CHAPTER 8: Raindrops and Regrets.

ALESSA'S POV

After the contract signing, and passing it to him. He looked me in the eyes. “I will propose 3 days from now and the wedding will be held a week after the proposal.” he said before signing, shocking me.

I stood up like the chair had suddenly caught fire.

My heart was pounding, but my face? Calm. Ice cold. Just like I’d practiced in front of the mirror, the night before. I didn’t look at him. I refused to. But I could feel his stupid smirk burning into my back like a bad rash.

Three years.

Three years I was going to be tied to this arrogant bastard, and I couldn’t even blame anyone but myself.

“Three whole years,” I muttered under my breath.

He had the audacity to chuckle behind me. “Yeah three years with you God really does have a dark sense of humor.”

I bit down on my tongue so hard I tasted blood. Turning around and stabbing him with my heel wasn’t an option. Not legally, anyway.

I walked straight toward the door and out of the cafe, where the rain poured like the sky itself was angry at my life choices. The clouds had been flirting with a drizzle when we arrived. Now it was full-on storm mode. Typical.

I opened my tiny umbrella. One of the metal rods was bent, and it made this sad little creaking noise every time I used it. I was grateful that I brought one.

Behind me, I heard those slow, cocky footsteps. He was following, of course. “That umbrella…” he started, voice thick with amusement, “Did you pull it out of a cereal box?”

I rolled my eyes and kept walking, God i hated him. “Still talking? Thought you'd be busy admiring your reflection in the glass.”

“I would, but your face keeps ruining the view.”

I exhaled slowly. Count to ten, Alessa. Don’t kill him now. Maybe wait a week.

As soon as we stepped outside, his bodyguard appeared with the kind of umbrella that screamed money, sleek, massive, probably had Wi-Fi and a mini bar hidden inside.

I didn’t care. I just kept walking, letting my poor excuse of an umbrella shield me as best it could.

Then I heard it.

A loud, ugly snap.

I turned my head just in time to see Ethan’s expensive umbrella flip inside out like a dead cockroach. It flailed for a moment, and then whoosh, gone. Snatched by the wind and yeeted into the sky like it owed someone money.

“WHAT THE HELL…?! What do you mean by no extra umbrella!!” he shouted at the poor body guard.

I swear, I almost laughed. But I bit it back. Barely.

“No backup?” I called sweetly over my shoulder. “That’s surprising. You usually carry enough ego to shield a whole stadium.”

He glared at me like he was trying to melt my soul. “I hope your umbrella breaks next.”

“Jealousy isn’t a good look, Michael.”

He cursed under his breath and then stormed over, ducking under my umbrella without asking. His shoulder bumped mine.

“Great,” he muttered. “This thing smells like cheap detergent.”

“Then step out and go sniff your bank account.”

We walked in silence for a few seconds, him grumbling, me pretending he didn’t exist. But the rain wasn’t playing around. Water splashed up from the sidewalk, soaking my legs. My grip on the umbrella tightened.

And then he just had to open his mouth again.

“Still remember the day you confessed to me?” he said, voice low.

I stopped in my tracks.

He didn’t.

“Seven years ago,” he went on. “You were trembling. Blushing. Could barely look me in the eye.”

“Don’t,” I said, voice sharp. “Just don’t.”

“I said no, and you acted like I’d crushed your entire world. It was adorable.”

“You humiliated me,” I snapped. “In front of the whole school. I will never forgive you for that.”

He shrugged. “Oh don't be like that, I was only being honest. You were a nerd. I was a god.”

“Just that you’re the richer, more heartless, emotionally constipated version.” I replied disgusted by his pride.

He grinned, smug as ever. “You noticed I’m richer.”

Before I could slap that smirk off his face, my umbrella shuddered violently. The wind howled, harder this time. I gripped it tighter, but it was useless.

With a horrible crack, the last hinge gave way. The umbrella twisted, bent backward, and took off like a dying bird, leaving both of us completely, completely exposed.

“Oh my God!” I shouted. “No, no, come back here!”

It was gone.

“It's your fault.” I screamed, he looked at me shocked.

The rain pounded my head, my shoulders, soaking into my dress and chilling me to the bone. It gave me painful reminders and flashbacks

“Well,” Michael said, completely unbothered. “That’s karma.”

I whipped around. “This is all your fault!” I just wanted to blame him. It was truly his fault from the very beginning and all I felt around him was pain, I just wanted him to see how much I hated him.

“Oh really? How?”

“Because everything is your fault, Michael!”

He rolled his eyes. “That logic is just as broken as your umbrella.”

That was it. I was fed up with his presence and cruelty.

I turned and started storming away, splashing through puddles, hair sticking to my face, my clothes clinging to my skin.

“I’m going to catch a cab. Far. Away. From. You.”

I didn’t care if I had to walk ten blocks.

But karma wasn’t done with me yet.

My ballet flats slipped on the wet concrete, and I felt my foot skid. My heart leapt into my throat. I was falling, fast, backward, legs tangled. A scream clawed its way out.

And then suddenly, I wasn’t falling.

I was in his arms.

Chest to chest. His hands gripped my waist. Mine clutching at his shirt.

I froze.

His face was inches from mine. Raindrops slid down his cheeks, dripping from his eyelashes. His arms were strong. Solid. Warm, despite the rain.

We just stared at each other.

For the first time in forever, he wasn’t smirking.

I hated how steady his heartbeat felt against me.

“I’ve got you,” he said quietly.

I swallowed. “Let go.” But I didn’t pull away.

Neither did he.

And the rain kept falling like the world forgot to stop.

I pushed him off me after a few minutes and walked away, this time without looking back.