"I love you."
Those words were the word of a 16 year old foul, a love straken foul to be exact.
Ezra Reed, a boy who I had once thought would be my forever, ended up breaking my little child heart and closing it off forever. The damn fucker never even dared to show his face to me after what happened.
Why am I even talking about him anyway, this is my story isn't it.
I am Zolani Fenlon, currently 28 and running a multi-million company that I started myself at the young age of 19.
I have everything I could ever want money, beauty and a brain but apparently that is a enough for a woman, says my mother and grandmother.
They say every woman needs a man in her life. I think that is completely wrong actually, it's man who need women in their lives not the other way around.
My cellphone vibrated beside me as I was looking over some work files on top of my desk. I got up and grabbed it heading to the giant transparent wall in my office. I gazed down below as the view came into place.
"Hello?" I answered the call, placing it right next to my left ear.
"Sweetheart, it's been long." She used that sweet tone when she needed something, by she I mean my grandmother. A lovely woman, that just didn't know the meaning of No.
"I saw you last week, grandma." I chuckled.
"For me it feels like it's been decades." She said.
"What do you need, grandma." I asked her, knowing for sure she needed something or wanted me to do something.
"Do you think I need something everytime I call my grandchild." She accused sounding hurt.
"No grandma, I don't please understand..." I tried to explain. "Well that's what it looks like. You if I'm bothering you maybe I should just die and I finally wouldn't bother you when you're working so hard." She continued on trying to manipulate me. With a sign I let her have her way. I wasn't really in the mood to argue.
"No that's not what I mean. I apologize what can I do to make you feel better..." I could feel her smiling through the phone.
"You could come to the Christmas party happening and meet this fine fella you'd definitely like." Oh so that's what she wanted. The topic of finding an arranged marriage for me came up from time to time. Most times I'd think it's just a joke cause who gets arranged marriages in this day and age. That sort of thing started to die down when my grandma did it with my grandfather back in 1950.
She says she hated him at first but later on grow to love him more than anything. That type of nonsense is what got my heart broken back when I was a teenager.
"Grandma, I am not getting an arranged marriage just so you know." I said.
"But he is a nice gentle man, anyway wear something nice that makes you look cute." She then hang up before I answer back. I signed.
"This woman."
While talking to her my hand bad travelled to the glass so I removed it while stepping back to my desk. I pressed a button on a black vintage telephone.
"Sea, cancel my appointments for the rest of the day." My voice through the intercom.
"Sure ma'am. If I may ask why." Sea Campbell, at first I didn't trust in her abilities but as time went on she has proven herself to me and her other colleagues.
"If you really want to know, I'm getting married." I soon heard footsteps approaching my office and then the door being pushed open.
"To who!? And didn't I know you were dating someone." She grabbed the base of my elbow, shaking me slightly.
"That would be because I'm actually not dating anyone. It's an arranged marriage." I said. Sea's eyes widened.
"Ohh... Gran setup another one of those for you. Again?"
"Yep!" I unchained myself from her.
"What's the plan for this guy, have you met him?" I pick up a pen and write something down.
"Nope but that doesn't matter. Just gotta get rid of him and grandma will finally give up on me." I said.
"Go ahead and get my dress from here." I handed her the piece of paper I had written on.
"Sure Zolani." She nodded her head before walking out and heading to the location I gave her.
I have a feeling something odd is going to happen to day. I looked out the window, snow was lighting falling on people and the ground, along with any surrounding area.
_____________________________________
After texting my grandma that I would be arriving soon, I toss my phone aside taking a break.
A few more minutes I feel the car stop, meaning it time for me to get out.
My heels press on to the floor and melt the snow with each step. When I enter the party, the warm air gives me shivers as a result of the coldness from outside melting away.
I stop my grandma through the crowd of people. I am stopped by a random person who seems to know me.
"Excuse me Ms. Fenlon. I am Dector from the tech department and I was wondering if I could have a word with you." I shook his hand and nodded along.
"Say go ahead." I said.
"Well you see I have been looking at the numbers and something doesn't add up." I listened but caught a glimpse of grandma calling over.
"Are you sure?" I questioned him.
"Yes very sure infact." I started to walk away.
"Thank you for telling me, if there is more please tell me on Monday morning. I have to go now." I said.
"Sure I wouldn't want to kept you waiting." Dector smiled.
I fastened my pace as I reached grandma, she was surrounded by a bunch of people, some I knew, some I didn't. Her smile brighten as she saw me approaching.
"Ah Zolani, wait a moment your date if also running late..." She said, placing a hand on my lower back.
"Oh there he is actually. Come this way." She led the way to me.
I cleaned myself up a little, I wasn't trying to impress this stranger. I just feel better when things are in order.
I lifted my gaze up towards the stranger that would be meeting for the first time.
Our eyes met. Time froze like the classic cliche.
Turns out the stranger that I thought I would be meeting today for the first, was a stranger I had already met before, long before, 14 years ago to be exact.
I don't care if it's been 12 years or a 100 years. I would still remember those eyes.
I fell for those eyes once, big mistake though because those eyes were the same eyes that stared back at me as they broke my heart.
Those eyes belonged to non other than...
Ezra. Ezra fucking Reed.