It had been two months since I last saw John. I kept asking his dad about his whereabouts, but he always gave the same answer: "He's too busy to come."
I missed him more than I wanted to admit. Thoughts of him lingered in my mind, showing up even in my dreams, making it harder to forget.
Derrick and I had been spending a lot of time together lately. He picked me up from school and dropped me off afterward. Somewhere along the way, things between us had changed—we were no longer awkward acquaintances but something closer to friends.
That afternoon, I stood outside waiting for him. Suddenly, someone covered my eyes from behind. I recognized the cologne immediately.
"Derrick, I know it's you. Get your hands off my eyes so we can go," I said, sounding uninterested.
He removed his hands with a sigh. "You're no fun. You ruined it," he said, pouting slightly. It made him look unexpectedly adorable.
Without thinking, I reached out to touch his cheeks, but my hand was abruptly pushed away.
I turned and saw Bella. The look in her eyes was sharp, almost hostile.
"We need to talk," she said, grabbing Derrick's arm and pulling him away.
I watched them leave, confused. Sometimes it felt like Bella had some kind of control over him, like he was a puppet she could pull at will. The thought made me roll my eyes.
As I looked around, my gaze landed on someone familiar—John. He was stuck in traffic across the street. Without thinking, I called out, waving.
"John!"
He looked up and smiled. For a brief moment, our eyes met, and everything else seemed to fade. There was something in his expression—something I couldn't quite understand.
Then the light turned green, and he drove off.
I waited a while longer for Derrick, but when he didn't return, I lost patience and took a cab home.
When I got there, Mom was scrolling through wedding dresses on her phone, a bright smile on her face. She had been so happy lately, especially with the wedding just two days away. I wanted to ask about my dad's investigation, but I held back. I didn't want to ruin her mood—not now.
"Hi, Mom," I said, kissing her cheek.
"How are you, my darling?" she asked, gently ruffling my hair.
"I'm good."
"Alright, go freshen up so we can make dinner."
I went to my room and quickly texted Derrick:
Don't bother looking for me. I'm already home 🙂
Almost immediately, my phone rang. It was Maria.
"Don't forget the party we have today!" she said the moment I answered, her excitement obvious.
"I haven't forgotten," I replied.
"Make sure you look your best. There'll be rich guys there—who knows, we might get noticed tonight."
I laughed softly. "Have you planned our entrance? I don't want a repeat of last time."
The memory of that burly guard throwing us out still made me cringe.
"Relax, I've got everything under control. I'll be at your house by 7:30 sharp," she said firmly.
"Alright, bye—"
"Wait," she cut in. "Do you know what's going on between Bella and Derrick?"
Her tone had suddenly turned serious.
"No. She just came and took him away earlier."
"They fought."
"Why?" I asked, curiosity rising.
"We'll talk about it at the party. Bye for now."
She hung up before I could ask anything else. Sometimes Maria could be so frustrating.
I sighed and turned to my wardrobe, searching for something to wear. Clothes were scattered everywhere—I regretted not going shopping with Maria.
After a while, I found a short red sleeveless gown. It had a low neckline and an open back that ran from my neck to my waist. The flare stopped mid-thigh, giving it a bold, confident look.
I kept my makeup light and simple. When I looked in the mirror, I liked what I saw.
Downstairs, I found Mom and Richard wrapped up in their usual affection. Sometimes their constant display of love got on my nerves.
"Mom, I won't be able to help with dinner. I'm going to a party with Maria," I said, giving her my best pleading look.
"Alright, you can go," she said, then added firmly, "but no alcohol."
"Thank you, Mom. You're the best," I said, kissing her cheek.
Just then, Richard smiled at me. "Hi, pretty. How are you doing?"
"I'm fine," I replied politely.
"John said I should greet you. He seems excited to see you tomorrow."
My heart skipped. "He's coming tomorrow?"
Mom suddenly spoke up, "Oh, darling, I forgot to tell you—we'll be moving tomorrow."
I froze. "What? We're moving tomorrow?"
"I'm sorry, baby," she said softly. "I've just been so busy with the wedding preparations. It slipped my mind."