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.

ALBERT

"Are you listening to me at all Albert?" I snapped out of my thoughts when I heard the voice of my friend Jamie.

"Oh. Sorry. Come again," I said, looking in his direction.

He shook his head. "You have been lost since you arrived, is there a problem?" He asked me and I shook my head.

"None at all," I lied, but he didn't seem to believe me and I expected that from him because he knew me very well and he knew when I was bothered.

Jamie came and sat down beside me. "You and I know that's a lie. Come on, talk to me. You know that I am a good listener, right?" He said and I sighed.

"Are you thinking of her?" He asked.

Jamie knew very well the only person that invaded my thoughts and made me drink myself to sleep most times. He knew about Diana.

"I saw her," I revealed to him.

"Wow. When? Where? What did you say to her?" He asked and I sighed.

I ran my fingers through my hair. "I saw her two days ago and also last night. She works at the restaurant where I had a business meeting with investors from Spain. I saw her, Jamie and you should have seen how happy I was to see her and how angry I was at myself too."

"She hates my gut, Jamie. She hates me and doesn't want to see me. She is still affected by my words and could I blame her? If she had said those words to me, it would leave a scar on me for life." My eyes blurred with tears and I sniffled a little.

"Honestly Albert, I do not know what to say, but if there is one thing I know is that you love her so much. I only met her once, but I saw the one you looked at. You looked at her as if she was the only human that existed and I know what you did five years ago was to save her from your father and, because I know that, I'd advise that you not give up on your feelings for her and win her heart. Tell her what happened and make her yours again." Jamie placed his arms around my shoulder.

I tilted my head to look at him. "You think she will forgive me?" I asked him.

"Of course. I mean, your feelings and sincerity and all you did was to protect her so she would warm up to you although it might take time, but she will forgive you," he squeezed my arms, an act of encouragement from him and I felt that.

"Thanks so much, Jamie. I will go and talk to her now." I got up from where I was seated.

"What about what we had to discuss?" Jamie questioned.

"We will talk about that later, but for now, I have to win the heart of my woman once again," I told him and hurried out.

I drove to the restaurant I saw Diana yesterday expecting to see her, but to my surprise I didn't see her.

I sat down, waiting for her to come, but another waitress came to me instead. While I made my order, I searched for Diana with my eyes but couldn't find her.

I didn't fail to notice how the waitress stared at me, but I could care less. I was used to being stared at and I knew when a woman eyed me like that and this waitress wasn't an exemption.

I only cared about one woman staring at me and that's Diana and any other woman apart from her wouldn't get my attention no matter how beautiful they were or how much they tried to get me.

When the waitress came back with my order, I decided to ask about her.

"Excuse me," I called for the attention of the waitress just as she was about to leave.

"Yes sir. How can I help you?" She asked me with a smile on her face and I mentally shook my head because I knew she was thinking I wanted to ask for her number.

"The other waitress named Diana, is she no longer working here?" I asked.

The smile on her face was replaced with a frown immediately. "Diana?" She asked and I nodded my head.

"Yes. Diana," I clarified.

"She's a part-timer so she only comes in the evening and that's from six to eleven," she answered me and I did not fail to notice how unhappy she sounded when she answered me.

"Oh, I see," I muttered.

I didn't think she was a part-timer and it made me wonder what she was going through while she wasn't here. I was curious to know a lot about her and how she was coping with life.

I raised my head to see that the waitress had not gone.

"Is there a problem?" I asked her.

She smiled at me and I did not miss out on the way she batted her eyelashes. I mentally rolled my eyes at her behavior as I was only irritated by them.

"I can treat you better than Diana. I am very good in bed," she tried too hard to sound seductive and I only cringe at her tone.

Diana needn't do much to give me a hard-on. She was that effortless in everything and here I was disgusted by the sight of someone who thought I was looking for Diana so she could warm my bed.

I glared at her. "Do they pay you to warm people's beds or to serve them? Which is it?" I snarled.

"I'm sorry sir," she said before walking away.

I took in a deep breath and exhaled.

It wasn't until an hour and thirty minutes before Diana came and my face lit up from the sight of her.

She looked so beautiful and small and I felt the urge to pull her closer to me and hug her.

Diana walked away and by the time she came back, she was dressed in the outfit given to them for work.

I called for the attention of the waitress and Diana's eyes met mine I did not miss how the smile on her face fell and a frown replaced them when she saw me.

She was angry with me and I could feel it from where I sat and I knew I deserved him. I hurt her and even when she begged me to stay, I only insulted her pride.

Diana walked towards my table with a frown on her face and I restrained myself from smiling as I didn't want her thinking that I was enjoying making her angry, whereas I was happy seeing her after waiting for almost two hours.

"Good evening sir," she greeted me.

"You do not have to sound so formal. You can call me by my name," I said to her.

"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?" She asked in a professional tone.

She wasn't sparing me a glance and I knew because I was looking at her face and she wasn't looking back at me but above my head.

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

"Which of the side dishes is because I can assure you that we offer the best of our side dishes," she replied.

"Just get me the one you would get for yourself," I told her.

"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 retorted.

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

She sighed. "I will do just that," she replied before walking away.

I felt my heartache and my stomach sink. I knew it was going to take more than a lot to get her to look at me and I was willing to do so because she deserved the best in the world.

Diana returned a little later with my packed dishes. "Here you go sir," she said.

"Thank you," I replied.

I got up and went to the counter to pay before I left.

I didn't leave, but I waited in my car for her, waiting for her to come so that I would speak to her.

I was determined to get her to speak to me today and I do not mind being slapped a thousand times for it.

DIANA

I didn't expect to go to work and see Albert seated waiting for me.

I knew he was waiting for me because I was told that he had been around by the other worker for almost two hours.

When I warned him to stay away from me, I thought he would, but who was kidding. He was Albert, the man that would do anything to get what he wants and when he gets them, he'd throw them away as if he had not gone through a lot to get them and an example was me.

I tried to be as professional as possible and didn't let him bother me like he did yesterday and the only reason i was bothered yesterday was because I was seeing him for the first time in five years.

"Diana."

I heard my name being called by a familiar tone and I mentally groaned. I thought he had left the other time, but I guessed wrong.

I remembered sternly telling him to stay away from me but he wouldn't.

"Diana, wait up."

He said once again and I picked up my pace not wanting to give him a chance to reach me.

"I said wait up," he held my wrist again, stopping me from walking any further and a memory of the past resurfaced in my head.

I stared at the picture sent to me by an anonymous number of Albert and a blonde haired girl kissing.

Albert and I had no relationship yet, but I really liked him and I looked forward to my eighteenth birthday when I could officially confess my feelings to him.

Albert is three years older than me, which makes him twenty years old and so we can't be together. I met him on my seventeenth birthday and since then we have become friends.

He was in college and we barely saw each other, but we chatted all the time. I do have a feeling he likes me, but sometimes he acts like he doesn't see me the way I see him.

I do not know how the person who sent me this image got my number and I did care to know how.

I zoom in and out of the picture, taking a look at it, knowing well it was killing me that he was kissing someone that wasn't me.

I took a closer look at the girl. She sat down straddling him before kissing him. I couldn't see her face clearly, but I knew she was older and it made me angry and jealous.

Now I understand why he told me he would be busy tonight. He was out partying with his college mates while I couldn't sleep because I hoped he'd send me a message, but I guess not.

I switched off my phone and lay down on my belly, refusing to cry, but the image of Albert kissing another girl wouldn't leave my heart and it made me angry.

I heard my phone beep and I stretched my hands to get it on my nightstand. I immediately sat up once I saw who had sent me a message.

From Albert: Goodnight baby girl. Sweet dreams.

I didn't know how to react to his message, not after what I saw. I was conflicted with my feelings and so I didn't bother sending him a reply and slept off.

The next morning, I woke up in a sour mood. I was angry at Albert but I expected to see a text from him when I woke up and when I didn't, it worsened my mood.

I walked downstairs to join my father for breakfast.

"Hi baby girl," My father said and I moved closer to kissing him on the cheek.

"Good morning dad. What's for breakfast?" I asked as I wrapped my arms around him.

"Pancakes. I know how much you love them," he replied and I sighed.

"What's wrong baby girl? Do you want to talk about it?" He asked me and I nodded my head.

He could easily tell that I was bothered, but I could not tell him why, like I usually would, because I knew he would flip when he heard I was crushing on an adult and I wasn't legal yet.

I couldn't wait to be eighteen.

"Nothing," I told him, but he did not seem to believe me as he narrowed his eyes on me, staring at me with a questioning look on his face.

"You do realize that you are not a good liar right?" His brows rose up slightly and I nodded my head and chuckled lightly, hoping it would dismiss the questions.

I walked to the dining room to sit while I waited for my dad.

FROM ALBERT: Are you busy today? We could go out, you know?

FROM ALBERT: Are you angry that I didn't come to you yesterday? I told you I was busy.

FROM ALBERT: I'm sorry. Reply to me, please.

A smile formed on my face once I read the message. I was mad at him but seeing his last message made my heart melt and before I knew it, I was typing back a reply to him.

TO ALBERT: It's fine.

Immediately I saw that he was typing back.

FROM ALBERT: Are you free today? Let's go out. I want to make it up to you.

I had no right to be angry with it for the kiss but I couldn't help but feel a tinge of hurt whenever I thought of it. I wanted to ask him about it, but I decided not to because I didn't want to find out that he now has a girlfriend. If he did, I would gladly stay away from him even if it would hurt.

That was how crazy I was for him until he shattered me into pieces.

"Just stay away from me Albert. Aren't you tired? No matter what you do, I will never ever forgive you," I seethe.