FATE'S SECOND CHANCES

Chapter 21

News of Nicole's engagement to Kevin spread like wildfire in the Whitman companies even reaching the site where East mostly stayed. When he heard he almost felt faint. His face a deathly pale as if the world had crumbled before him. What hope did he have now? It hurt painfully. A heart wrenching pain that cut through his soul. Nicole answer of Kevin's proposal for marriage could only mean one thing. She loved him. Here he was feeling he had made headway with her only to find an engagement slammed in his face. He felt downright miserable trying to function but deep within himself he was rotting inside. The only outlet for his desolation was work. Working himself to death to the point of sheer exhaustion as if punishing himself for things he cannot control. He even had no appetite hardly eating. Coffee was his only adrenaline. He even purposely stayed out of the office hurting so much to see Nicole.

In one week he had lost a lot of weight. He was looking under the weather his face gaunt with deep dark circles under his eyes. It was almost 11pm and he was still in the site going over some designs that needed to be improved just to get his mind off Nicole. It was Ben who knocked looking tired himself but looked at him shaking his head.

What are you doing to yourself East? Look at you. You are hardly even been eating. Working yourself to the bone. he said with concern in his eyes.

I'm working hard is there something wrong with that? he replied flatly not looking at Ben not wanting him to see the haunted look in his eyes.

What gives East? You're punishing yourself for what reason I can't understand. I know you're keeping quiet but it's about Nicole and her engagement. Admit it! he exclaimed pushing him to confide to him.

East was quiet. Ben hit it right on target. But he didn't say anything pretending to be busy.

Go home Ben don't worry about me. I'm alright. he mumbled but it was clear to Ben he wasn't.

Don't give me that East. You look as if your family died and what you're doing to yourself. Are you just going to give up. It's only an engagement she's not married yet. You can still prove yourself to Nicole. Fight for her East. Even if you think it might be fruitless but you know within yourself you tried. You love her that much. Then try with all you've got.

East felt emotional. Why did she accept Kevin if Nicole didn't love him Ben. Here I was hoping for that second chance but it was just like a figment of my imagination. Probably I will never have that chance Ben.

Ben touched his friend on the arm feeling his heartache knowing how much East loved Nicole. How devastating the news was to him. East was so transparent you could easily see it in his face.

It's never too late buddy. We have to take chances in our life even if we feel like losing hope. I still believe that Nicole still loves you. She just needs to believe in you more and forgive.

East felt buoyed in spirit. Ben was absolutely right. He was going to follow his advice to fight for Nicole. Sometimes when life throws you a curve ball you you just felt like giving up. Not seeing the positive side of things only the negative ones. But Nicole's engagement was just a road block just for East to prove to Nicole how much he loved her. He was not going to give up on her. On Sunday he was going to go to her. It was now or never.

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Nicole groaned at the constant buzzing of her apartment door. She had not been sleeping well lately awakened by nightmares of marred images of East. She should be ecstatic with her engagement with Kevin but she was not. Instead she was feeling confused of who she really wanted. Kevin Whitman was everything a girl could hope for. Handsome, intelligent and rich. He also worshipped the ground she walked on. But why was she not entirely happy? Her thoughts were on East. Some part of her missed him terribly. Nicole knew the news of her engagement reached him. She rarely saw him in the office it was as if he was purposely staying away.