Now

5 years later

"Wake up, princess." Peter said, sliding his nose up and down my face.

"Gross." I said, I was still half asleep.

"Come on! You don't want to be late for your first day at your new job, right?" He said. This time, I tried to open my eyes, it hurts so bad. I was still so sleepy, probably a bit hungover from those shots I had last night. Wrong move.

"Yeah, okay, I'm up." I rose up, eyes still closed.

I watched him button his sky blue shirt, he had nothing on except his black boxers. He was such a vision. We've been dating for four months now, He's so funny and smart and him being handsome is just a bonus.

"Like what you see?" Peter said. I was awaken from my day dreaming. I haven't noticed that he had his pants on already.

"Whatever." I said, throwing him off.

"Well, I'll better get to work, see you later okay?" He said, giving me a kiss before he went downstairs and start his car.

~

Just as I was about to leave my apartment, my phone rang. I looked to see who it was, a name that I've missed so much.

Jazz

"Hello?" Jazz said.

"I've missed you so much!!! I haven't seen you in three months!." I said, I was literally walking throughout my flat.

"I've missed you too, sweetie!!!! I'm so busy with the restaurant and Jim moving in." She said.

"We need to see each other ASAP!" I suggested, checking my wrist watch, Damn! I'm late!

"We will!!! I called to tell you about the Alumni Homecoming on the 23rd, I know you changed e-mails and all so I'm checking if you got the message." Jazz said, I could hear pans and metals on the background.

"Really? It's only been 5 years though. Aren't we supposed to have a homecoming for like 10 years minimum?" I asked, I gently closed the door to my apartment.

"I know!!! But it's like the school's 25th year anniversary so they're inviting everybody who wants to come." Jazz explained.

"Oh, well, that's two weeks from now, right? Should we like dress up or something?" I asked. I haven't been to a homecoming obviously.

"I don't know, maybe." She said.

"All right, well, I'll call you again later, I'm off to work." I said, starting my car's engine as I waited for Jazz's response.

"Love you! Bye!" She said and ended the short call.

~

That night, we ordered Chinese and ate in front of our laptops, we were both buried with tons of paper work (yes, on the first day of my job, I was assigned to evaluate 79 different people)

"So, uh, you doing anything on the 23rd?" I asked Peter who was practically glued to his Mac.

"I don't know, babe, why?" He asked without looking away from his computer.

"My high school's having this alumni homecoming and I was wondering if you'd want to come as my date?" I asked again.

He looked at me and held my hand. "Aw, babe, ain't that sweet? But I'm not really sure if I'm free that night but if I am, I'll be there you know me." He said. I knew it was a long shot because he's probably the busiest person I know.

"It's okay." I said.

We continued on with our work----oh, dinner.

After three long hours, we decided to take a break, he was a smoker, I occasionally enjoy a cigarette or two everyday when I'm bored. I opened the sliding door to my balcony and we stepped out and lit our cigarettes.

"You should take a break from work." I said.

"I'm 31, I've been a lawyer for almost three years now, working 6 days a week--sometimes 7, the only break I get is when I'm with you and I think that's enough." Peter said.

No matter how sweet that sounded, I still pushed through with him taking a break.

"But, a real break would be nice right? A beach? Like Cancun?! Or Maldives?" I suggested.

"Do you want me to have a break or do you just want to go to the beach?" He asked.

"Fine, you got me. But I want to go with you!!! I haven't been to the beach in like a year!!" I said.

"Okay, we'll set it up, I'll do everything I can to get out of work, okay?" He said, gently brushing my hair with his fingers and pulled me closer to him. I always liked the smell of his cigarette combined with his strong perfume.

"Thank you, Pete." I said as my lips touched his, I kissed him and I closed my eyes in the process.

"Anything for the one that I love." He said.

My eyes grew bigger.

"What?" I was startled. Those words.

"I love you." Peter said, his smile was genuine, his eyes were smaller.

My worried face gradually turned into a happy one, a big smile was splashed on my face as I said the words I was too afraid to say "I love you too."

We ended our conversation with a kiss and a hug, It was a slight struggle for me to say it out loud for a while now, probably because I was afraid I might get rejected again. Fortunately, I wasn't the first one to say it now.

~~~~~

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