21• Finally, they met
Flashback
It was the day Reyna spoke to Cole on the video call for the first time, and both had dozed off while talking after spending one of the best nights of their lives. They had no idea that someone was burning with jealousy while they were conversing.
Diana envied Reyna because she had developed feelings for Cole after hearing about him from her. She used to sneakily read their conversations.
That night, she devised an evil plan to get Cole. Reyna always kept a water bottle on the table beside her bed, in which Diana mixed sleeping pills.
That’s why, when Reyna awoke the next morning, she had dozed off again after drinking the water.
She took Reyna’s phone and messaged Cole with an evil smile stained on her face. In greed of getting Cole, she even forgot that she was about to snatch her friend’s happiness.
Miss SA: I want to meet you. I’ll see you at the connection cafe.
She waited for his reply. After a few minutes, she received a message from him.
My Hot Biker: Am I dreaming? Finally, you want to meet me, I just can’t believe it.
Miss SA: I’m serious. Meet me in an hour.
My Hot Biker: Wow! I just can’t wait to know who is my secret admirer. I’m coming.
Miss SA: See you, my love!
She grinned devilishly after sending this message with lots of heart.
My Hot Biker: Hey, but how will I recognise you?
Miss SA: Don’t worry, I’ll come to you.
After that, she deleted all the messages and left to meet Cole.
She saw Cole, sitting in the corner seat. She strolled towards him with a smile on her face, and as she sat in front of him, his eyes widened in shock at seeing her.
“Diana.” He murmured in a disbelieving tone.
“Yes, I’m your Secret Admirer.” She lied, holding his hand with no shame in her eyes.
“I wasn’t expecting you.” He uttered, withdrawing his hand because he didn’t feel good. He didn’t feel the same way he had when his secret admirer touched him for the first time. He felt so alive with her mere touch.
His brow narrowed in perplexity as he thought, ‘why didn’t I feel anything with her touch today? Why am I so displeased to meet her?’
“So whom you were expecting, Cole?”
“I don’t know. I’m shocked.” He was lost in his thoughts, wondering why he had the impression she was not his secret admirer because he felt nothing for her. He was just getting agitated.
He was overjoyed to see her and desperately wanted to hug her again because their first hug had given him so much peace in his heart. However, at this time, he didn’t even want to speak to her.
They talked for a while, but Cole didn’t get a good vibe from her. He was uncomfortable around her, so he excused himself and went to the washroom.
She picked up his phone from the table and blocked Reyna’s number while smiling evilly.Original content from NôvelDrama.Org.
In the washroom, Cole was pacing restlessly. “Why the fuck am I not feeling anything with her? What would I say to her? I don’t want to offend her by stating that I’m not feeling good about her. Cole, please give her some time as this is only your first encounter with her.” He tried to encourage himself.
‘But even without seeing her face that night, I felt so alive with her, but why didn’t I feel the same today?’ He thought, solemnly looking at himself in the mirror.
“But what should I tell her? If I tell her that I’m not feeling anything for her, she will be hurt because she adores me, and I don’t want to hurt her. I think it will take time. Perhaps I’m surprised to see her, that’s why I’m not feeling anything.” He sighed deeply before exiting the restroom to face her once more.
If the old version of Cole had been in his place, he would not have given a damn about anyone’s feelings, but Reyna changed him in this way. Because of her, he began to consider other emotions. Now everyone could recognise her in him.
He had no idea this would happen after meeting his secret admirer. Their first encounter had made him feel alive and whole as if she were a missing piece of him. He imagined that the first time he saw her, he would go insane and refuse to let go of her in his arms. He had been missing that feeling, as well as her touch, voice, breath, and everything else about her since he had hugged her. He was hurt and angry because he didn’t feel the same after seeing her again. He yearned to experience the same emotions he had experienced that evening.
Days passed, and he tried hard to ignore Diana because he didn’t feel any connection with her. He was annoyed by her, but he didn’t say anything to her because he didn’t want to hurt her, but he was losing his mind in all of this.
‘Why do I have the impression that Diana and my secret admirer are two different people? My secret admirer used to make me feel alive and happy, and gave me positive vibes, whereas Diana makes me feel nothing and gives me a negative vibe. She seemed so pure and cheerful when I spoke with her on the phone, and now she is the polar opposite. When we first met and she hugged me, I felt as if I had found my home in her arms, but now I feel nothing. I can’t stay with Diana or I’ll go insane. I just want those happy days back when I could talk to my secret admirer.’ He was thinking while smoking on the balcony. He was once again feeling lost and incomplete, just as he used to feel before he began talking to his secret admirer.
“Cole, where are you?” He returned to earth after hearing Diana’s voice from outside.
“Oh, God! Her voice annoys me as well.” He muttered and entered the room, plastering a smile on his face.
‘But that evening, her hushed voice filled with purity brought a sense of peace to my heart.’ He wondered, bemused.
She hugged him while he hugged her back, making irritated faces, and Reyna saw them, standing outside of Cole’s room.
As Diana started kissing his neck, he pushed her away from himself and said, “Diana, I have some important work. I have to go.”
“What, today also you aren’t spending time with me?”
“I have to go, bye.” He rushed from there after saying this.
He was riding the bike aimlessly, wondering about his secret admirer. He halted the bike when his phone rang up, he took out the phone from his jeans pocket and saw it was Ethan’s call.
“What’s up, bro?” Cole answered the call.
“Cole, could you come to meet me?” He became worried after listening to his anxious tone.
“What happened?”
“Reyna isn’t fine.”
“What happened to her?”
“You just come.”
“Okay, I’m coming.”
He reached Ethan’s place in no time, and he was directly going to his room but stopped as he looked inside through the window of her room and noticed a grey scarf with a grey polka dot pattern kept on Reyna’s bed.
‘It’s the same scarf that my secret admirer was wearing when I saw her on the day of my race.’ Why is this scarf in the kiddo’s room?’ He mused at the scarf.
‘Is Reyna my true secret admirer?’ He shook his head as this thought entered his mind. ‘No, no, what am I thinking? How is this even possible? She is the kiddo, how can she be my secret admirer, and why would Diana lie to me? But I have a strong feeling Diana isn’t my secret admirer.’
“Fuck! Cole, you’re going crazy. You’re overanalysing these days; perhaps Diana gave Reyna her scarf.” He muttered and went to meet Ethan.
When Ethan told him about Reyna’s condition, his doubt became stronger that Diana had lied to him and Reyna was his real secret admirer.
He was shocked to learn that his kiddo was his secret admirer because his mind had never wandered in that direction. However, he was relieved as well because he now had some hope of experiencing contentment once more.
‘That’s why she knew that why I ran away from the relationship, because the only person who knew about this was Ethan, and he must have told her. Fuck! I can now see why she used to act so ridiculously in front of me. She is now upset with me because I cut off communication with her. Her height is also short. Damn! Why hadn’t I thought of this before?’ He wondered, stunned.
‘My best friend’s sister is my secret admirer! Everything makes sense now as to why she concealed her identity earlier. But why didn’t Reyna contact me, and why did Diana lie to me? I need to message my secret admirer and be certain that what I’m thinking is correct.’ He excused himself and hurried back to his house to speak with her because he wanted to be certain whether he was correct or incorrect.
When he opened his secret admirer contact, he discovered that her phone number had been blocked, and his doubts about Diana grew. He immediately unblocked her number and texted her, and after talking to her, he was certain that Reyna was his secret admirer.
‘That’s why I wasn’t feeling anything with Diana, but why the fuck did she lie to me? I’ll talk to her later because first I want to meet my real secret Admirer.’
Flashback Over
Reyna arrived early and was pacing restlessly across the bridge, fiddling with her fingers.
She was just pondering how Cole used to converse with her in the chats. She had no idea why he had vanished so abruptly, and the truth was going to hurt her deeply.
Cole stepped out of the car, his heart pounding with anticipation of finally meeting his true secret admirer.
He knew who she was deep down, but he wanted to be certain.
Like Reyna, he had a lot going on in his head. He couldn’t wait any longer to meet the girl who had touched her heart without actually meeting him. Finally, his imagination would be given a face today.
He walked to the bridge after sighing deeply, and when he saw Reyna roaming across the bridge, he came to a halt.
‘I was correct; Reyna is my secret admirer. She always acted childish in front of me, but in chats, she was so mature that I still find it hard to believe. Perhaps my presence and hotness drive her insane. I’d never seen Reyna in that way before because I wasn’t looking for a serious relationship, and how could I think of using Ethan’s sister just for my pleasure? And I was hurt today after seeing the pain in her innocent eyes. I fucking don’t leave Diana for playing with both of our feelings. She has to pay for hurting us, especially my Reyna.’ He decided and strolled towards her.
She was standing with her back to him. As he approached, her heartbeat quickened. He lifted his hand to place it on her shoulder, but she turned towards him, sensing his presence.
They gazed into each other’s eyes deeply in complete silence, getting lost in them.
Reyna’s sorrowful eyes were asking so many questions to him while Cole’s eyes are pleading with her to believe him that he wasn’t at fault for disappearing like this and had a genuine reason for not talking to her.
He didn’t know how to start the conversation, so he just greeted her politely, “hey,” to break the awkward silence.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before asking, “why did you do this? Why did you give me hope when you had to leave me?”
“Reyna, the truth will hurt you, but I can’t hide this from you.” His words puzzled her mind, she narrowed her brows.
“Then just tell me and don’t worry, nothing can hurt my already shattered heart.” She answered him blankly, and his heart ached from the pain in her voice.
‘Fuck, she’s already been badly hurt, and when she learns the truth, she’ll be completely broken. Should I tell her about Daina?’ He wondered, perplexed.
‘However, I believe she has a right to know about it. I should tell her.’ He made the decision.
“It’s because of Diana.” He scowled as he took his name.
“You’re in love,”
He yelled, “no, I can never fall in love with that type of woman.” She looked at him with slightly widened eyes. She was relieved after listening to his words, but she was also perplexed and staggered.
“What did she tell you about us?” He asked her.
“She didn’t tell me anything. I was coming to meet you in the morning to ask you why you stopped talking to me, and then,” she sobbed and continued, “I found Diana in your arms.”
“That bitch.” He muttered under his breath.
“But why she was with you, Cole.” She asked him, baffled.
“She lied to me that she is my secret admirer.” Her brows raised, her mouth opened, and she took a step back in great shock after knowing this.
She never thought that her best friend would do something like this with her.
“She messaged me to meet her a few days ago from your number and told me she is my secret admirer. That time I couldn’t understand why she asked me to keep our relationship secret. I didn’t feel connected to her, and my heart was screaming that she wasn’t the girl I used to talk to. My heart knew that she was lying to me but I wasn’t sure. And I didn’t know when she blocked your number from my phone,” he came to a halt as she began whimpering.
“I can’t be-believe that she did this to me, Cole.” She sobbed and continued, “she knows how… how much, I love you and what you mean to me. She betrayed me.” She was weeping woefully and her lips were quivering.
Tears mechanically streamed down his cheeks as he saw her crying like this.
He wasn’t understanding how to console her, he was feeling so helpless. Therefore he was afraid to tell her, he knew she would be devastated. His heart was crying along with hers.
You can’t see the person you love in pain because it hurts you more than it does them. Cole felt the same way; he just wanted to relieve her pain and make her feel better because it was hurting him like hell to see her so broken.
“Reyna, relax,” he tried to calm her down, placing his hands over her shoulders and squeezing them slightly.
“I was thinking wrong about you that you hurt me, but Daina did this to me, she was my best friend, how could she do this to me? She did this despite knowing I’m infatuated with you. She knew everything.” She cried hysterically, pursing her lips and squeezing her eyes shut.
She couldn’t believe that her best friend betrayed her. She was astounded and her mind was twirling, and Cole’s heart was aching terribly after seeing her crying like this. He was feeling like killing Diana for doing this.
She felt dizzy, and when she was just about to fall, he became distraught and caught her in his protective and strong arms. He felt as if his heart stopped beating.
“Reyna,” he anxiously called her, patting her cheek but she didn’t respond.
After seeing her condition, he immediately lifted her in his arms and dashed to his car, appalled.
He was certainly going to kill that bitch with his own hands for hurting his girl and causing her to be in this condition. He would take revenge on Diana for every tear Reyna shed.