Vicky sat in his room, his thoughts consumed by the alluring mirage of Mirabel's smile. His mind was a maze of emotions, each twist and turn leading him deeper into the labyrinth of his own desires. He was fixated on winning her over again, and his thoughts were a jumble of strategies and plans. He lays down on his bed burying his head into his pillow.
He thought about all the things he could do to win Mirabel over - the romantic gestures, the grand declarations of love, the thoughtful gifts. He imagined himself sweeping her off her feet, making her laugh, and melting her heart with his charm. But beneath it all, he knew that winning her over wouldn't be easy. Mirabel was a strong, independent woman, with a mind of her own and a will of steel and with all that had transpired between them it wouldn't be an easy task, She wouldn't be won over by grand gestures alone; Vicky would need to dig deeper, he will have to show her the true meaning of love and show her that he was genuinely committed to their relationship.
As Vicky's thoughts swirled, he felt a sense of determination rising up within him. He was ready to do whatever it took to win Mirabel over, to prove his love and devotion to her. "What can I do...," Vicky says, raising his head above his pillow, "you have just eight days, Vicky...think..." He sits up, and then his memory takes him back to his early meetings with Mirabel and the warm and fun moments they shared. "Mirabel..." he says, "I will prove to you that you truly have nothing to fear, and I promise that these eight days will be the best days of your entire life as soon as I come up with something..." He stands up from his bed and starts pacing around his room, the phrase "What to do..." ringing in his mind. "Should I ask Mom for help...?" he says. "No...I can't...she'll just bug me, and I don't want that..." He continues walking around and then he shouts, "Dianne!!...I'll ask her for advice..." He picks up his phone and puts a call through to Dianne. "Hey Dianne..." Vicky says. "Hey Vicky, it's not been too long since we talked, and you miss me already..." Dianne says jokingly. "Excuse me..." Vicky says. "Just joking. I wouldn't want to get in Ma'am's bad books..." "Yeah, you wouldn't..." says Vicky. "So what's up? Why'd you call...?" Dianne inquires. "Well...nothing much...it's just that you've been with Mirabel for quite some time now, so I want to ask some questions if you don't mind..." "Sure, go ahead..." "Okay...erm...so let's just say a certain someone wants to give Mirabel an emergency surprise gift or let's say a surprise—what would you suggest he/she should do or give..." "Hmm...Vicky, are you planning on giving Miss Mirabel a surprise?" Dianne asks. "Well...something of that sort, I guess..." Vicky replies. "Wow...romantic..." "Dianne, come on..." Vicky says, his voice stern. "Alright...well, I don't really know much about her likes and dislikes in terms of gift-giving, so I honestly don't know what to suggest..." "Really? You're a female. If a guy wants to give you a romantic surprise, what would you want?" Vicky asks. "Well, for me...something nice, that's all I need, and it really doesn't matter what the gift or surprise is—as far as it's from the heart, that's the most important thing, Vicky...do what you want to do from your heart..." "Yeah...I hear you...thanks for your advice..." "No problem, and remember: don't go all in for this romance of yours. Remember we still have a project to run..." "Sure, I'll keep that in mind...thanks..." "Alright, goodbye..." Dianne says, ending the call. "From the heart....I promise I will win you over again, Mirabel, and this time I will never let your heart shatter again..." says Vicky.
The dim light casts long shadows across the room. Rose paces back and forth, arms folded tightly across her chest." I can't let Vicky and Mirabel's relationship to bud a new ..." she says.Her eyes dart toward the window every few seconds. There's tension in every step — her mind clearly racing. Her breath is shallow, her fingers twitching.
She stops abruptly, as if something in her snapped.
" I need air " she whispers
The night is calm. A few distant street lamps flicker. Rose steps out, hugging herself against the chill. Her footsteps echo on the pavement as she walks, trying to clear her head.
Suddenly a hand rests on her shoulder ,she freezes. It's not just any touch ,it's familiar, invasive, wrong, she slowly turns.
Standing there, face twisted in a sinister smile, is RUFUS— the man she thought she had escaped.
Rose stammers " R-Rufus… "
" Hey baby… did you miss me? " Rufus says, his voice is sickeningly sweet, mockingly affectionate.
" I told you… you can't hide from me. I'll always find you and now… I have.." he continued. He takes a step forward. She takes a step back.
" There's nowhere left to run ", Rufus says, his voice low and threatening.That's all she needs.
Rose turns and bolts, her feet pound against the pavement. Rufus gives chase, calling her name like a hunter to prey.
" Rose! Come back here! "
She veers off the sidewalk, dashing across the street, dodging a passing bike. Her heart is thundering, Rufus is just a few strides behind. She leaps onto the far sidewalk — almost home free.
Then— A speeding car slams into Rufus just as he lunges onto the road.
Rose stops, she turns around, panting.
Rufus lies motionless, sprawled on the asphalt. A crowd begins to form, " he isn't breathing..." a man shouts placing his hands above Rufus's nose.
She stares, wide-eyed, breath caught in her throat. Then slowly… she backs away into the shadows, disappearing.