow him as he followed his own dreams.'
'So he took off and cut all contact with you?'
'Yes!' I said. My chin was trembling.
'There is something else, spill it!' she said in a confident tone.
I should have known she would find out that was not the whole truth.
'When I was nineteen I went to a party and got way too drunk and high. I was angry because he had said that I could not go out because I was his future wife and I could only go out if I went with him but he did not feel like going... and I panicked... I was not ready for a commitment like that and his friends were there...'
'I do not like where this is going,' she said softly.
'So, I was drinking with them and someone invited us to play truth or dare. We agreed and everything was fine until someone dared me to kiss his best friend and it was an innocent kiss, but after the game was over... I kind of... hooked up with his best friend...' I let out a loud sob.
'I would yell at you but I have no words. You are totally a whore,' she said.
Even though we both knew that Oliver was not my mate, she always supported Oliver's and I relationship.
'Thanks for the support... So, one of his friends recorded us and sent it to him and when I went back to our apartment he had left. I tried to contact him in all possible ways and he shut me off.' I sighed.
'Evidently,' she said.
'That was three years ago OK? I stopped drinking. I changed. I am not a party girl anymore!' I raised my voice.
'For how long will you hold on? and what happened yesterday then?'
'That is another whole story that I will tell you later. I want to focus on one issue at the time.'
'OK. Good luck. I will call you tomorrow and I expect details.'
'I will need it. Bye.'
As soon as I closed the call my cell phone rang again. The same number as earlier. I gulped.
'Anna?' His pleading voice again was as smooth as ever.
'Oliver?'
'Anna. Where are you?' he sounded worried or maybe I heard what I want to hear.
'Why do you care? If you call me to tell me that I am a whore, you are too late. Elena already beat you to it.'
'First, who is Elena?'
'The girl you used to call Emily, Emily Elena.'
'Oh, I see. I don't call you because of that. There hasn't been one single day in which I wake up and you are not in my mind. I tried to hate you but I couldn't. I tried to forget you but it was impossible. Truth to be told, it does not matter how much you hurt me, being without you is far more painful.' He sniffled.
I had fucked up. I was a horrible person who should be grateful because he had come back, right? Just that I wasn't. It had been three years trying to reach him, to apologize, to just hear him say: I hate you, forget about me. But, he hadn't said that. He had ghosted me. So, now, I owed him love?
I had forced myself to forget everything about him. I wouldn't drop everything to run back to him. He was better off without me anyway.
'Three years, Oliver. It took you just three years to talk to me. You did not even break up with me. I could not even apologize. During those three years, I waited for you to come back to at least curse at me. Three years... and seventeen days... Seventeen days!'
'Seventeen days?'
'Yes. If you had come back for me seventeen days ago, I would be all yours.'
'And now?'
'Now, I have someone else to wait for...'
He gasped. 'Are you dating someone else?'
'No. I am not, but I am waiting for someone else.'
'Anna... Come back to me. It does not matter what you do just come to me. I need you.'
'Goodbye Oliver... I loved you...'
'No, Anna I love you. Wait!'
I closed the call and tears I did not bother to wipe were now racing down my cheeks. My cell phone kept going off, but I was numb, wondering all the ifs and the could-have-beens... Half an hour later I came back to reality and picked up my phone in my trembling hands and answered without looking at the caller id.
'Oliver... I cannot come back to you now...' I said with a raspy voice.
'Anna?'
'Yes... You-- you are not Oliver...' I held back a sob.
'Nope, I am Alexander.'
'Xander the Charmer!' I sat straight on my bed wiping away some tears with the back of my sweater.
'The one and only. Now, why are you crying again?' he asked with a concerned voice.
'Long story. I do not want to talk about it again. I am feeling like shit now.'
'I guessed as much. Care to join me for lunch?'
'Is Mr. Charmer asking me for a date?'
'Maybe' he said playfully.
'Because if that is the case, I would have to say no.'
'Friendly date? No hidden intentions. Just two friends having lunch together.'
'I just ate,' I deadpanned.
'Even better. I will go get you and we can hang out before having lunch. Friendly date...'
'Friendly date?'
'You sound like you need a friend right now. I will be all yours for today.' I could hear the smirk in his voice.
'I will make sure to put you to good use, then.' I giggled.
'I'll be there in twenty minutes.'
I got up and walked to the bathroom. I washed my face and fixed my make up. I decided to dress more casually so I put on blue jeans and a striped top, which I complemented with a cardigan and converse.
In exactly eighteen minutes I received I text.'I am right outside, beautiful.'
I opened the door expecting to find him inside of his car but instead, he was standing right there in front of me. My heart raced in my chest and my knees went weak.
"Holy, shit... You are even hotter in daylight." I covered my mouth realizing what I had just said and he smirked.
"That would be my line, beautiful," he said smoothly sliding his fingers across a lock of my hair.
"I thought we were hanging out outside," I arched my eyebrow.
"Yes we are, but I think you should put this in the freezer before leaving." He raised the bag he was holding, which I noticed just now.
"Come on in, then." I opened the door for him and invited him to follow me.
We went to my kitchen and I opened the bag to find, cheesecake, ice cream, strawberries, Nutella and various types of chocolate. I jumped in his arms.
I was getting sick with myself. It seemed that I had learned nothing after what happened with Oliver. I kept latching to the nearest handsome guy that paid me attention. Well, this was what I was.
"Thank you. Thank you! You are my new favorite person." I smiled beamed at him.
"You sounded like you needed some sweetness in your life."
"Well, I already got you," I stared into his now darkened green eyes. I turned my gaze away feeling my cheeks heat up. "We should go now."
We went out and I made sure that I had my keys before walking to his car. He opened the passenger door for me. This guy was too nice.
"Aren't you a gentleman?" I kissed his cheek before getting in the car.
"Only for you, love." He said as he got in. I chuckled.
"What is so funny?" he raised an eyebrow as he pulled out my driveway.
"My last name means loves. I think is kind of funny that you call me that." I giggled.
"I know," he chuckled, "but I think that lovers is a better translation."
"you do?" I raised my eyebrows.
"I know Spanish," he answered nonchalantly.
"Really? That is so cool. Now I can show you my music playlist!" I squealed.
"I am very curious about that." He lightly tapped the steering wheel.
I paired my cell phone with the car audio's system and played one of Shakira's songs and began singing. I was surprised when he began to sing the next part with me.
"Do you know this song?" I asked cocking my head sideways.
"Of course I do. It is Shakira," he chuckled.
I nodded and we sang the next part. Once I was done humiliating myself in front of a handsome stranger--I mean, singing--I stared at the window casually.
"Wow. You are a really good singer," he said.
"Nah you are good and do not flatter me. I know I suck," I said shrugging.
"Oh you do now, don't you? That is good to know." He smirked.
My face heated up at what he was implying, but I would wipe out that smug smile from his face. "Well, it depends if you return the favor," I whispered as I ran my hand through his forearm. He gulped and goosebumps raising across the skin I touched.
He coughed. "Anyway, you are not that bad of a singer. You put passion in your singing."
I snickered. "What can I say. I am a passionate person."
He pulled over in a big park. I had seen it as I drove to school but I had never actually been in. He got off the car and pulled my door open.
"Here we are milady." I giggled.
"Let's go," I said taking his hand and pulling him toward the park, both of us laughing.