The trauma of losing Riley makes it hard for Valery to love. That is until Derrick reappears to claim her heart. When things seem to be moving smoothly, a force from their past in the form of Ryan (Riley's twin), returns to throw her into space. Will Valery overcome her fears and experience true happiness, or will she choose the easy way out and give up on love?
View More"Lily, do not cling to the door. Aunty dislikes that." Valery steadied herself behind the steering wheel, occasionally stealing glances at her niece to ensure she was not playing with the locks.
She smiled, seeing the six-year-old pick up the stuffed frog, which had been ignored a while back. They loved the Muppets. Although Miss Piggy was her favourite, Lily adored Kermit the Frog.
It was only a short time until they reached the mall. Valery slowly followed the other cars through the entrance, quietly peering around for a good place to park. Once she found her spot, she reeled over, initiated the brakes and turned off the engine.
"Come, little Kermit." She opened the door for Lily.
A few steps forward, Valery recalls leaving the grocery list behind. "Lily, stay right here!" She said sharply and ran back to the car.
"Where the hell did I put it." Valery combed hastily through the front seats. She hated handling pieces of paper, yet her elder sister refused to get a small notebook for the grocery list, no matter how many times she nagged about it. "Ha! Gotcha." Valery bent down to pick up the neatly folded sheet beneath Lily's seat. Lily had been holding on to it earlier, glaring at the letters as if she understood what they meant.
All was well when Valery locked the car and turned around; that was before she saw Lily walking towards the entrance on her own, not minding the road. Struck with fear and obviously out of reach, Valery yelled- waving her hand, telling Lily to stop while she dashed towards her. A car was approaching rather recklessly down the narrow road.
Worried she won't make it on time, Valery tried signalling the diver to slow down, but it was useless. The driver had drowned the car's insides with loud music and was also not paying much attention.
Out of nowhere, a figure swooped in and grabbed Lily out of harm's way, frightening the child, who did not understand what was happening.
Shaken by the ordeal, Valery ran faster and grabbed Lily, who was put down by her saviour.
"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!!! WHY DIDN'T YOU LISTEN TO ME!! ARE YOU A DODO BIRD? WHY DO YOU LOVE RUNNING INTO DANGER LIKE THIS!" Valery panicked.
"Excuse me, but the fault is yours for not keeping a better eye on her." The stranger called her out on her mistake. "Had I not seen her earlier, that bastard would have run her over and not even looked back. "
Valery sighed, forcing out a breath of relief. "You're right. I should have been careful. It's okay, baby, don't cry. I was wrong to have left you like that. Come to Aunty. I'm not angry, okay." She tried to comfort Lily.
Valery reached out, slowly grabbing Lily's hand and pulling her closer to hug her. Then she rose to her feet to address their helper. "Thank you very much, I...I... Derrick?" she stammered after getting a proper look at the man. It took him less than a second to recognize her as well.
Derrick's eyes widened as his lips curved upwards. "Violet. I mean Valery," he said, not knowing how to process this rush of mixed feelings coursing through his veins.
(Three hours later.)
*Music in the background*
The song played repeatedly, intoxicating Valery's mind as she drove on the highway. She was a massive bowl of emotions until it got sour, and she wanted them to disappear.
Derrick had accompanied her to shop for groceries that afternoon and spent about forty minutes with her in a coffee shop. Lily was treated to cheesecake and chocolate milk, which made her forget about the incident.
Valery was still determining how it would all end, exchanging contacts and acting friendly again. Nothing had changed about Derrick; he was taller, a bit bulkier, and more handsome, but he still had those eyes that once made her heart flutter.
'I know it ain't easy, giving up your heart.'
Valery sighed as the song spelt out the obvious.
Lily's little feet ran into the house as soon as the door was shut. Her mother and baby brother should be waiting for them inside. When Valery put the bags on the counter, Jennifer was in the kitchen, preparing the stew with the few ingredients at home.
"You took your time," Jennifer said.
"I bumped into a friend along the way, and your daughter nearly gave me a heart attack." Valery chose to leave out the crucial details. There were days she wished she did not have to tag her niece along, and Jennifer felt it. At least Kofi was yet to crawl and get on her nerves as much. But that's how kids are; sometimes, they can't be controlled or coaxed into staying out of harm's way. You just have to step up as an adult and be ready to shield them with your life.
"I'm heading home." Valery sorted herself out with a bottle of water.
"Stay and have supper with us. My husband will be an hour late, and you know I hate eating alone."
"That's why you have children, Jennifer," Valery said, holding a mischievous smirk.
Jenny pursed her mouth, resisting the urge to throw a ladle at her younger sister. "Someday, when you get out of this no-dating phase and have to raise two beautiful kids like mine, I will be there to throw shades back at you. Mark my words, Val." Jennifer pointed her saucy wand at the offender, who gladly laughed at her pains. "Seriously, you're not going anywhere, so strap Kofi to your back and come help me finish." She stirred the pot of stew.
"Okay, big Sis, but know I won't be here till Eric comes home," Valery said on her way to the living room where Kofi was lying in his rocker.
Supper turned out great; they even got a glass of wine over a TV series they enjoyed watching. Valery ended up staying till her sister's husband returned from work.
She got to her apartment roughly at ten and hopped into the shower. Wearing nothing underneath her morning coat, Valery sat on the bed with a phone in hand, going through her messages to see if any surprises were waiting for her. Sure enough, there was.
A text from Derrick, asking her out on a proper date...
High SchoolRyan had always been a rebel. Living with an illness didn’t tame his spirit, it only made him fiercer, more defiant. If his days were numbered, he sure as hell wasn’t going to spend them trying to please anyone.He didn’t pick fights, but he never walked away from one either. And every time, he made sure to finish what someone else had started.After his fifth school suspension in a single year, his mother, Hecate, had finally made the difficult call. Homeschooling. It wasn’t just about his record; it was about survival. Ryan’s condition had shown little progress, and every morning he left for school felt like a gamble. Worse, his identical twin Riley was constantly dragged into his mess.So when Riley finally got into a new school without him, Hecate clung to the hope that her calmer son might thrive. Riley was thoughtful, rational - the kind of kid teachers liked. But even he couldn’t avoid trouble. One evening, he came home with bruises, hidden beneath long sleeves and
Present Day… Valery had been fighting herself for hours. Even after her shift ended, she couldn’t bring herself to leave. She lingered outside the waiting area, pacing restlessly beneath the moonlight that hung like a chandelier in the night sky. 'This is ridiculous. Just go in. He’s not going to bite... but what if he does? Damn it, why did they have to meet like this?' Ever since Derrick’s visit, Ryan had withdrawn completely, his aura reverting to that familiar, icy coldness. The kind that used to freeze her out when she got too close. Now, Valery feared his reaction. 'But I need to explain. I need him to understand.' With a deep breath, she marched to his door. After a gentle knock, she pushed it open and stepped inside. Ryan wasn’t asleep. He lay still, eyes staring blankly at the ceiling. “Hey,” Valery said softly, pinching her fingers for control. 'Don’t back down. Just talk to him.' Ryan didn’t look at her. “You here to check my vitals or something?” There
High SchoolDerrick's fingers dug into the pliant flesh beneath the girl's uniform, his breathing ragged against her neck. His hips stuttered forward in urgent rhythm, chasing release.The door handle rattled. They froze mid-motion.Derrick's shoulders relaxed when he saw the intruder. "Riley." He withdrew, zipping his jeans with practiced ease as the girl scrambled to adjust her skirt. She fled without meeting Riley's gaze, her shoes clicking sharply against the floor.Riley entered slowly, struggling to process the scene he'd just witnessed. "I thought you were in a committed relationship," he said."I am." Derrick turned to the fridge, grabbing a drink. "Valery isn't big on intimacy, and I don't want to force her.""So, you chose to cheat on her? How old was that girl?""Of legal age. I can't starve myself just because my girlfriend is difficult. Stop making a fuss over nothing. Valery ought to be grateful someone else handles her job."Riley was speechless."Come on, don't look at
"We should head out. I'll help you." Valery pulled her hand back, carefully lifting Ryan by the shoulders."I said let’s dump that stupid chair. I can walk." Ryan’s brows furrowed as Valery brought up the wheelchair. She had no choice but to listen, though she nearly regretted it when he stumbled. Fortunately, some nearby strangers stepped in to help."Thank you, I can take it from here," Ryan said politely as he steadied himself."A park, huh? The sunlight is blinding," Ryan remarked, taking a deep breath. "No harsh detergents or repugnant medicine. The air is fresh, and the grass is as green as it gets. No beeping machines or footsteps echoing down those eerie corridors. I could get used to this.""I can imagine how hard it’s been," Valery said."You might think you understand, given your profession, but the pain... it’s beyond what your brilliant, feeble mind could ever process." Ryan’s voice was edged with bitterness.A small smile touched Valery's lips. Ryan had no obligation to
Days later...By the time the sun came out, the first storm had passed. Ryan responded to treatment, though he appeared so frail that there were speculations he wouldn't make it through the night. Yet after two days of slumber, he opened his eyes.His vision was blurry at first. His throat was sore, his head a mess, and something was strapped to his face. When the fog in his eyes cleared, Ryan discovered he wasn’t alone. Valery was there, reclined on the couch not far from his bed. Her elbow rested on the window frame, her head tilted in an uncomfortable position.Ryan sighed, his chest relaxing. He stared at her a little longer, baffled that such a day had come- where he would be at the receiving end of Valery's attention as he possibly lay on his deathbed. Time may have altered their bodies, but it certainly hadn’t changed their hearts- at least, not his.‘Forget it. This won’t last,’ Ryan thought, convinced that Valery would break her promise, leaving him to wallow in misery again
Ryan sat in the sterile hospital room, staring blankly at the wall. His mind was swirling in doubt and despair. He had all the time in the world to think, but none of it brought him any solace or clarity."Valery is one of the best doctors in this country. This could be your last chance at a cure, Ryan. Are you going to throw it away because of the past?" Margret's words echoed in his mind. Ryan was sure of his decision, yet he owed Margret his attention; she was the only one who stood by him through the bitterness and painful procedures.As he brooded, the door creaked open. In stepped a figure clad in a crisp lab coat and sensible shoes. It was Valery, the woman he despised. She dared to approach him with a smile as if they had something to discuss."I wasn't gurgling water in my mouth the last time," Ryan said, the drugs making his speech sluggish. He would have howled at her intensely if he could."Your mother and I agreed that having me on the team would be beneficial, Master W
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