3: A dream of the past

"Oh my goodness Albert, you startled me," I placed my palm on my chest, trying to calm my nerves.

Albert smiled, showing him a smile worthy of a million and I felt my heart skip.

He walked closer to me and placed his hands on my waist, running up and down my curves. "You missed me?" He asked and I smiled at him before wrapping my arms around his neck.

"Yes. I did," I replied.

He leaned forward and kissed me. "I missed you too. Which is why we will be spending the whole day today," he said and my smile widened.

"Are you for real?" I asked him, wanting to be sure.

"Of course. It's going to be for you and I alone and that's a promise because first, I will switch off my phone," he said.

He tucked his hands in his back pocket and took out his phone. Right in front of me, he switched it off.

"Shall we?" He said and I nodded my head with a smile on my face.

He intertwined his fingers with mine before placing a small kiss on mine.

**

I woke up to the ray of the sun reflecting on my face. The moment I opened my eyes, I realized that it was a dream

Why did I have to dream about Albert? Just why?

I touched my cheek to feel that they were wet from my tears. I cried in my sleep and I did not realize it until I woke up.

I looked at the alarm on the nightstand to realize that it was fifteen minutes to six.

"Mummy," I heard Ammika call beside me and I turned to look at her.

"Is it morning yet?" She asked me.

"Yes baby, it's morning but it's not bright outside yet," I told her and she scooted closer to me before wrapping her arms around me.

"I love you, mummy," she said and I smiled.

Ammika and Armani were my strengths. They gave me a reason to live when I wanted to die and leave this cruel world.

**

I thought my eyes must be seeing double when I arrived at work later in the evening.

Albert was seated at that same table he sat at yesterday, but this time he had no one seated beside him.

"Thank goodness you are here Diana. Kindly attend to the table over there. He is done eating and I think he wants to pay his bills or order some packed dishes," she pointed at the table Albert sat and I mentally fainted.

I feigned a smile at her. "Okay."

"Now I can go back home, I'm exhausted," I heard Rosaline say before she walked away.

I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and exhaled. It wasn't enough that I had to dream about him, but now he has come to haunt me in reality too.

Albert raised his head the moment I stood opposite him at the table he sat. A smile formed on his face when he looked at me and it riled me up as I felt as if he was mocking me.

I do not know why I felt that way, but I did.

"Good evening sir," I greeted politely and in a professional tone.

"You do not have to sound so formal. You can call me by my name," he said to me and I furrowed my brows in confusion.

"Do you want to pay your bills or do you want a side dish packed for you so you could take it with you, which is it?" I asked, ignoring his earlier statement.

I looked away from him, not wanting to meet his eyes, so I looked above his head but I could feel his hot gaze on me.

"I need your best side dishes packed for me so I can take them with me," he said.

"Which of the side dishes is because I can assure you that we offer the best of our side dishes," I replied politely, still refusing to look at him.

"Just get me the one you would get for yourself," I said and I felt the urge to roll my eyes at him.

"I am afraid I can't do that sir. I can not tell your preference and I can not get for you what is preferable for me," she replied in a calm tone.

"I said, just get me, anyone," he said firmly, leaving no room for discussion.

I closed my eyes, inhaled, and exhaled deeply. I refused to be angered by him. If he thought he would get a reaction from me while at work, then he was wrong.

I guess the slap yesterday must be why he is trying to infuriate me at work, so I would lose my composure and react and then get fired.

I refused to let him and so I smiled at him even when it wasn't sincere.

"I will do just that," I told him before walking away.

I returned a little later with his packed dishes. "Here you go sir," I placed the dishes on the table for him.

"Thank you," he said, but I could care less.

"My bills," he said.

I placed his bills for him on the table. "You can go to the counter over there to pay," I told him before leaving.

I heaved a sigh of deep relief when I saw Albert leave.

After I closed from work, I changed from my work clothes to my casual clothes and left.

"Diana."

I heard a familiar voice call my name.

I thought he was gone, but I was wrong. I refused to turn around to look at him because I knew it was Albert and I wasn't going to spare him a minute.

I wonder if he doesn't understand that I do not want to speak to him and I never want to see his face. I began to run when I realized that he was catching up with me.

"Diana, please wait up. Let's speak," he said from behind me, but I refused to stop.

The thunder cried loudly and aggressively, signaling that a heavy downpour was about to grace the earth and I cursed mentally when I realized that I had forgotten my umbrella at the restaurant.

I felt a hand on me and I knew it was Albert and he had caught up to me.

In anger, I removed my hands from his hold but he held my other hand with his other hand and I pulled my hands away from him again.

"Just what do you want from me!" I exclaimed in anger.

4: A glimpse of the past

From Albert: Goodnight baby girl.

I read with a smile on my face.

I typed back my reply.

TO ALBERT: Goodnight gorgeous man.

I closed my eyes and fell asleep. When I woke up the next day, I woke up to the sound of my phone ringing.

I groaned as I hated my sleep being disturbed, which is why I never turned on my alarm after graduating high school.

I stretched my hands to get my phone on the nightstand. The moment I saw the caller ID, I snapped out of it and sat down on my bed.

I cleared my throat before answering the call.

"Good morning baby girl," I heard Albert say from the other side and I blushed.

"Good morning," I replied.

"Are you just waking up?" He asked.

"No," I lied.

"Why do I not believe you?" He said and I giggled.

Albert could tell when I was lying because I always have replies faster when I lie.

"Well that's because you don't want to," I replied.

"Okay, fine. I just wanted to let you know that you are beautiful and that I love you. Do not forget our plans for today okay?" He said and I blushed.

"I love you too and I will not forget," I replied

"Okay baby girl. Take care of yourself," he said before ending the call.

****

I hugged Albert from behind with a smile on my face. I heaved a sigh of relief with my head pressed on his back and my arms around him.

"If it isn't my favorite human being, I wonder who," Albert said, holding my fingers.

He turned around to face me while holding my hands. He stares at me from head to toe before looking back at my face with a grin on his face.

"If I wasn't your boyfriend, I would be jealous of that man," he said and I blushed.

Little words from Albert were enough to make my heart race faster than normal and to make my cheek red like a tomato. He did have to do much to get my attention.

"You should be proud I am yours you know," I said with a smile on my face.

"I am very proud, trust me."

He leaned down and kissed my lips before intertwining our fingers together. We began to move in the direction of his car.

"How are you preparing for your finals?" I asked him.

"Quite well. My CGPA is still firm. It's still 4.5 but I plan on graduating with a CGPA of 4.8," he said.

"My man is brilliant. I'm proud of you," I told him sincerely.

He opened the door of his car for me and I got in. He closed the door before going to the other side to enter.

He helped me with my seatbelt and placed a kiss on my lips.

"Where are we going?" I asked as he began to drive.

"I didn't tell you this beforehand because I didn't want you to do anything. We are going for a picnic. Just you, me, the wind, and the trees. We hardly spend time together and I miss you," he expatiates.

"I missed you too. What is the situation with your dad? Is he still angry with you?" I asked him.

He sighed deeply while pinching the bridge of his nose.

"We are good. He can't be angry for too long. That's my dad for you," he said and I nodded my head.

"Are you sure?" I asked.

I couldn't help but ask. His father wasn't a fan of mine and he had not hidden his dislike for me the day he saw me at Albert's place when he visited Albert unawares.

"I am sure. It's nothing new. My dad and I hardly get along. I mean he is always demanding that I do what he wants, so it's nothing new," he said.

I decided not to ask any more questions.

We arrived at our destination. After setting the place up, he asked me to sit.

I exhaled deeply as I sat down next to him.

"So what's in the basket?" I asked him.

"Some sandwiches for us and more chocolates for you," he said and I giggled in excitement.

"I want some chocolate first, give them to me," I stretched out my hands for them.

"This was why I didn't want to tell you about chocolate first. Can we at least first eat the sandwiches?" He suggested.

"Okay," I said.

Albert fed me with his hand and sometimes he would put half of it in his mouth and make me bite the other half with mine.

"Finally, my babies," I said when we finished all the sandwiches and drinks he bought.

All of a sudden, a heavy wind blew and the bright blue sky was replaced with a sky of gray.

"Did they say it was going to rain today?" I asked Albert as I got up from where I was seated with the chocolate in my hand.

"Yes," he replied and I gasped.

"Did you come with an umbrella?" I asked him.

No," he replied, pulling me closer to him with his hands on my waist.

"We are going to play in the rain. It was one of the things you wanted to do, remember?" He said and I opened my mouth in surprise that he remembered them.

I told him about this the first night I met him in the bar. I was just rambling that night to him who was a stranger to me at that time and I couldn't believe he remembered.

"You are..." I trailed off speechless, not knowing the right words to use and describe him.

"... The best boyfriend any woman can ask for right?" He winked at me.

I stood on my tippy toes and kissed him on the lips. "Thanks so much, Albert, but if I catch a cold, that's on you," I warned.

"I promise you I have other means to keep you warm," he said, biting his lips lightly.

**

The thunder cried loudly and aggressively, signaling that a heavy downpour was about to grace the earth and I cursed mentally when I realized that I had forgotten my umbrella at the restaurant.

I felt a hand on me and I knew it was Albert and he had caught up to me.

"Just what do you want!" I exclaimed in anger.

I was now standing face to face with Albert in the middle of the night with tears in my eyes, threatening to come out anytime soon.

5: Pleading for a chance.

DIANA

It began to rain.

The rain didn't start from drizzling.

As the rain fell heavily, the tears I held back streamed down my cheek, mixing with the rain.

It felt as if the rain was crying on my behalf too.

Why did he have to show up and why now? I thought to myself as I stared at him.

"Just what do you want?" I asked in tears, pain in my heart.

"I just want to talk," he said and I scoffed.

"Talk? Talk about Albert?" I asked him, sniffing a little.

"I don't want to talk to you, so please stay away," I pleaded even when I wasn't supposed to.

"But I can't," he said.

I asked in disbelief. "You can't? Just why? Weren't you able to before? And if I remember correctly, you wanted to stay away from me, so what's your problem?" I asked him.

I didn't know if I was angry or sad or confused, but one thing was for sure and that was I didn't want to see him ever again.

He moved closer to me and I walked back. "Don't come any closer," I warned, pointing at him with my index finger. To my surprise, he held my finger with his hand and I glared at him.

"Let go," I said through gritted teeth.

"Can we talk?" He said and I scoffed.

"Talk?" I shook my head in disbelief.

"It's your audacity for me. Why would you think that I would want to talk to you and if you spoke calmly I would consider it?" I chided.

"Me and you?" I pointed at myself and then at him with my index finger. "Can never talk," I added.

"You have gotten to be the most delusional human on earth if you think I'd speak to you. What's there to talk with you?" I asked him to remove my finger from his hold.

He ran his fingers through his hair. "We have a lot to talk about," he said and I laughed hysterically.

"A lot to talk about? So what are we talking about? Tell me please because now I am very interested."

"Are we going to talk about how you said I wasn't your type and you were just using me to pass time?" I used my index and middle finger to make gestures in the air, referring to that night when all my misery started.

"Or when you said I should never call you, I shouldn't look for you and I should simply do nothing?" I clenched my fist to control my tears.

I refused to cry in front of him anymore. I was done crying in his presence because he wasn't worth it. He isn't worth seeing my tears because he played a huge role in making me cry.

I was glad it was raining as I felt the sky was crying on my behalf too.

I stared at Albert and was taken aback by the expression I saw on his face. I refuse to believe that he regrets his actions because of the way he looked at me.

'No Diana, don't even look at him' I cautioned myself.

"Speechless are you?" I said after a few seconds when I realized that he wasn't saying anything.

"Of course. You do not remember those words, right? Or should I remind you of how you told me I wasn't at your standard and I was just a kid? Should I keep on going, Albert?" I asked, folding my arms across my chest.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, but I heard him.

I laughed out sardonically.

"Why are you sorry?" I asked him in disbelief.

"Did I fall? Did you hit me? So why are you apologizing?" I asked, not understanding why.

"Please, spare me that. Why don't you go find someone else and tell them that, because I do not need your sympathy," I spat out, disdain laced in my tone?

I pointed my index finger at him. "Do not show yourself in front of me anymore. I am warning you, Albert. I never want to see your face because you disgust me," I said, putting emphasis on my every word.

I turned around to leave. Just as I took my first step, I felt a hand snake around my waist. My eyes widened in shock and anger at the same time.

"I'm so sorry Diana. Please forgive me. I know I have wronged you in the past, but please give me another chance to make it right. Let's talk, please," he said, holding me tightly on my waist.

I have never felt so infuriated before in my life. The audacity for him to touch me with his hands. I struggled to get his hands from around my waist but he tightened his hold on me.

"Let me go, Albert!" I exclaimed in anger.

"I cannot. Not until you give me a chance to talk to you," he said and I mentally face palmed myself.

"I do not want to speak to you, so how many times do you want me to tell you before you understand?" I said through gritted teeth.

"No matter how many times you tell me to stay away, I won't. So please let's talk. Give me a chance to explain," he said.

I couldn't believe him. I couldn't believe he had the guts to ask me for a chance to speak to him.

I aggressively took his hands off me, turned around, and slapped him hard, right across his face.

"I deserve that," I hear him say.

"Of course you do. You deserve more than a slap!" I exclaimed.

" And if you try this stunt again on me, I won't just be slapping you," I warned him firmly and sternly.

"If you think I am that naive Diana of the past, then you are wrong. You do not know me and the old Diana is gone. I won't be falling for the same trick as yours anymore, so I'd advise you not touch me or even come closer to me, you hear me!" I said through my teeth before walking away from him.