The Love Cube

Chapter 15 : Old Scars

Since coming back to the country, Derrick had not found time to go around and visit some of his favourite places. Most held some nostalgia, especially those he had frequented with Heather.

If they were on better terms, he would have loved to invite her out. He'd started at his favourite coffee shop which, despite several times of trying to make Heather move from her favourite place to it, all his efforts had been futile.

She had always fought back by saying their coffee did not taste how she liked it, despite the fact that he thought they tasted the same. She had always been steadfast like that, he thought as he smiled. They had been so good together until he ruined them.

Once he had made it through the door, he saw the unmistakable silhouette of someone he had not seen in a long time.

Estella.

He debated between heading out and avoiding an encounter with her, but thought against it especially when he remembered he was trying to build the broken bridges. He stood a meter away from her waiting for her to turn back.

It all happened in slow motion. Her eyes falling on him, the recognition flashing through them and the disgust and hatred that clouded them.

It stung but he deserved that.

And just like that she tried to make her way past him, not uttering a word. Unlike with Heather, he was not going to let her go. She had been like a little sister to him and had been guilty over how he had left. Even as he had been away, he had always tried to communicate with her but had been ultimately blocked on all her social media accounts, all communication being completely servered between them.

" You have the nerve, Derrick. I will give you that. I should have put two and two together,'' she spat out with so much anger.

'' I just want to apologize, El,'' he replied, calling her by the name he had always done, which seemed to aggravate her even more.

Raising her index finger, she stopped him.

Giving him one last look, she left and he stood in the middle of the coffee shop stranded and broken. He had not expected it to be easy but he did not know it would hurt this much.

He no longer felt the need to walk around and to lift his sour mood he decided to call the one person who had been making his days better. After three rings, the other person picked up,

" Hello, Derrick?'' Grace's warm voice floated through his speaker.

" Hello, how are you doing? '' he asked, trying to mask the sadness in his voice which she ultimately picked on.

" Are you okay? What is going on ? '' she asked, even more concerned, and he decided to just go for it.

" I met with an old friend who I wronged and is really angry with me and won't talk to me. I don't know what to do, '' he replied, sighing at the end.

" Have you apologized? '' she asked, to which he replied he had not. He had talked about his intention to but he did not actually do it.

" Apologising is always the first step to everything. Whether they accept it or not is not up to you, but it shows you are accountable for your actions. ''

Her words finally clicked . He had none with either Heather or Estella. He now had the chance to with one of the two. He quickly thanked Grace for being a life saver and made his way to Estella's home in hope she was headed there.