Once Upon a Time

nineteen....

***

  College relationship was not always what he wished for. He had wished to fall in love with a movie model or something but when he met the chestnut headed beauty, he changed his mind. Clara was the girl that called attention to herself so instead of some rude model who had cared only for his hard earned money, he went for her instead.

  When he heard he was going on a blind date with some girl of whom the company was going to partner with, he panicked. How was he going to tell the woman he liked that there was someone else he was going to marry? It couldn't be possible. He went on the blind date with readiness to turn down the offer. Only for him to find his girlfriend at the other end of the table, typing away on her phone.

How fate did it, he didn't know.

 He agreed to the proposal but almost a month later, he shook the soft hands of her cousin at the mall when he desperately wanted to see Clara. There was slight resemblance only that she didn't call for attention like her cousin, her dazzling blue eyes stuck him in awe and that was the day he concluded that things weren't going to be the same again.

 Umpteen times, he had tried to stay away but Clara had always given them a reason to be together. He couldn't help the way he was feeling around her even though he tried acting hard headed to it. The result would always be the thoughts about her smiles, her beautiful blonde hair, perfectly curved cheek bones, pink lips. He was enchanted by her beauty.

Never did he know that he would lock lips with a woman that was not his fiancée, a woman that would take the place of his beloved at the altar and in his heart.

"You don't need to say it, I understand Daniel." She forced a smile before walking away from him. It took him a while to comprehend the fact that she was indeed walking away from him.

"Wait!" He managed to speak out. She stopped, her eyes were already burning with unshed tears.

"You don't get to walk away from me Clarissa. This is very important and I think we should talk about it." He went to stand in front of her. "If you think I don't put meaning to what happened between us, then you should know that I do. "

"Like I would believe-"

"Why don't you, huh?"

She refused look him in the eye, too embarrassed to do so. "If there's anything I see from the kiss it means we feel the same thing-"

"Then we see different things. Cause I only see you breaking my heart over and over again." She yelled at his own pace, eyes finally meeting his. Her voice wasn't too resonating but enough to spike his frustration even more. His expression softened as he read meaning to her words.

"What does that mean?" She looked away. "Answer me damnit!" She flinched when he poured out too much in that sentence. He pulled her closer, inches from his face. Raising her chin, their eyes met and he held the stare daring her to look away. She swallowed nervously as his eyes silently pleaded her not to lie to him.

He then did the one thing she least expected, he smiled.

"Is my wife already in love with me?"

His hands slid round her waist pulling her closer and she gasp at the swift motion as her hands involuntarily found themselves on his chest. He inched closer to her lips and she helplessly swallowed. "Is she crazy about me like I am with her?"

Her heart raced faster than before as she fought hard not to seal their lips together in a kiss. But then, she remembered the most saddening part of their relationship. Why they couldn't really be together. It was that reason that gave her the courage to pull away from him abruptly.

"Even if it be so, you're still in love with my cousin!"

He frowned, staring at her unbelievably. "Is that what you think of me?" She looked away instead of replying. "You think I'm still in love with your cousin? Clarissa, I literally just told you how I felt and-" he stop abruptly.

"Fine then, forget it. What made me think you will accept me anyways? I might have made another mistake."

"Daniel-"

He walked away from her and out of the room. Why did she let her insecurities get in the way? She was so close to getting a perfect ending. She couldn't control her tears anymore, she felt weak after those words.

It couldn't be a mistake!-

Few seconds later she heard him yelling through the phone at someone being fired or something. His voice was getting fainter as he ran down the stairs in haste.

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Too weak to consume anything, she laid in bed all day replaying his last words. He said he loved her but could it be possible to love two people at the same time? He said he was in love with her, since when did this new feeling erupt.

Not that she was complaining but she didn't want him to feel obliged to loving her maybe because he found out that she was in love with him.

They door opened for the nth time that day. Surely it couldn't be Audora urging her something to eat at the hours of 9. She was certain Audora had given up after a few attempts of getting her to at least eat something. She didn't even have the strength to eat, all she needed was some rest and this sickening feeling will be gone.

His cologne was everywhere, surrounding her like it was the air she breathed. It became more intense and she found out that it was him that walked through the door. She watched as he lurked in the darkness and then the lights turned on.

"I know you aren't asleep," He said without turning to meet her in the eye.

He heard shuffling confirming his guess.

"You didn't pick my calls." He paused loosening the shirt buttons but continued anyways. He never planned on ignoring her but it was just a moment thing when he found it difficult to say to her that, he was over thinking their misunderstanding.

"Are you going to ignore me now?" He took off his shirt before turning to the direction of his dressing room.

"No, I'm not ignoring you." With that he walked into the dressing room to undress.

She relaxed back on the bed shutting her eyes to sleep but it wasn't forth coming. It was later she heard the shower running. It should be easy to tell him that he didn't make the wrong decision, she thought. She gazed at the ceiling for longer than she expected.

He was now ready for bed, the bed dipped as he sat and she got out of her trance immediately.

"Daniel," she sat up. Why was she weak all of a sudden. She watched as he scanned her face immediately. Even her voice didn't come out fine.

"You look pale, are you alright?" He frowned.

"It's nothing I just want to tell you something-" She tried saying but he was fast to feel her forehead for signs and just as he guessed again, She was burning up with a fever.

"Shit! I thought you told me that you were perfectly okay!"

"I am, I just need you to listen to me-" and yet she failed in her attempt to get him to listen to the I love you too part.

"Just be quiet, did you have dinner?" He frowned the more when she shook her head.

"I haven't had the appetite, i-"

"I'll go see if something's left in the kitchen, then I will go get you some drugs. Do not move I'll be back."

"Daniel, wait I have to tell you-" He signalled for her to be quiet by placing his index between her lips.

"I shouldn't have to kiss you to shut you up right?"

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