Arranged to fall in love

Chapter 1

“Miss Leigh! What are you doing back here?”, Pierre, the ground’s man and caretaker of Armani Complex said. As l stepped inside the front lobby that evening.

“What do you mean Pierre? I live in this building don’t l”, l replied jauntily. As l walked towards the front desk to collect the spare keys to my apartment.

Pierre frowned, the tiny wrinkles in his forehead creasing slightly as he gave me an apprehensive look. “But l just saw you arrive with Mr Danvers a few minutes ago”, Pierre said. His throaty voice dying down at the very end.

Dylan Danvers was my longtime boyfriend of three and a half years. We started dating since l was twenty and just a freshman in college.

Dylan was my first boyfriend as much as he was my first love. We met at a party in my first week of college. When he’d spotted me standing by the living room wall like the shy wallflower I was.

Back then, l was extremely awkward and shy. And had only attended the party because my friend and roommate Astrid had talked me into it.

That night, Dylan had walked up to me and asked me if I knew where the bathroom was. I laughed awkwardly and told him that I had no idea where it was and that it wasn’t even my house. And when he’d turned to walk away, he tripped on a table leg and spilled all his punch onto my favorite lilac summer dress.

He had apologized profusely, and l couldn’t help but notice the sincerity in his voice. Needless to say, that night I went home with a stained lilac dress and an unforeseen interest in a particular brown haired boy.

“What do you mean you saw me arrive a few minutes ago? I just got off work half an hour ago”, I said with an amused tone.

Pierre gave me a bewildered look as l walked past him and into the elevator that had just opened a few feet away from him. Pierre was a small and frail older aged man. He had known me for two years now since l had moved into the apartment complex with my boyfriend Dylan after he’d convinced me to move out of my dorm room in college and move in with him.

So l doubted if he could confuse me with someone else. But the little man was growing old and possibly demented. So I paid no mind to his statement and bewildered gaze as l pressed the buttons to my floor.

I reached the door to my apartment with great elation. I couldn’t wait to be back in the safety of my apartment with my boyfriend Dylan. He had told me he had classes that day and would probably be back home late. But the idea that l would soon be with him made me ecstatic.

I inserted the key in the keyhole. Unlocked the door and stepped inside with great ease. Once I had stepped inside, I noticed Dylan’s leather coat. The very same coat that he had left wearing this morning draped over our brown couch.

Instantly, l felt my heart flutter as the prospect of my returned lover filled the air. I smiled in anticipation as l walked inside the hallway and towards our bedroom door.

“Dylan’s here”, l thought. As l lightly trod towards the partially open door.

Inside the room, l could hear low shuffling and muffled sounds. As l neared the door, the muffled sounds turned into distinct moans.

“No I’m not hearing right”, I thought as l stopped and listened by the door.

But only l was. Immediately l thrust the door open to find a half naked Dylan panting furiously underneath the heavy covers of our bed.

“What the hell is going on here!”, I shouted. My voice orotund as l stood by the bedroom door.

Immediately the room fell silent and Dylan instantly turned to look at me. His eyes widened like two large saucers and he immediately tried to climb off the bed. Tripping clumsily over the covers as he fell to the ground with a loud thud.

“Leigh, wait, it’s not what it looks like”, Dylan said his voice breathy whilst he was struggling to make his way off the floor.

Suddenly l noticed movement on the bed and l watched as another blonde head stirred up, revealing it self from the white linen sheets. And my baby blue eyes were greeted by a set of piercing honeycomb brown eyes.

“What do you mean it’s not what it looks like! And who the fuck is she?”, I shouted in frustration as the blonde girls piercing eyes continued to glare at me like l was something you’d find on the bottom of your shoe.

Dylan finally got up from the floor. Sighing heavily as he used the fallen covers to wrap up his lower body.

“Well answer me god dam-it! Who the fuck is she!”, I yelled. My blood boiling to the point of frustration as anger coaxed through my veins.

“Your replacement, I’ve been cheating on you with her”, Dylan finally answered with a dead face.

“What!”, I exclaimed.

“You heard me, there’s no point hiding it anymore, its over”, Dylan said flatly.

“What?” I almost chocked. “What do you mean it’s over?” I asked, my voice brittle as hot heavy tears were now stinging the corners of my eyes. Threatening to spill at any given time.

“What are you deaf now? I said it’s fucking over between us. Now pack your stupid things and leave, I was in the middle of something”, Dylan replied harshly.

I stupidly watched as Dylan climbed back onto the bed, snuggling up to the giggling blonde that lay naked beside him. The realization of what was happening suddenly hitting me in the face like a bucket of cold water.

“How could you do this to me Dylan?”, I cried. “l thought you loved me. You said you fucking loved me!”, I yelled hot and angry tears now streaming down my face.

Dylan simply ignored me as his hand slowly began to caress the blonde girls naked chest. His hand brushing gently over the girls breast in ways he’d never touched me. And the blonde girl turned to me and gave me a smug smirk before she dove straight for my boyfriends lips.