CHAPTER 1

After standing in the queue for forty-five minutes, Nicole swore to never shop at Spar anymore, their services were poor. The ladies there spent more time chattering like monkeys, baring their teeth at whomever they thought would tip them the most.

She was running late to the office, it was supposed to be her day off, weekends, but somehow she'd missed a shift last week due to some issues she had to attend to back home, and now it was time to fill in for Stella, her friend.

Her phone rang again, jolting her from her thoughts, it was Stella on the line, again Nicole sighed and hit the answer. "Stella dear, I'll be there in a jiffy," she struggled to gather the white waterproof containing her purchases before slipping her card into the POS. She couldn't make out exactly what Stella was saying due to some background noise, she was at a wedding party as chief's bridesmaid for her sister. Nicole would've attended if she and Samantha weren't always at bottlenecks with each other.

"I'll call you when I get there!" Nicole cut the call and hurried to her car before their chief officer rang her instead. She was about to shut her trunk after dropping off the purchases when a voice spoke from behind her.

"Hi, you forgot your car-" the words left the stranger's lips as she turned to see who it was. Her breath hitched at the sight of the man before her.

"Richie," she whispered, words failing to come to her. Her poor heart hammered violently as she took in the familiar handsome man who used to be her everything.

"Nicole, I wasn't sure at first it was you." He gestured back at the mall. A difficult smile on his chiseled face. "I was two people behind so I couldn't get a proper look," he offered a suitable explanation to his walking up to her of all places and of all times.

Nicole stared down at her faded joggers and crop top, her hair loosely wrapped in a scarf as she'd paid little attention to her looks before stepping out. "Ah, yeah, came to grab somethings. You?"

"Same," his stares felt like they were boring into her soul, just like old times and it never got old as she still couldn't handle what it did to her insides. "Right, you left this by the counter," he produced her debit card from his pocket and stretched it towards her.

Nicole recoiled in utter embarrassment for having left her card in the machine after making payments. She'd been in such a hurry to get to the office and with Stella harassing her with calls her mind had become a mess.

"Thank you, I... I gotta go," she whispered, managing to keep her voice calm while her whole being quivered under his heavy gaze.

"It's nice to see you again, Nicole." There was a bit of hesitation in his voice like he was hoping she'd linger, probably agreeing to a bowl of ice cream while they caught up on their past.

After she got home, dropped off her groceries on the kitchen island, hurriedly dressed, and drove to the hospital. All through the day, she thought of Richie and the possibility of bumping into him at the mall. She thought he'd left the city just as he'd left her the night she broke off things between them.

That awful past tasted bitter on her tongue, she'd punished herself, goaded her mind and soul for ever trusting a cheat like him. It wasn't her fault she did, they had been young lovers since their high school days, everyone back then knew they were inseparable, bound to the hip like Siamese twins, and couldn't see anyone else except each other.

But in the long run, Richie had broken off from their bubble, he'd begun looking the other way for women who were less of her. Bimbos, attention seekers, and cheats like him.

After that heart-wrenching experience last two years, Nicole had sworn off men, especially ones that came with an easy charm, the likes of her ex Richie. She'd rather die single than end up with a two-timer. And as for that girl... What was her name again?

Rose

She wondered if they were still together if they even lasted long after she left. The thought of him being married to that wench broke her spirit.

*******~~~~~~~~********

For everyone who knew him back then, this was his favorite club. Disco Ball, is one of the best clubs in downtown Chicago. He fell in love with the place after his ex had dragged him one night alongside other mutual friends to the club. That night had been so memorable that even after they ended things, he always came back in hopes of revisiting old memories.

The place was rocking with cool lights and drinks at the bar. Richard and his friends got into the club and headed to their favorite seat a little farther away from the dance floor.

"Wow, I love what they did there with the lighting. It makes rocking, one of these strippers feel like I'm ascending to heaven!" Matt chuckled at his one word. He was one of Richard's homeboys.

"Yeah it's pretty cool," Richard replied absentmindedly.
His eyes graciously searched the room.

"So what are we waiting for?" Matt asked. "Let's order some drinks at the bar and get high!!" Matt cried with excitement.

"Of course, Matt is right. We came here to have some fun after a hard day at the office." One of the boys added seeing that Richard was in no way ready to party. They'd been sitting around for some minutes, talking and ogling every beautiful girl that stepped into their view.

Some of the guys got the clue and went to the bar to order some drinks while Richard and Matt stayed back.

He knew she frequented the club just like in the past, it was her favorite place to let loose, and even after they'd ended things, he still heard she came around but with a different clique of friends now. Richard felt his chest tighten at the idea of hardly knowing someone who used to be your all. Someone you'd once shared intimate details of yourself with now felt like a stranger. The things they used to share and own together now seemed impossible and untrue. Their friends changed, personal opinions changed, life priorities also changed and what's left are two strangers who used to love each other

He couldn't believe it when he'd seen her back at the mall, although she wasn't all dressed he could tell how much she'd grown in the past few years. She was more intimidating like she was used to being in control. Not the sweet charming Nicky he used to know.

What he'd do to bring back the old times. Just as he was done with his thoughts his eyes fell on a figure far down at the entrance and his heart stopped.

He couldn't believe it himself, she was inside the Disco Ball club, she was in the same room as him, just a few meters away. He never thought she'd show up tonight after revisiting the club over and over again in hopes of seeing her.
His prayers were being answered, this was his chance at redemption and he wasn't gonna let it slide. Just as he was about to stand up his gaze fell to the gangly man beside Nicole, with his hand wrapped around her hips like he owned her, like he was marking his territory with her.

Bile rose in his throat and clogged his pipes as disappointment swelled in his chest.

Slowly, he sat back down, watching as Nicole and her date climbed the stairs leading to the much more private suite. He was so happy to see her after two years that he failed to properly read the environment. He'd let his emotions almost whisk him towards an embarrassing situation.

She looked breathtaking in her short black dress with heels that he'd almost thought were for him.

"Hey Rich, who are you staring at with so much energy in your eyes? Like you can't keep it in your pants?" Tom, one of their buddies, asked snapping Richard back to their table. That's when he noticed they were back with drinks and a glass of beer for him.

"You remember Nicole, my ex-girlfriend..." he thought of how to put it without having to mix up which of the exes.

"The one you cheated on with that classless girl?!" Matt blurted, earning a glare from Richard.

"Of course, why?"

"I just saw her enter the club with some shady-looking dude,"

"I see, she still comes around even after you guys broke up?" Matt asked but didn't wait for a response. "Is that... is that why you kept bringing us back here?" Realization dawned on him. "Fuck! You miss her don't you?!" Matt cried.

"Yes of course I miss her, is it that bad?" Richard admitted, taking a sip of his beer.

"It's not your fault you cheated on her, Rose seduced you," Tom offered with a sad smile.

Richard scoffed dryly at their attempt to make him feel less guilty. He loved them for that anyway.

"Yes of course," Matt chipped in. "Rose, that girl's a devil in disguise, I knew it, I just didn't know she was gonna tell Nicole about the affair!"

"I'm glad you ended things with her as soon as she did that!" Tom said with a sharpness of his voice. He was one of the few people who knew about his past with Nicole.

"Why blame a girl for wrecking your relationship? Don't you have the power to say no?" One of the guys who just joined their circle a few months ago asked, pinning Richard with a questionable gaze.

It was a few seconds stare down, as Richard contemplated what to say to the guy seated across with a tiny bit of smirk on his lips, like he'd managed to pin him down to admit his sins.

Thanks for voting✨