[Nicole]
I looked from the image bent on one knee in front of me to the diamond ring which he held, and then back to the image again. Under different circumstances I would be jumping right now in excitement but that was not the case.
It is funny how my long time wish came to pass, and I wasn't in the least excited. Who would be? Under the same circumstances.
I continued to arrange my stuff, not paying the slightest attention to Clark who looked on, high in expectations.
The beautiful piece of diamond reflected under the bright light in the room, forcing me to give it an admiring look, but only for a brief moment. My admiration gave way for irritation, and I shot Clark a hard stare.
What is wrong with you? I wanted to ask him but instead I asked, "What are you doing?"
"I'm asking you to marry me, and you are ignoring me over a minor issue." Clark replied and my stare only became harder. I was too bittered to say anything to him.
Clara would be here any minute, I thought in a bid to cheer myself up, and increased my speed. From the corner of my eyes I saw Clark wipe off beads of perspiration from his face, and I knew he was becoming impatient.
There was no way I'd agree to marry Clark, not after his betrayal. The sooner he realizes it, the better for him.
His knee must be hurting now, I noted with a bit of satisfaction without sparing a glance at his direction. To think that he did not tender a proper apology to me only made me think less and less of him.
"Are you going to accept my proposal or not? He asked, and I shook my head in self-pity. He must have taken that as a no because he stood up the next instant.
Blinded by love and the fear of being alone, I had put up with Clark's arrogance for five years, and now I don't have to anymore which was both relieving and saddening at the same time.
"I can't accept your proposal." I said in a calm voice when in fact I was suppressing the urge to smack him across his stupid face.
"Are you going somewhere?" His eyebrows furrowed in surprise. He seemed to notice just then that I was packing.
"Why are you packing?" He asked after a couple of minutes during which I said nothing.
"You betrayed me, Clark and you betrayed my trust." I can't believe I had to explain this to him.
"Is this about the lady you saw earlier?" He asked, and I stared at him with disbelief.
Clara was right, I can't stay here for one more night. Clark is unbelievable, and a total jerk.
"My affairs with other ladies have never been an issue, why are you making an issue out of it now?" Clark asked, and I immediately wished Clara was here already. All I wanted was to leave his house and his life without a fight but it seemed more difficult with every passing second.
"Today isn't a first time thing or a mistake, is that what you're saying?" I asked, not because I care but to make leaving him even easier.
"Well, the other ladies weren't secrets, so I assumed you were aware." He explained. I nodded my head in false understanding while I wondered what was taking Clara so long.
As if in answer to my innermost prayer, I heard the sound of a car honking outside, and I sprang up on my feet, grateful to leave Clark's presence at last.
* * * * * * * *
The stillness of the room was interrupted by the sound of Clara's alarm, disrupting both of our sleep and announcing the fifth hour of the day. I rolled out of bed, and headed straight to the bathroom, leaving Clara who had only managed to turn off the alarm and go back to sleep on the bed.
For months now since I left Clark, I have been both a housemate and a roommate to Clara. Even though there are empty rooms in the house, she had insisted we shared a room.
Getting settled had been less difficult than I feared as we both fitted perfectly into each other's lives. In fact, our bond has only managed to wax stronger within the past months.
"Are you done yet?" Clara asked from the bedroom. From the way she sounded I could bet she was still on the bed.
"I'll be out shortly." I replied, even though I was just getting started.
I stepped out of the bathroom a little while later, and I was not surprised in the slightest to see Clara on the bed, with the blanket pulled over her face.
With a mischievous grin, I pulled the blanket off her, and touched her exposed skin with my cold hands.
"Your turn" I said when she groaned in protest.
"Go get ready or we'll be late." I said in a firm voice, ignoring her protests.
She rose up slowly from the bed, giving me a hard stare, one I reacted to by sticking out my tongue at her.
"Why can't everyday be a holiday?" She asked, heading for the bathroom, and we both laughed.
I left for the kitchen to make breakfast while Clara washed up, and when I got back to the bedroom, Clara was already out of the bathroom.
"I thought you left without me." Clara joked once she noticed my presence.
"I didn't think it through, I had access to your car keys." I joked back.
"You really should have taken the car. It's the least you could have gotten from putting up with him all these years." Clara added, and I felt my heart begin to race.
"I don't want him, and I don't want anything that belongs to him." I said. My voice came out on a sad note however I tried to sound indifferent.
"Are we having breakfast today?" Clara asked, giving me a knowing look. She must have noticed the sadness in my tone, and quickly changed the subject.
"Very well, I was coming from the kitchen where I went to make breakfast." I replied, and we were both thrown into a laughing feat.
"I thought breakfast was off the menu." Clara asked amidst laughter.
"It was, but after our unpleasant experience yesterday, it is back on the menu." I added, and our laughter increased somewhat.
"Did you notice that it took over six hours before it was finally time for lunch break?" Clara asked.
"Six hours? I thought it was eight." I added, heading for the closet while Clara followed from behind.
We picked the last dresses we had arranged for the week, since it was Friday and proceeded to put them on.
"Thank goodness it's Friday." Clara declared, and I couldn't agree less. Aside from the excitement of being a staff of Litt's int'l, it can also be very demanding.
"How much time do we have left before we are late?" I asked as I put away the pair of shoes I had selected earlier and settled for another.
"Over an hour," Clara replied after a brief look at her wristwatch.
"Let's go have breakfast," I suggested, grabbing a wrist watch from my collection. "It's better to be too early than to be too late." I added, heading out.
Clara, who had stopped to rearrange her collection of jewelry, followed suit, and together we went to the kitchen to eat breakfast.