FATE'S SECOND CHANCES

Preface - Nicole

Nicole Shepard felt a little uptight she could not understand why. It was not her first time to be working on mega projects or working closely with Senior Architects before. She was a veteran herself carrying on the family legacy of renowned architects. When her father passed away two years ago it was her goal to continue on their architectural firm building even more greater things. But there was something about today that made her fidgety like a foreboding of some sort not quite determining whether it was good or bad.

She checked herself in the full length mirror liking what she saw. Her thick honey blonde hair cascaded beautifully on her shoulder with the very slight tinge of makeup brought out the aqua blue color of her eyes. The pastel yellow shift dress with the killer slit showed of her long shapely legs. She looked chic yet business like. It was only a casual meeting but she still liked to impress the people she was working with.

Her gaze suddenly fell on the last drawer of her vanity bureau. She couldn't herself as she held the picture of her and East Kelly. Her ex boyfriend. She still looked at it everyday before she went to sleep or when she felt like it. Nicole loved looking at it. It was a candid shot all very natural seing East looking at her while she was smiling. There was that deep love in his eyes for her. She could never forget the way he looked at her melting all her insides and she would forget everything else.

But it was all just plain memories now. East was just a thorn in her past life that she wanted to forget and move on. The pain and betrayal he did to her was irreparable beyond words. How even after so many years she can never forgive him.

Nicole had known East since they were in high school. He was popular and extremely good looking that all the girls had raving crushes on him except for her. She couldn't stand him. She was even immuned to his charm. But he was challenged by her and her nonchalant behavior towards him. He courted her the old fashioned way getting shot down every step he made. But this made him even more determined to have her heart. After two years of determined courting she finally softened realizing beyond his party boy ways he had a sweet and loving side. He was his natural self with her sharing all his dreams with her by his side. Nicole knew one thing how much East loved her with all his heart.

What was good about East he never pressured her about giving herself. While all their friends were losing their virtue she was still doing the right thing and saving herself. East was patient still being the devoted boyfriend. He always believed that when the time was right she would be ready to give herself to him.

Nicole couldn't help but smile how it felt like to make love to East Kelly. He was her first. She could never imagine giving herself to anyone else. How she felt so womanly and precious in his eyes. It even touched her how after making love he was voicing out his dreams of having her as his wife. It seems fairy tale like for both of them only to have everything shattered on East's 21st birthday.

Nicole felt a shiver run through her as she recalled the events of the past. She was on high wanting to surprise East on his 21st birthday. She had everything prepared from the roses and colorful balloons that would make East happy. She was even excited about the locket watch she was going to give him. But she was not prepared for what she saw in East's bedroom a naked girl sprawled on his bed. Finding East on the floor barely wearing nothing. Putting all the pieces together. Nicole could only feel a gut wrenching pain in her heart at his betrayal. How he threw away their love to sleep with a student whore. She could barely say anything only the tears that wouldn't stop flowing down her cheeks. For Nicole there was no forgiveness. It was the end of all her love for East Kelly.

She had developed a wall that was unreachable. No amount of begging or reason would go through her. He had made a grave mistake and that was the end for East. But against her hard resolve he could hear his pleas to listen. He had left alone that night dead drunk after a drinking binge with friends. The girl had slipped into his room and seduced him naked removing his clothes in his drunken hazed state only to be turned down as she scratched at him in fury. All the deep scratches of anger imprinted in his body. She saw that herself. Nothing happened she knew. But still Nicole had hardened her heart wanting to believe the worst in East. Ignoring his every plea to listen. Shutting the door in his face as he cried at her bedroom door. Whatever they had was gone and lost with all the bitterness in her soul.

Nicole knew what happened to East. The death of his father and how his family was ridden with debt. How dirt poor he had become everything snatched away from him. He even had to leave college. He still tried to talk to her for one last time to tell her how much he loved her that nothing had changed. All she needed was to believe in him. But all his cries were met with deaf ears. Finally for the last time East said goodbye. Nicole felt a tear slipped her eyes. Of things that might have been for both of them.

Nicole's focus now was on her new love Kevin Whitman. He was everything East was not. He was an achiever, goal oriented with all the maturity in himself. Kevin also had one single passion and that was his love for her. He worshipped her giving all the happiness she needed. The Whitman's business was in construction that went very well with her architectural firm. Together they were a suited pair. She even felt they would be destined to be together. A proposal for marriage just around the corner.

But a part of Nicole the naive and romantic part, still thought of East remembering all the good memories they shared. Inspire of Kevin she knew she had never gotten over East. She still yearned for him. Still loved him deep in her heart. Everyday without fail she would still look at their picture together. Wondering inside herself that some twist of fate they would meet again and this time things would be different.

Nicole wiped her watery eyes trying to deviate her thoughts from all her memories of East. All she needed now was to focus her energies on their mega project. A billion dollar contract in the heart of the city. Another added glory for the Whitman companies. She smiled confidently. This was all for Kevin.