Bitter sweet affair

Chapter 32 - Karma's a b***h

Derek's POV
The mid-day sun bathed the buildings in its warm light. It was bright and sunny. I could hear the bird chirping on the branches of trees nearby.

I thought I'd left for good and that I wasn't ever gonna return but here I am, back in my hometown.

Being back in Brooklyn, NYC; brought back a surge of memories. Especially ones of my high school crush. I hadn't forgotten about her yet and it's been 6 years now.
Karma's such a b***h.

Remembering how it had all happened was heart-wrenching.
It turns out she had a crush on me in senior year, her friends had told me and they added that she was too shy to tell me and that I should step up and ask her out. At that point, I didn't feel anything toward her so I just rejected her a bit too harshly. I remember saying, "so what? I don't feel a thing for her. Asking her out would make me a hypocrite and besides she shouldn't like me" I'd said unknown to me that she was listening in.

Time flew by and senior year was over. Then I realized that I'd started developing feelings for her, but it was too late. She'd already left for college.

I was hit by karma and it hurt like crazy. Staying in Brooklyn reminded me of her every day so I'd left the country but that didn't erase the thoughts of her from my mind, everything reminded me of her, especially the fragrance of her favorite cologne.

But now I'm back for her, hopefully, she waited for me. A part of me keeps thinking she'd wait for me.

The moving truck came to a stop at my newly acquired house.
I got down and directed them on how they should place the boxes gently inside the house.

It was the weekend and it was the only day the movers weren't booked.

It took hours to carefully unpack all the boxes.
The house looked so empty even with all the furniture.

Oh right, before I forget. I'd gotten a chocolate cake from a bakery as a gift for my neighbor.

I carried it and walked out of my compound,  approached the next house, and rang the doorbell. I stood patiently waiting.

The door opened and standing there was a beautiful lady, she seemed familiar.

"May I help you?" she said.
The cake slipped from my hand crashing to the floor. I couldn't believe it. Was I dreaming? No right?

"Excuse me?? You dropped your cake on my porch and did you get the wrong house?? Say something, you're not mute are you??" She questioned. This couldn't be a dream, it seems too real.

"Reyna??" I managed to say.
She looked confused. It took me a second to recognize her. I could never forget her. She looked a bit different from 6 years ago. She was much more beautiful and she had a radiating kind of glow.

"Do I know you??" She asked again.
"It's Derek" She looked like she was processing my name.
"Derek jefferson?? Ring a bell??" I said hoping she'd recognize me.

"Oh my goodness, Derek." She said throwing her arms around me. I stood there for a while, my heart pounding like it was about to explode. I put my arms around her. The scent of her cologne filled my nostrils.

"Took you long enough to recognize me," I said with a light chuckle.
"I'm sorry. You look so different... the good kind of different. It's been how long?" She said disengaging the hug.

"Six years" I answered.
"Time sure flew by. Where are my manners? Please come in" she ushered me in.

The interiors of her house were screaming rich!!!.
"Your house is beautiful," I said.
"Thanks. By the way, what are you doing here?" She said.
"Oh, I just moved into the next house. I was coming by to introduce myself as the new neighbor with a chocolate cake"
"Poor cake. You just had to drop it" she pouted a little.

I chuckled a bit too loudly, she turned to me.
"What's funny?" she asked.
"Nothing, it's just you looked so cute mourning the cake" I blurted out and She just smiled.

"Welcome to the neighborhood Mr. Jefferson," she said bringing forward her hand for a shake.
"Thanks. But, talk casually" I shook her hands.
"I was just teasing you" she laughed exposing her cute dimples.

"It was nice seeing you again after all these years. It's getting late and I've gotta get my laundry and add some final touches to my interiors." I said.

"Okay. I'll see you around neighbor" she said
"Yeah, we should have lunch tomorrow at my place."
I wasn't giving her a choice to decline.
"Yeah, sure"
She walked me to the door. " Good night," she said before shutting the door.

My heart was going crazy. I'm sure I'm not gonna be getting any sleep tonight.