Chapter 2 Kiss Me Back Please

• "Timothy!" Cara gasped in horror, the tray crashing to the floor as it fell from her hands.
• Hearing the sudden crash, everyone in the booth looked up at her, but her eyes were stuck on just one person. He hadn't seemed to realise she was the one yet, as he was so occupied with the bimbo sitting on his lap, he couldn't spare her more than a glance.
• Cara watched in shock as the man she would be getting married to in a few months time-the man who was supposedly in a meeting with a client-whispered into the ears of the lady sitting on his legs and how she giggled unnecessarily in reply.
• Her eyes welled up with tears. Looking around once more, she saw more familiar faces. This betrayal, she felt her entire world come crashing down.
• Sitting in the room with Timothy were his friends and their girlfriends-the people she thought were her friends too, but she was wrong. She'd known them for as long as she'd known Timothy and wondered if they only saw her as his girlfriend instead of a friend.
• Did everyone know about this?
• "Cara?" One of his friends loudly called out, and Timothy snapped his head up in surprise.
• "Cara? Where's she?"
• Looking away from his friend, he looked her way, and Cara could only stare at him in disgust as she willed herself not to let the tears fall.
• Never again. She had promised herself. She'd never again cry over him, and she wasn't going to break that promise today.
• "Cara baby. What are you doing here? I thought you worked on the ground floor only."
• Rolling her eyes, Cara scoffed.
• Typical Timothy.
• She caught him cheating again, and all he's worried about is the fact that she wasn't supposed to work up here.
• I have to get out of there, she thought.
• She wasn't going to stand by and watch Timothy insult her once again. Feeling anger course through her veins, with a firm resolve, she gathered the last of her courage, looking at him with contempt.
• "We're over, Timothy. I'm done with you." And then she walked away.
• "Cara wait. You don't mean that. I'm sorry." He called after her, but she didn't spare him a glance.
• Walking faster, she pulled off her apron, rushing towards the staff room. Behind the little courage was a lot of fear. She had to put enough distance between them both and fast! Cara wasn't sure she could take another beating tonight.
• She thought of everything she had done for him. Timothy wasn't always like this. He was there for her at her lowest point when no one was. She was struggling, contemplating giving it all up, when she met him. His love for her got her through it all. When she caught him cheating the first time, she confronted him and got a good beating. Everyone said he was emotionally manipulative and violent, but he apologised and promised to turn a new leaf, so she stayed. When she caught him the third time, they said he didn't care for her, but he apologised and proposed, so she stayed. No one could understand their love, she had thought. Looking back on it all now, all she could feel were regrets.
• She had been so foolish. Why blame everyone for hiding the truth from her when they all expected the same result? Well, they are going to get the biggest shock of their lives because she was done.
• She was done. Done being a foot mat for everyone. She was tired of working and working with nothing to show for it. She was done taking trash from her sorry excuse of a fiancé. For Christ sake, it was her birthday, and here she was working hard to pay off her father's debts instead of living her life.
• "Don't walk out on me while I'm talking to you!"
• She felt him pull her back and she let out a small scream, stumbling on her feet.
• "Timothy! How dare you?"
• "How dare me? How dare you walk out on me? In front of my friends?" He sneered
• "Is that all you care about? I just caught you cheating again, Tim. This isn't even the third time." Cara cried out.
• "I wasn't cheating. We were just hanging out." Timothy defended
• "Hanging out? On my birthday? Timothy, you told me you had a meeting. I have had a rough day, and I just wanted a break with my fiancé. You know what? I don't care anymore; we're over." She declared, trying to free her arm of his tight grip.
• "You can't break up with me!" Timothy gripped her wrist tighter, ignoring Cara's painful pleas.
• Pulling all her weight, she pushed him back and ran for the staff room door.
• If she could just get in, she'd be safe on the other side, she thought.
• As she made a move to open the door, it was thrown open, almost slamming into her face. In a fit of shock, Cara lost her footing, her eyes closing automatically as she anticipated the fall, only to be stopped by a firm arm around her waist.
• The first thing she felt was how strong the arm was as it held unto her waist tightly, and then she smelt him.
• His cologne was enough to have any woman sway on their feet. She felt as though she could get drunk on the scent alone.
• "Are you alright?"
• She heard his deep, baritone voice ask and felt shivers run through her spine. Never in her entire life has she heard anything that could make her feel so pleased and fearful at the same time.
• Opening her eyes, she was met with the deepest grey ones she'd ever seen, staring into hers as though he were trying to see through her soul.
• Cara glanced over his facial features and wondered how a man could look this beautiful even with a stoic expression on his face. Giving him a once-over, she could see his muscles straining against the fabric of his shirt and the tip of an elaborate tattoo as it peaked out from the turtleneck he was wearing.
• "Cara! What are you doing? Get over here now!" Timothy bellowed, reminding her of his presence behind them.
• Suddenly, an idea struck her mind. If she's going to escape leaving with Timothy tonight, she couldn't do that by herself. Even if she did, he'll be back at the house when she goes to pick up her stuff. It had always been like that. The same vicious circle repeats itself whenever they have a fight.
• Cara shot one last icy glance at Timothy before she slipped her hands around the strange man's neck.
• Holding onto him tightly as a big smile stretched across her face.
• "Babe! You're here." She said in faux surprise.
• And then she kissed him.
• Pulling back a little to search his face for any sign of reluctance, she noticed a brief moment of shock flash across his face then he went back to his typical stoicism. Bringing her lips back to his, she whispered
• "Kiss me back, please."