She’s looking at me like we’re friends, we aren’t. A small child clings to her side, a beautiful little girl with dark brown hair. She reminds me of Derrick’s beauty, the one I got lost in all those years ago. I squash those thoughts immediately and look up at Nicole.

“I was wondering…” her voice starts then stops, her hand grabbing hold of the little girl as she starts to move. I reach out and stop her, and she looks back to me. “Maybe we should have lunch… and possibly try to talk more.”

I’m sure my eyebrows squint at her words.

Why would she want to meet me for lunch?

She hated me.

She watches my resolve and pushes further, “Please…. just to chat. I promise…”

I grab my packed bags of food from the cashier. Nicole moves forward loading her own food up as she holds onto her daughter’s hand. I nod my head and wonder, why did I do that? Her smile feels real and genuine as she waits for my answer.

Her hand reaches out as she speaks again, “Can I grab your number?” She hands me her phone unlocked and ready for me to input my number. I take it with shaky hands, entering my number carefully. Her daughter claps her hands together and is smiling at me.

Kids aren’t my thing. I never want any. Not in this world, they’re not for my world. But this little one, she’s somewhat cute.

Not looking up to Nicole again, I leave and don’t look back, hoping she won’t call me.

* * *

As I’m walking into my apartment two days later after finishing work, my cell phone rings.

I don’t recognize the phone number at first, and usually, I don’t answer unknown callers, but my hands are full and it’s screaming in my hands.

“Hello,” I answer pushing the door open with my hip. I drop my bags on the floor and straighten my cell to my ear as I listen to whoever’s calling.

“It is your number! I didn’t think it was, I thought…” she pauses, and I realize who it is—Nicole. “Anyway, are you free later on? I have a booking at Crème Freshest, and you know how hard it is to get a booking there. Anyway, what I’m trying to say is, if you’re free I would love to meet you there for dinner?”

I don’t know of that place, I have no idea what it is. I don’t even know where it is. Though I vaguely recall someone talking about it once, and I don’t recall much, only that it’s hard to get into and high class. Doesn’t surprise me with Nicole, she always had money because her family owns real estate.

“Really?” Leaning against my fridge my eyes go large. Why does she want to meet me? I don’t see anything good coming from seeing her again. Walking to my window, I look down the three stories to the road out front. Instantly, I notice a dark figure who has stopped and is looking up at my window. Opening the window, I lean out more to get a better look. He smirks up at me and my heart stops. Jumping backward, I almost drop the phone forgetting who’s on it and quickly look again.

No one’s there.

Was I hallucinating?

“So, can you? I know it’s short notice, but I’ve just gotten a sitter.”

My hands start moving and straightening out. I don’t know what to say to her. Honestly, I thought for sure she wouldn’t call me, but here she is larger than life.

“Sure,” my voice is small when I finally answer her.

“Oh yeah… thank you. Can you meet me there in say… one hour?”

I look at the clock and around my small apartment. “Sure,” I repeat again.

Nicole starts to talk fast and I don’t hear a word she says. My mind is wondering why the fuck I just agreed to meet with her. I don’t even like this woman. But people deserve second chances, right? I sure as shit hope they do, because I’ve never gotten one, just kicked to the curb and move on. Thanks, Mother.

Going through my clothes is hard trying to find something to wear. My clothes consist of mostly stay-at-home clothes, like sweat pants and tees, mixed with some work clothes. In amongst it all there’s very few going-out dresses. Managing to find a dress I’d forgotten I own, I slip it on—it’s red and slides on perfectly. I let my hair down from the bun it’s in and let it flow down my back, the curls taking on a life of their own.

Calling for an Uber and having it arrive right on time, doesn’t give me much of a chance to contemplate what I’m really doing—which is going to see a woman I don’t even like and yet somehow I’ve agreed to have dinner with her.

Kind of like Connick, I didn’t agree to give him anything, he just took it all and it slipped out of me. I haven’t been that vulnerable since I was a teenager. I never want that to happen again, this is the main reason I only have sex with strangers now. I can control the situation and can leave and have no contact after the act. I don’t need them again, and this gives me the control I need and makes me feel somewhat normal from my fucked-up life.

After a short drive, I make my way out of the Uber and walk straight up to the front of the restaurant. The maître d' looks me over and smiles when her eyes land on me. I tell her I’m here to meet Nicole, giving her Nicole’s first and last name, and she smiles as she asks me to follow her. Nicole’s easy to spot, she’s seated at a table by herself with a bottle of wine next to her. She’s sipping on a glass and looking around. Nicole’s eyes stop on me, and she stands as I get closer, then leans in for a hug. I one-tap her back and pull away quickly, taking a seat opposite her.

“Thank you so much for coming. I never get out, so this is nice,” she tells me, pulling her own chair out and sitting back down. Menus are handed to us and a glass of wine is poured for me.

“I’m not quite sure why I’m here, Nicole.” I reach for the glass of water instead of the wine. I don’t particularly like to drink. She notices my actions but doesn’t comment on them.

“I know how hard it was for you…” She looks me dead in the eye waiting for a reaction, she doesn’t get one.

I’ve dealt a lot with that time of my life, and I don’t tend to think about it too much these days. Well, I try not to.

“We were so mean to you.”

“We?” I ask confused. She should be talking about herself, yet she used the word ‘we.’

“Yes, Derrick and I…” Nicole looks behind me, and when she does, her eyes stay there for a moment. I turn to see what she’s looking at and when I do I wish I hadn’t come because Derrick is walking right to us dressed like he’s just left a catwalk. His eyes are solely on me as he steps toward us. I turn back in shock and look to Nicole who’s smiling at me. I wish right now, I could reach across the table and strangle her very fucking slowly.

“You aren’t the least bit sorry… are you?” I ask shaking my head at her.

She smirks and I know I’ve been played the minute she does.

“No, not really! Does that make me a bad person? You had what I wanted, and now I have it. Even have a child to him. It was the best thing I could do to get you out of the picture. You were my only barrier to getting him.” She stops speaking when a chair is pulled out and he sits between us, I can’t look at him yet. He’s too close, and I can smell him, he smells exactly the same as he did all those years ago.

I hate him.

I love him, yet I loathe him.

“You can leave now, Nicole.” His voice is the exact same as I remember from back all those years ago. My eyes stay firmly on Nicole, still not looking at him.

Watching her closely, her face reads shock. She obviously didn’t expect that to happen. Nicole stands, placing her napkin on the table then looking me over, then to him. Her footsteps are all I hear as she marches off, my eyes still don’t want to see him.

“Milanka…” His voice is so close, and I hate it. I go to stand, but his hand stops me by placing it on my thigh.

I freeze.

Everything inside of me becomes stock still.

His hand is on me, something I never wanted again after I left.

And now here he is, all these years later, looking at me the same as how he looked at me when I was sixteen.

Now, though, I know better. Now, I know that those looks are fake and have a motive behind them. I won’t let those looks bring me in, or even let him have power over me again.

“Remove your hand, Derrick,” I ask him in a quieter voice so as to not bring attention to us.

His eyes are on me, I can feel them, but I stay staring at his hand waiting for it to lift, and it does slowly.

“If I remember correctly, you never complained about my hands on you.” His voice is smug and unappealing.

I want to get up and walk away, but I’m afraid he’ll cause a scene. “Your hands are branded in fire, no one wants them on any part of their body.” I turn to look at him then, his eyes are narrowed as he stares at me. He isn’t happy. “Did you marry her, Derrick?” I ask him before he has a chance to say anything else.

He nods his head.

“Why are you here?” My hands clench together in my lap.

He leans in close so I can feel his breath. “I’ve missed you, you know. So many years without you has been torturous. I agreed to not find you, when she asked. I agreed to not want you, when she asked.” He laughs, and I know something is seriously wrong with him. How could there not be? “I’ve never stopped wanting you, and you know I get what I want. Now I want you back, and I will take you back Milanka. You are mine. You will always be mine, and no other will stand in the way any longer. I think we’ve had too much time apart, don’t you?” Standing, I push my chair out and reach for my purse. His hand covers mine stopping me from moving. Turning to look at him, his eyes roam over me then stop at my face.

“You were mine, Milanka. I never agreed for you to leave me.”

His words send shivers over me.

Who said I was his?

I’m not a possession that can be claimed.

Leaning down close so he can hear me perfectly I whisper, “I was never yours. I was young, naïve, and stupid when I met you. You took advantage of that. Never again will you get that chance.” Snatching my bag from under his grip I walk away fast, almost powerwalking out of the restaurant. I rush down the street and pull out my cell to ring for an Uber when I feel his presence behind me. Looking around, I realize instantly how stupid it was to walk away from the lights of the restaurant, the protection and safety it would have afforded from the people around it. Now, I’m standing on a street with only one streetlight, and I’m the only person on the street right now apart from him. Looking up at him, I see the evil smile that always lurks on his lips when he’s about to do something bad.

Why can’t he just go back to his wife?

Leave me alone.

I want nothing to do with him, haven’t for a very long time. And yet, here he is, invading my space again.

“I never said you could leave, Milanka,” he says, taking a step toward me, I take a step back.

“You have a family! A child now, Derrick. Why are you even here?” I look past him in hopes someone is coming, but no one is.

“I don’t love her. She tricked me into it all. I’ve only ever loved one person. Can you guess who that person is, Milanka?”

“Your daughter,” I state, hoping that’s true and it’s not the alternative.

“No, it’s always been you. Since that first day… I saw you dressed in shoes that didn’t fit, to the day I see everything you have.”

“I don’t love you,” I tell him, straightening my spine, holding my head up high.

He shakes his head at me to tell me no like he knows something I don’t know. “You do. And I’ll make you remember, Milanka.” He steps closer to me and before I can speak another word someone’s behind me, hitting the back of my head.

I drop before I can see who it is.

My last vision is of Derrick smiling down at me as he watches me fall to the ground.

Sick bastard.