FATE'S SECOND CHANCES

Chapter 34 - The Happily Ever After

There had been so many hindrances for her trip to New York. The domestic flights were fully booked. Even her name on the passenger list was misspelled having Sheperd instead of Shepard. Nicole had even been delayed a day which didn't help her frayed nerves wanting to reach East as soon as possible. But finally she was in East's penthouse suite arriving late afternoon. Finally Nicole felt she was home at last. She was filled with anxiety unimaginable but she was going to make sure to win East back even if she had to grovel and beg. All she needed was to wait.

Nicole could only survey East's place. It was in Park Avenue right in the heart of city. He had done well for himself surveying the luxury of the place. It was elegantly interior decorated with renowned paintings on the walls. East tastes were more on landscape giving the place a cozy ambiance. His furniture a mixture of wicker and chrome furnishings. Everything was ultra modern from the bedrooms to the kitchen. What was even more impressive was the breath taking view of New York that surrounded the place at a 360 angle surrounding his whole penthouse.

But what touched Nicole was the pictures of both of her in East in his bedroom. Some of them when they were just still in high school lying around the grass together. Most of the others were college ones candid shots that friends took of them with East looking at her with love in his eyes. Nicole specially loved the picture of them with her head lying on his shoulder and East smiling down at her. He still displayed it in his room after all these years. They were all pictures of her and no one else. Seeing all this memories East kept made Nicole realized how much he loved her. That truly indeed she had made the right choice.

She could only admire the bedside lamps he had custom made in his room. They were both encased in glass that served as stands. They were the lego model designs they made out of fun when they were still in college imagining themselves as architects designing their own buildings. They made two colored skyscrapers out of Lego. East wanted to keep it insisting it was a work of art. How sentimental he was Nicole thought. He even had them by his bedside. Making Nicole remember all the good moments she had with East. How he still treasured all these memories.

She couldn't help but notice that some suitcases were packed in his room about three of them as if he was planning to take a trip somewhere. All Nicole knew was that she came right on time before she would lose East completely. Never in her whole life had she wanted something so desperately. She wanted more than anything else was to be Mrs. East Kelly.

It was almost 11pm and still East wasn't around. Where was he? What if she was too late? What if she had been replaced by some other girl who would gladly feel her shoes. She was plagued with fears unimaginable. All she wanted to do was throw herself in East's arms and never let go. She was starting to get sleepy her only sense of comfort was wearing something of East. She undressed herself only in her underwear and got a long sleeves cotton shirt of East. It smelled faintly of soap and the light manly scent of him. Nicole would wait for him lying on his bed feeling her eyes starting to close as she started to drift off to sleep.

East felt tired it had been a long day and all he wanted to do was sleep. He had been busy the entire day fixing preparations for his trip to London. In two days he would be leaving. That was his only escape to forget. He still felt like a failure with Nicole. He felt he should have convinced her more or maybe he didn't beg hard enough. He lost her she was Kevin's now and pretty soon they would even be married. Just thinking about it sliced through East's heart. The only best thing for East to do was to go far away where the pain would be easier to bear.

East surveyed his home noticing a pair of luggage's on the side of the hallway. There was even a wrapped package in the living room area. Someone was here. Could it be Ben? He would definitely inform him right? East gave his key to only one person. His heart thudded with anticipation.