LEO forced himself to hide his smile. He was even whistling as he made his way through the parking lot of a restaurant where Karma was waiting for him. Five days had passed since their second date. Since that night, he felt like he was floating on clouds. Karma kissed him on the cheek, and that could mean she was finally opening up to him. She was finally allowing him to tear down the walls around her heart. He, who had been the reason she built those walls in the first place, was now the very person she was allowing to break them down. He felt so blessed, and to say that he was happy was an understatement.
No words could describe what he was feeling right now. That was why when Karma called and said she wanted to tell him something, he moved like The Flash just to get to the restaurant she had chosen as their meeting place.
There were only a few people inside the restaurant. Karma was quietly seated in a corner. She looked perfectly stunning in her red top and jeans. Even though she was seated and her back was facing him, he knew it was her. His heart knew, it always knew. And when she turned to look at him and smiled, his heart was thrown into chaos even more. It was like she knew he was already there, and that thought made him feel like he was on cloud nine.
“Hey,” he started as he reached her and sat across from her.
“Hey,” she said, still smiling. “Sorry if I disturbed you today.”
He shook his head. “No, you didn’t. You have never been a nuisance in my life, Karm.”
“Well…” she bit her lower lip. “…I just wanted to see you. I kind of missed you.” she said shyly. He felt like a teenager again because of her confession. His smile was so wide that his cheeks were starting to ache.
“I missed you too,” he admitted as he looked into her eyes. For a few seconds, Karma didn’t say anything, she just stared at him. A hint of something flashed in her eyes, but before he could read it, it was gone. He couldn’t figure out what it was.
“Actually, there’s something I want to tell you, Leo,” she said after a few seconds of silence. She bit her lower lip again and lowered her gaze. He could imagine her popping her knuckles again. “The truth is, I still love you. Three years have passed, but you are still the one in my heart. I can’t forget you, Leo, no matter how I try. God knows how much I’ve tried to move on from you, but I can’t. It’s still you, you’re still the one I love until now, Leo.”
He couldn’t speak after hearing that. It felt like his heart was about to burst. He swore he could feel tears forming at the back of his eyes. Karma still loved him. Even after three years, he still owned her heart.
He stood up and walked toward her, holding her hand to help her stand. There were tears in her eyes, and Leo couldn’t hold himself back any longer. He kissed her tears away. Karma didn’t stop him. Instead, she wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him. She sniffled, trying not to cry.
“I promise you, Karm. Our love will be sweeter the second time around. I will never waste the second chance you gave me. I love you so much, Karm. God knows how happy I am right now, knowing that you still love me. I promise I’ll take care of you.”
A laugh from her cut him off. She suddenly pulled away from him and wiped the corner of her eyes. Leo didn’t know why, but he suddenly felt nervous. His brows furrowed. He was about to speak, but Karma beat him to it.
“I can’t believe you fell for that,” she said, the corner of her lips raised. “It was all a lie, Leo. I don’t love you and I will never take you back. You got that?”
He stepped back at what he heard. He felt his heart breaking. It was as if he could hear it crack. He didn’t want to believe what she was saying. If this was just a dream, he wanted to wake up. He blinked several times, but he remained awake. She even gave him a mocking smile. And Leo then knew he was facing the second most heartbreaking moment of his life.
“That’s right,” she said with a smirk. “Karma is hitting you straight in the face right now. That pain you’re feeling here,” she pointed to where his heart was. “That’s what I felt when I caught you with another woman in your penthouse. It hurts, doesn’t it? It hurts so much. It’s good to know that you’re finally feeling what I felt.”
“Karma…” He felt his tears run down his cheeks. It felt like he was facing a different Karma. She was heartless. But could he even blame her? He broke her heart three years ago. Yes, he didn’t mean it, but the damage had been done. Maybe he deserved this pain. The pain was unbearably intense, and he would be lying if he said otherwise. And no matter how many tears fell from his eyes, Karma would never love him again.
“Happy birthday, cheater,” she whispered before turning her back on him and leaving him behind.