Blossoms at Dawn

Will you marry me?" He asked, searching through her hazel eyes,waiting for an answer. A no, or worst still, like ladies do in the movies, a slap.

The thought of that made him almost laugh out loud. She wouldn't dare.

Proposing in a mall wasn't the perfect idea but he had to do it anyway. She fancied things like this.

She forced a smile, biting her lips to keep them from twitching. Suddenly the color in her face drained, the corners of her lips bent slightly and her smile faded.

She shook her head gently, and turned her face away from his, hiding behind her blonde hair.

Slowly, she took two steps backwards and turned around briskly,taking strides,quick enough to hide the tears peeking at the brim of her eyes.

Despite the cheers from the little crowd and onlookers that gathered, she didn't look back. She couldn't. Even though she wanted to badly tell Zach that she couldn't marry him, and he should shove his ring up his ass. She couldn't bring herself to do it, not with that crowd.

She reached out for the first cab she saw as soon as she got outside.

"Chestville avenue" She said, trying to keep her voice stable, and getting in the car with an impatient slam.

"Sorry..." The driver had tried saying something but was cut off.

"Just drive, drive please!" By now she had lost control of her voice and was almost yelling. "Drive please, I'd tip"

He nodded and turned the ignition.

In five, she arrived home and alighted, without forgetting to tip like she promised. Kicking off her shoes, she sat hopelessly and sighed. She reached for her phone, she went for the first number on the speed dial.

"Fish" The receiver echoed in the phone.

"Hi" She started, "I know you wanted something good for me, you've always wanted me fine." She paused, waiting for her best friend to reply. When none came, she proceeded. "He proposed, and I said no," she finished flatly.

For some seconds, a piercing silence arose and took a stance, priding itself.

"You know, Herit, I trust you. Although I'm terribly confused and slightly mad at you, whatever you feel is right is right." She sighed.

"He'll come for the house soon"

"Hey, Easy there. One step at a time. I'd get off work early today and I'll come over. We'd talk"

Heritage sighed. "I'd be dead if he gets here first"

"Just don't worry, he won't show up yet. He'll be nursing his ego already. Get some sleep, we're going out tonight.

"Sure, later" she replied calmly. And the call ended.

Thinking about it, she wasn't sure about what she wanted.

To actually get married now or not. She barely loved him and she knew it.

"I must have been an idiot to have played in this relationship" she muttered to herself.

"Wait. Did he actually think I'd marry him? I'm barely 22, he's, he's 41! Herit, herit..." She placed her hand on her head. "Now I feel so angry at myself to have even been a part of this. What's wrong with me?"

She shood up to go in and paused abruptly.

"I even cried!" She shrieked. "I cried, for a man I didn't love" she shuddered at the thought of Zach.

" What if?...No!" She stopped again "Nobody saw me cry, right?... Damn! I'm such an idiot! A pretty, cute idiot! Good thing I said no"

She continued her pace heading to her room

"Well, I did say no. At least I'm that smart. Imagine I had said yes, I'd be stuck with him forever!"

She felt goosebumps crawl on her skin.

" Zach, fuck you!" She screamed. Raising her middle finger in the air and waving it frantically.

"Fuck you again!"

Finding her way to the bathroom,she kept cursing Zach, and blaming herself for how much of an idiot she had been.

She looked at the mirror, staring like she had to crack a code with her eyes. Tears welled up at the rim of her eyes, she felt her cheeks getting hot and her blood pressure rising. She reached for the first aid box for an aspirin, she felt the headache coming.

Herit, you got this. You're fine. You're fine. Ray will be fine. You can't panic queen. Ray will certainly be fine.

She knew she had to stabilize herself first.

She had quickly wiped her tears and braced herself to her room and slumped on the bed shutting her eyes tightly to blur out the image of Zach pleading and threatening with his eyes.

His eyes never pleaded though, she thought to herself. His eyes were more threatening.

He had blue eyes, blue just like the sky, that looked still until when provoked. They certainly never pleaded.

"Herit!'' She heard her name. Definitely someone was at the door, and the only person who never knocked was Ava. And her voice only came through if the door was locked.

She jerked, grabbed her phone and checked the time. It's read 19:23

How long had I been like this? She ran to the mirror, mascara had a nice trail on her face, giving her a perfect character for Halloween and her nose was flaming red.

Damn, damn, Ava can't meet me this way. Shit!

"Herit, you're there?" The voice came again, louder.

"Yeah, yeah, one second" she screamed in return, running back to the bathroom to wash her face.

"One second, Ava," she yelled again.

By the time she made it to the sitting room to open the front door, she found Matilda locking the door from inside.

"How'd you do that?"

"Uh… do what?"

"You just got into my apartment, guy! With my door locked!"

"I'm a witch, durh"

"I'm serious, guy," She said, trying to pull a frown.

"You seriously don't remember I have a key to your apartment?"

"Since when, witch?"

Ava let out an evil laugh. " Since I started haunting you baby" she smirked and hugged Heritage lightly.

Heritage just shrugged "Well, you must be a sad witch then" She turned back to the sitting room, while Ava trailed behind, grabbing a seat next to her best friend.

"All the Witches I know have interesting things to do with their lives". Heritage murmured under her breath.

"Nice one. How're you?"

"There are no used tissues scattered around" she replied flatly.

" Yeah,I'm that surprised too" She folded her arms, "but you look like you've been crying a whole lot" she arched her brows.

Heritage rolled her eyes.

" How can you tell?"

" Uh, I'm the witch here" She replied, raising her head high.

Heritage's lips twitched a bit, She was blessed with the right friend.

Ava leaned further and seized Heritage in a hug.

"I'm sorry, Sweetheart," Ava said, her voice low and calm.

Her black straight hair flushed over heritage's face, making her keep her eyes shut. She could smell her perfume on, Iman, soft and strong at the same time. She could tell that scent anywhere. And everything around her was peaceful, so peaceful she could barely hear whatever Matilda had been saying. She needed this. For some seconds, she laid still and let Ava do the talking. Enjoying the bits of peace her voice emitted, not necessarily in what she was saying.

Suddenly, heritage had shot her head up abruptly without a warning, slightly hitting Ava's jaw.

"You know what, Ava, I feel sad that I rejected his proposal. But I did myself good." She nodded,

A slight wave of confusion flustered on Ava's face.

" Uh?"

Heritage sat up straight, and ran her palm on her hair like she was smoothening it from the wind. Then she faced Ava again.

" I couldn't even have married him! I mean, he's handsome and cool and rich and, and everything a lady might want, but he's not for me. He barely knows how I feel. He assumes a lot about me and is so self conscious! Besides that, he has anger issues! Arrgh! How did I not see all these faults, I mean, he's selfish on his own terms alone…"

She paused and threw a glance at her friend who had been watching more confused than ever.

"Do you think I'm going crazy?" She looked hopelessly waiting for a negative answer.

Ava shook her head.

"Good! I'm fine now!" Then she sighed "freedom"

"I thought you loved him?" Ava raised her brow, waiting for an explanation "You've been all over him in the past few days."

"Ha! I wish!" Her eyes were glinting with excitement now.

"Okay, Herit, few minutes ago, you were red from crying and now you're feeling glad over the same reason" She folded her arms again

" Well,..." She trailed off, looking for an imaginary dirt in her nails

" Well?"

" He paid my rent!" She blurted out "Yes, he paid my rent! And he just won't stop taking all my bills, although I never asked him to stop. I'm sorry. Ava,I'm certain I don't love him. I know. His help has gone a long way and I'm grateful but I can't imagine my life with him forever. I mean I can't imagine myself staring at his face every morning."

She looked up at Matilda again " I'm really sorry I made you think I did love him. I guess you'd have had to like him at some point but baby,I can't do this. I'm really sorry!"

She shut her eyes, waiting for Ava to yell or atleast scold her. She deserves an award for best in kicking asses.

Asses like hers.

"Hey, I understand," Ava said, giving her a polite smile.

"You do?" She opened her eyes "I mean you understand that I made him spend so much on me even when I didn't love him? And you're not going to yell at me?"

"I will,darl, just not yet." Her smirk was evident.

"Now you look really scary with that thing on your face, I know I've been stupid. Just yell at me already"

" Yes baby, most definitely stupid. But now isn't the time to talk about how stupid you've been. I said we'll go out. Yeah? So go and change." She gave a sweeter smile.

" Bold of me to have assumed you won't scold me."

" Bold of you indeed," Ava said, grinning." Ten minutes woman, go and get out of this mourning clothes"

"It's a gown," Heritage replied flatly. "And jacket" she finished raising her brows.

" Whatever!" She replied, rolling her eyes and dragging out her friend. " Ten minutes woman!"

"Fine! Where are we going?, at least I could pick a nice outfit"

"Ha!" She exclaimed " Dress to kill bitch,you just declared yourself single!" Her eyes narrowed with a smirk on her face.

Heritage smiled and walked in without replying, dragging her feet, there was nothing like ten minutes, she was certain. Her smile brightened again as Ava traced her steps behind her to the room. Her stylist.

She liked this part of Ava. No, she loved this part. More than her scolding part.

Bright red lipstick and a red gown, yummy...