The Indifference of a Man Forgotten (BOOK I)

Chapter 12- The Girl in the Background

--Dahlia POV--

The man I had a crush on most of my life, and the man who I gave my virginity two were two different people, or at least, that's what it felt like. And I realised that the crush I had on him doesn't make him who he is, he's not the person I fell in love with.

Time changes people, and it changed him just as much as it changed me.

While it may not have been obvious, I wasn't the same Dahlia that was his best friend five years ago, and it's obvious to me now that he's not the same Marcos from five years ago either.

"Good job, Dahlia. I'll see you tomorrow," I waved Daniel goodbye before turning to look at Marcos as he stood beside me, one of his hands tucked into his pockets while the other messaged his driver.

"Is something the matter?" I asked.

"Nothing serious, my secretary's having a go at me for not showing up to work today, but that's nothing new," He grumbled, shoving the phone into his pocket before turning to return his attention to me. "Now, what should we do?" He asked.

"I thought you had work?" I raised a brow.

"It's the first proper day off I've had in a year, let me enjoy it," He breathed in a lungful of Roman air, cherishing the moment before opening his eyes to catch me staring at him.

"Well, have fun. I'm going home, my dads' have been waiting for me since yesterday," I dismissed, waving him a small goodbye before I turned to walk away. I'm not prepared to face my parents' onslaught of questions about how the reunion went, I better call Isaac to shield me.

"Come on, hang out with me. We've not talked in five years," He grabbed my hand, preventing me from walking away. I wonder whose fault it is that we haven't spoken in five years?

"Then why should we start now?" I decided to say instead.

"I want to know you. Don't you want to know me?" I furrowed my brows at the question, needing to take a moment as I thought up a reply.

"Not really... I've moved on from whatever crush I had on you, and you never felt anything for me, so I'm wondering why it's so hard for you to move on right now?" I pulled my hand out of his hold, turning my body around to face him with a perplexed look.

"I'm confused, Marcos. What do you want from me?" He looked at me as if I was everything, and I'm trying to figure out why. 

One night, that one night was supposed to be enough for me to get over him, and it proved to me that he's not the same man I fell in love with. While I'm not stupid enough to be blind to the spark that was there when he was near, I wasn't a dreamer who dared to see more either. I hated to admit it, but as much as I used to love him, I fear him that much more now.

"I want to get to know you... as a lover," He didn't hesitate to answer, but he had no idea of the pain his words caused me. Why now? After all the dreams I had of this moment, why is he saying this now as I've gotten over him?

"But what about me? What if I don't want to get to know you? It's true that I used to have a crush on you, but that's all past-tense, I don't love you anymore... And, I told you yesterday, you only had me for one night, and that night is over,"

I didn't stutter as I spoke, even as the clear hues of his grey eyes were overcome with a wild storm, even after his brows knitted together as they did when he was vexed, and even as a frown marred his lips. This expression on his face was the epitome of discontent.

"I warned you, but if you didn't heed that warning then that's on you." I pointed to his chest as he stepped forward, grabbing my face in his hands as he stepped closer, speaking to me in such an intimate way that we would have looked like lovers to any passing strangers.