Taming The Tomboy

Some time in the future...

Hermia

We all make that one choice in our life that changes everything. Whether the result is something we liked or not, we learn to bear the consequences.

One of such choices was what brought me here. To the present Hermia I am.

Four years ago, if anyone told me I would end up becoming a model, I'd call it a bluff but here I find myself.

After finishing high school with a remarkable grade, I went into college and from there onward, my perfect life started to crumble. I wished I could go back in time...

Every single day I come across couples, be it at work, at the restaurant when I went for a meal, at bus stands when I was calling it a day or at clubs with my socialite friends, it haunts me that I hurt the only person who ever cared about me and whom I ever loved.

Only a year ago when I landed myself this hotshot role was I really able to get used to the fact that I've lost him forever and I should maybe embrace this lifestyle.

My life was filled with a lot of bitter realisations but I chose these that-s...

That I'm never seeing him smile in adoration at me anymore. That he wasn't going to tell me silly jokes which I still end up laughing at despite hating them. That he wouldn't be the best friend I once had anymore. That he wasn't going to be there to make it better when I'm complaining about how my day went. I wish he was still the man who loved me except now, he hates me.

It gets worse on some days but funny, how a few days ago, I was thinking I could live better, guilt free, with the reassurance that I haven't and won't have a chance to meet him ever again after that heartrending breakup episode we had.

Obviously, it was all my delusion.

"Aaron..." My lips parted and my legs stopped moving of their accord when I came face to face with the person in front of me.

His eyes slightly widened as well as he took in my appearance. I couldn't help but swallow hard, my heart skipping two beats when he looked up again without a word.

In another second, my heart was about to jump out of my chest. In the whole of my existence, I never imagined I could be the one dying to touch him, hug him, kiss him. To just do anything to him. While he's standing there right now, hands tucked in pockets like it didn't matter that I was here.

Tears welled up in my eyes at the overwhelming emotions I was feeling as I took notice of how manly he looked now. His electric blue eyes still had that butterfly effect on me. I drank in his more polished features. Thick eyebrows, dorsal straight nose, thin lips with its still gentle curvature, sexy broad jaw, and prominent facial stubbles that reflected his masculinity. The effect of the shape of his dual jawline are clearly visible in his face.

He knew I was checking him out. He knows...

I wanted to blurt out how much I missed him when I remembered he and I ended a long time ago and I'm smarter than revisiting that chapter— which was full of bitter-sweet memories.

The thought of what we used to be brought up emotions I loathed to keep and wished I didn't live to ruin at all.

I definitely missed the way he helped me escape from myself all those years ago but I wish I could escape him right now. I missed us...

Just when I was about to hope he was going to ignore me, so I was turning around, I heard a faint "Hey." My eyes widened and for the second time, I stopped in my tracks. I mean, I don't deserve it. I obviously don't. So, why did he...?

"Oh, you need to see this Hems!" Cameron's high pitched voice came behind the shelves of male suits. I didn't have time to react as he was already out in the open.

Looking handsome as always in the new black tuxedo he was trying on, he threw me his boxy smile. "Hey, I look hot right? I know, you're practically flushed right now. I don't look like my regular person. Oh, so now. I shopped something you'd like, can we just go now?"

What an irony.

While I was with Aaron, I hated shopping and dressing up for events but here I am dragging another guy to a shopping mall for the same purposes.

I could feel eyes boring into my skull and that made me more nervous. Cameron must've sensed my sudden change in expression because he stopped checking himself in the standing mirror and raised his brows at me. I shook my head a few times and was going to start walking towards him when he beat me to it instead.

"You alright?" He was suddenly in my face and hands on my shoulders, practically enveloping me in a hug. I had to look up so I could see his face clearly. His hair covered most of the sharp lighting behind him which made it a little difficult to see what his expression was like or where he was looking exactly.

I'm sure he hadn't noticed Aaron yet because if he did...

And I don't pray they acknowledge each other too. Not at least now.

"Yeah, sure. I'm fine. Let's..." I couldn't finish the rest of my sentence because I could feel the focus of his eyes shift behind me and my heart stopped working.

Cameron's hands on my shoulders tightened and anxiously, I pulled away and turned to take a look at Aaron with wide eyes.

He didn't look like he was flustered though because the next second, he smirked.

My heart flustered and my knees almost gave way. Like it did four years ago when we met...

It still felt like yesterday.

The only difference was that, then I wasn't ready to admit I was affected by him as much as I'm both consciously and subconsciously aware of the effect he had on me..