Tolerating The Player

*ONE YEAR LATER*

ZACH’S POV

It’s our one year anniversary and everything has been moving so fast between us, even though we fought sometimes she’s still the only one I’ve stuck with throughout the year and I’m lucky to have someone like her.

I pulled by the flower store and searched through for her favourite flower. I would be getting her chocolates too and we would go to a restaurant together after I give her the flowers and bribe her money-driven boss at work. The man makes me laugh sometimes but then I’m glad I could easily shut his mouth up with money and sneak Isabella away from work.

“Uhm excuse me, you don’t have a lily?” I asked the girl who had been staring at me since I got in, she seemed to be working here too.

She was still staring at me with a smile on her face and I wondered if she couldn’t hear me. I walked closer to her and waved my hands in front of her eyes but she wasn’t still moving and I feared that she might be dead.

“Rosa ¿Qué diablos estás haciendo mirando a un cliente de esa manera?” An old woman came to where we were standing and gave the girl a pinch on her cheek before she snapped back to reality. Thanks to the little Spanish classes I attended in middle school I was able to know that she was scolding the girl about staring at me without doing anything.

“It’s fine abuela” I replied and the old woman gave a nervous smile to me before giving a death glare to the girl whose name is Rosa.

“I’m so sorry, what do you need?” She asked and I smirked at her.

“I need some lilies for my girlfriend” I replied and her face slightly fell. I’m used to this kind of attitude from ladies though that’s why I made sure to mention my girlfriend.

“Oh right here” she led me to another aisle where lilies were and I picked the one my eyes caught first. I smiled at the thought of her face blooming when she sees the flower.

“She’s a really lucky girl” The girl smiled at me and I nodded my head.

“Of course she is,” I replied before leaving the store. There was something strange about the girl, I’ve been used to ladies gawking at me that way but there was something different and meek about her. She wasn’t like a thot but maybe she just found me attractive. Good for her because she has a good taste.

I entered my car and started it. I would be going to Isabella’s work and damn it I’ll have to face her boss again.

I brought out some dollar notes from my wallet before keeping it safe in my car. He won’t rest till he has all of the money on me.

I reached the restaurant she was working in and parked my car in front of it but immediately I stepped down from the car her boss was standing in front of me with a sly smirk on his face.

“You’ll have to pay for parking” he said with a sly smirk and I gave him a five dollar note. He kissed the note and I rolled my eyes before entering the restaurant with the flowers behind me. My Bella seemed to be so busy attending to some customers that she didn’t notice me until I stood in front of her.

“What can I get y….” She raised up her head and saw me standing, a smile creeped on her face and she pulled my head before hugging it tightly.

“You’re going to choke me if you don’t stop!” I whined and she released me with a smile on her face. I wonder how broader the smile would be when she sees the flower I got for her. She has been smiling a lot lately and I’ve been loving her more everyday.

“Happy anniversary baby!” I said and kissed her lips, it was a short kiss before I pulled away, I wouldn’t want her boss to catch us.

“I got you something” she said and I cringed my brows. I didn’t want her to go through the stress of getting me anything, besides her pay from the work was barely enough for her.

“You really didn’t need to get me anything Isabella, you need to save the money for you and Joe and your college” I replied and she rolled her eyes. Even though my father had promised to sponsor her college she was still adamant about working hard for it throughout this whole year.

“Would you shut up and see it first?” She scolded and I kept quiet and waited for her to show me while she scanned through her bag.

“I swear I kept it here” she cooed and I immediately saw sadness enveloped in her eyes.

“Hey hey, what’s wrong?” I asked and noticed how the smile on her face immediately vanished.

“It’s nothing important, I bought a matching bracelet for us but I can’t seem to find it anymore, it was really pretty though” she sadly muttered the last word and I bet she spent a lot on the bracelet.

“Hey it’s fine, I got you something too” I tried to cheer her up but her smile wasn’t as broad as the smile she had on her face earlier. She wouldn’t want me to pay her back for the bracelet even though we’ve fought a lot of times about her not accepting money from me, I still end up apologising most times.

I brought out the lilies from my back in a dramatic way and her eyes lit up at the sight of them. She carefully collected them from me and muttered “Thank you”

I reached for her lips to kiss her but heard a fake cough, it was her boss and now I’m in trouble.

“What do you guys think here is a motel?” He yelled and I rubbed my temples.

“We’re sorry sir, I have to take her somewhere with me” I said and both Isabella and her boss stared at me with their eyes wide open.

“You’ll have to wait till she closes….” His statement slurred immediately. I flashed him a fifty dollar note.Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

He collected it from me and cleared his throat, “you’ll have to be at work tomorrow though” he said before leaving and Isabella bursted out in laughter.

I dragged her hand away from the restaurant with the flowers in her hands and this is one of the things I love doing with her, holding her hands while we walk or run away from a place. It reminded me of the day we went to a closed library store because she needed to get an original copy of a book. We were almost caught by a cop that day but we ran together and wouldn’t stop laughing.

We entered the car and she looked at me with a questioning eyes, “where are we going to?” She asked and I let out a heavy breath.

“It’s a surprise but first I need you to dress up so I’ll stop at your house” I said and brought out the dress I had bought for her earlier this week.

She stared at it with amusement in her eyes but shook her head and I wondered what could have happened.

“Drop me off at Maya’s house, my father is at home and I really don’t want to meet him today” she said and I nodded my head. I really want to settle things between her and her father especially after she settled the dispute between my father and I a year ago after he helped me save her from dying.

I’ve been trying my best but the last time I set up a date for her and her father without her consent she stayed mad at me for a whole day and I almost died from the silent treatment she gave me, I’m sure I’ll come up with a better idea soon.

It didn’t take long before we reached Maya’s house and i sat at the living room discussing with Joe about a new girl he likes in his school while Maya dressed Isabella up, Maya would be leaving for college tomorrow and I haven’t mustered up the courage to tell Maya about what could change our lives yet but I need to tell her tonight since it’s next week.

While I was still discussing with Joe, I raised my head to see Isabella walking down the stairs looking as beautiful as always in the royal blue dress. She looked like a princess after all she is my princess.

I couldn’t stop gawking at her even though I’ve seen her dressed up a lot of times, it still looked new to see her everyday.

“Fuck!” I yelled but immediately covered my mouth when I realized I was in front of a nine years old boy. He had stomped on my foot really hard probably because I wasn’t paying attention to him anymore and my mind was on the princess walking down the stairs.

“Zach you can’t keep on cursing in front of a little boy” Bella scolded me like a baby and pinched my ears when she got to where I was standing.

“Joe you didn’t hear anything okay?” She said and the little rascal flashed a smile at her.

“Let’s go!” She ordered and I grumbled before walking to meet her. Sometimes she scolds me like a baby. Well, I turned really soft after I fell in love with her.

I drove to the restaurant while she kept on staring outside the window with a smile on her face. I hope she wouldn’t scold me because I booked the whole restaurant for us.

We entered and she looked around but a scowl appeared on her face. “No one’s here Zachary” she said and I scratched the back of my head but she seemed to have understood what I did as she pinched the bridge of her cute little nose.

“I’ll let this slide because it’s our anniversary and I love you” she smiled before saying the last statement and I held her hand as I led her to our table that was nicely decorated with some rose petals scattered around the table and a candle in the middle of the table.

The waiter brought our food and as we started to eat, she stopped eating halfway through her food and stretched out her hand to hold my hands with a smile on her face. I was going to use this opportunity to tell her what I’ve been keeping away from her but she started to speak.

“Zach it’s been an amazing year with you by my side with your supportive love, without you I’m not sure if I’ll still be alive but your love kept me going, thank you” she said and gave my hand a light squeeze.

I was feeling guilty and uncomfortable, I wasn’t sure if this would be the best time to tell her but I need to let her know before it’s too late.

“Isabella” I said and her bright eyes looked straight at me. I feared those same eyes might not look at me anymore.

“I’m leaving for Brazil next week” I poured out and looked at her face, she was awestruck and I feared I might have said it wrongly as she removed her hands from mine.