It Has Been A While.

"This dress looks amazing on you, you should get it."

My eyes flickered with so much excitement as I gazed at my reflection. The dress was a short flowery one, stopping just above half my thigh. It was off shoulder, and it highlighted my beautiful collarbones that I never seem to love enough.

It was perfect.

"I will take it." I did my best to contain my excitement but the person who was supposed to be selling me the dress could see it nonetheless. 

I couldn't wait for James's birthday. I had waited all year for this moment and I wanted to make it a very memorable one. You see. James was everything to me, I loved him with everything I ever was, and soon we would be married. 

Well that was what I believed since he promised me… I was already losing my train of thoughts, I shook it off with a soft exhalation and went to pay for the dress. After the shopping was done, I rushed home to finish the decorations of the cake I had baked him. Three tiers, all his favourite kind of chocolate. It had taken me hours to achieve this level of perfection, and I was sure he would love it.

A perfect cake for a perfect boyfriend.

To me, James was perfect in every way possible. Was it his hair? That was a perfect ombre brown or was it his smile that always knew how to light up my day? Phew, I was thinking about him again when I should be finishing up his cake. By the time I was done with it, I was exhausted, but it was also when I got a message from him, we were supposed to meet up for dinner tonight, and he just texted to tell me not to be late.

And I was this close to being late because I had lost track of the time. I dashed out of the kitchen and went straight to the bathroom. I didn't have the luxury of time on my side, so I dashed out and began looking for the fastest thing to put on and that happened to be my black dress. 

Yes, my black dress.

I slipped into my little black dress, the one that never failed to make me feel effortlessly elegant. The square neckline framed my collarbone just right, not too revealing, but enough to catch James's attention. I loved the way the puff sleeves fluttered softly at my shoulders, giving off a sweet, almost innocent vibe that contrasted perfectly with the boldness of the black fabric. The dress hugged my waist before flowing into a light, flirty skirt that swayed with every step I took. It was simple, yet timeless—no frills or flashy embellishments, just a classic silhouette that made me feel both powerful and undeniably feminine.

Tonight, I wanted James to notice me. Ever since we finished high school, he had been occupied with one thing or the other, and I was starting to feel neglected. Often times he told me I was being too clingy, but I just wanted to spend some time with him. Us having dinner was a great way to patch up all the nasty stuff that had happened since we graduated. Deep down I wanted this to be the night where he would propose.

"Crystal! Are you stepping out this evening?" my mum called for me and out of annoyance, I facepalmed myself, I forgot to tell her I was having dinner with James. She rushed upstairs to see me struggling to put my heels on and moved closer, so I could use her as support, "sweetie, where are you off to?"

"I'm sorry mum, I forgot to tell you I was going out with James. For dinner, you know how it has been between us." yes, my mum had been there through everything, through all the nights I cried myself to sleep when he wouldn't respond to my texts or call back. She gave me a soft look before she lifted my shoulders up.

"Always remember you have a home, okay sweetie? Call me if you need me to pick you up." her hands ran through my blonde hair and as she smiled at me, I could see the creases on her face that made her look older than she was, signs she was overworking again. I didn't say anything, but I hugged her back with as much strength as my tiny arms could muster, I loved my mum a lot, she was my everything.

But I also loved James, he was my future. 

It didn't take long for my Lift to arrive, and soon I was on my way to one of the best Chinese restaurants in town, not the cheap ones that are always two or three on a street but a very fancy one, the one James' always loved to get his take-outs from. How did James and I meet? We were in music class together back in high school, he wasn't the most obedient kid, but he had interesting ways of doing his things. His spontaneity caught me and we became friends.

I still remember our first kiss, it was spring and the weather was hectic then, I was cold, had forgotten to bring my jacket, and he offered me his. When the material wrapped around me, it looked like I had disappeared in it. James is much bigger than I am, he stretched at a height, 6'2 and weighed around 190 pounds. While I on the other hand begged God to make me 5'2, and I weighed 90 pounds.

I cannot tell you how many people have asked me what my fitness routine is like or if I even eat anything, and don't get me wrong, I eat a lot and I don't go to the gym either. I'm just built this way. At the same time, it has brought me ridicule from society and harsh nicknames like "peep squeak", "stick girl", "noodles" and well…a lot. But James loved me either way, and he never failed to show it…well….until…

"Ma'am we are here." the driver told me and I jumped out the next second, handing him the money for the ride afterwards. I entered the restaurant and soon the receptionist smiled at me, giving me a gentle wave. James and I came here so often, he already knew where we sat and what we would likely order. He gave me directions to the rooftop and when I got there, I saw my boyfriend, the love of my life, slurping noodles and staring at his phone eerily, like he would jump into it.

"Hey babe." I smiled at him when I was close enough, and he seemed startled. Coughing a little, his eyes scanned me from head to toe and I wondered if he liked the dress.

"Hey there Doll, you are late again." The smirk that graced his lips was playful, and it was enough to get me to blush. I took my seat quickly before he changed his mind and decided to punish me for making him wait.

"Sorry, I was… doing something important, and it took a lot of my time." Before I could settle down properly, the waitress had brought my food, a portion that was three times what anyone would expect me to eat, "so baby?" I was already a plate down when I called for his attention, he was focusing on his phone and I wondered what was making him smile. Whatever it was, it was making me jealous, "when am I going to see your family?"

The smile wiped off his face and he coughed back to reality, I thought he was choking, so I handed him some water.

"My family?" he reiterated to make sure he heard me correctly.

"James… I have been meaning to say this, you are different. Ever since we graduated…" my eyes held so much sadness, I could barely look at him, but I forced myself too, and he could see I wasn't happy, "I know school is tough and all but remember the promises you made to me, I want to see your family, i wanna get married, i wanna have your baby James. Or don't you want that with me any more?"

"I do Doll…it's just…" he trailed off, very tempted to pick his phone again, but I begged him not to, my expression did, "everything has been going for me lately, and I know I have hurt you so much, but I promise I will give you all the happiness you deserve." he grabbed my hand and rubbed it affectionately, covering my dainty fingers in his large ones, "we can check in tonight, I like what you are wearing doll." The last statement was barely a whisper and my face burned a bright red.

I knew what that meant. It didn't take long for me to finish my meal, and soon we were in a hotel room, kissing like our lives depended on it. I should have sent mum a message that I won't be coming home but the amount of kisses and Hickeys he put on my body stunned my reasoning. I only thought of him at that moment.

"Oh baby," I moaned out as his fingers jerked inside of me, he lay beside me in amusement, amusement that dripped with carnal desires. No matter how many times I tried to push him off, he was just too big, and I could only resort to begging. My size made it easier for him to twist and bend me, to dominate me. Having me screaming his name over and over again, pouring his seed into my body, not once and not twice but more times that I lost count.

He made love to me for hours. Hot, raw, passionate sex. Sex I didn't go anywhere else for.

It was only a matter of time before my body gave out, and I fell asleep in his arms. I don't remember how long I was asleep for but when I opened my eyes, the sun was already out and shining brightly, James was still beside me, sleeping ever so peacefully. It made me smile, I still had the love of my life.

I picked up my phone from wherever it was and saw so many calls from my mum, I facepalmed myself and hissed, "I should have sent her a text." I was so stupid at times. My finger fiddled with my keyboard, writing her a lengthy explanation and heartfelt apologies, my mum was a worry wart and would freak over the slightest things, it was probably why she had so many wrinkles. As I sent the message, a familiar tune filled my ears and immediately went looking for the object.

James's phone was ringing, it was most likely his alarm, but I didn't want it to wake him up. When I found his phone, he was already stirring gently in his sleep and as I attempted to dismiss the alarm, I saw an ID name. It wasn't an alarm, someone was calling him.

"Roxy?" The name escaped my lips. Who was that? And why was she calling him?