An Unexpected Gift

Chapter 20- ' A shell of my former self'

I awoke to the sound of my alarm, signaling it was time for work. I couldn't help my grumpy feeling because my night was the onset, I slowly dragged myself out of bed because I felt like a train wreck and into the kitchen to the scent of coffee that I wasn't brewing, French vanilla at that.

"Good morning Ms. Foster!" I was startled, "Pablo what the hell are you doing here and how'd you get in my house, who sent you to taunt me?" I grumbled miserably. "You left your key on the outside of your door last night when I took you home so I stayed ma'am, you were stone drunk" Oh ye, I stopped at the pub downstairs to drown my life. I guess it worked after all! "Ughhhhhh" I cried out cupping my head in my hands. "Coffee?" he offered, "Thanks, and call me Nas" I felt safe after all.

"Ugh! What stage of life are you on? Tell me so I can avoid it! My highlights are too stunning to fail; I would not want to be you right now. What happened?" I looked up from planting my head in my hands to see Dom filing his nails with his legs crossed sitting before me, "Hi Dom" I replied with a sarcastic tone. "What happened to you? The last time you looked like this was when Ryan told you it was over" I groaned in complaint. "Dom, don't you have work to do?" I asked politely "Ye! Apparently on you! Why the hell have you been drinking and without me at that?" he was exaggerating but still on point, "Dom go!" I demanded, "NO! Answer me Nastacijah!" I looked up again "Leave me in peace, please!!" I begged, "Nuh ugh! The last time I did that you got an ugly ass haircut!" I sighed heavily "So answer me!!!". "Yes, Nastacijah answer him!" I raised in slow motion towards the voice and in the same breath said "Oh fuck me!" with a reverberation by Dom who now stood in disbelief "Now I see the problem!" he choked.

"What the hell do you want?" I now stood enraged while Dom was still in shock. "I know you hate me and you have every right" Ryan walked in and with a disgusted reaction I responded, "I really don't care to hear it!", "Ness just hear me out?" he pleaded. "Ness? Hell no! Negro! your cheating, lying ass has got to skedaddle!!" Dom chipped in, now in a defensive position and as if my day couldn't get worse Pablo was nowhere to be found! After breakfast, he answered his phone and disappeared. "Ness please!" he seemed sincere but we knew better. "You said enough last night!" I crossed my arms when I heard Dominic mutter "This must be good for you to risk your life!" he attempted to come closer but Dom mirrored his every move. "Baby I'm sorry! I miss you and I really love you, I haven't been the same man since and I'm asking you once more to be my wife." I watched as he kneeled. "Damn, you are really fucking brave!" Dom commented, clapping sarcastically. "Are you through?" I added, he stuttered, I repeated slowly "Are you through!?" he stood up and fixed his jacket, "Leave, I have work to do!"

I felt the tears creeping into my eyes because believe it or not an old wound had been opened from last night but I couldn't show it! I had to hide it and it felt like stepping on hot coal.

Ryan and I had been going out for 3 years of college then 3 years after that, he proposed during our first 2 years of being together. Until I found out he was cheating with a girl he met in the same coffee shop he proposed to me in, sucks huh? I know! And when I confronted him about it he admitted it and choose her without hesitation but she never chose him!

I watched in silence as he exited and in the same instant with the click of the door, I
fell to the floor crying uncontrollably, tears of a wounded heart I could no longer tape together, I continued while Dominic rushed to me, embracing the shell of my former self.