Chapter 1

It was a very stormy night, everyone in the streets was running for shelter trying to get to their destination to avoid getting drenched by the initial downpour which was soon to come. In an apartment building down the road a couple was going at it, Kyle and Anastasia were throwing a fit at each other like they always do.

Kyle had caught Anastasia on the phone talking with an old male friend, Kyle had trust issues so he always felt jealous when he saw Anastasia on the phone with another man.

"Babe why do you keep talking to this guy on the phone, you know I'm not comfortable with it," said Kyle,

"Kyle we've been through this before, I don't know why you can't even trust me," Anastasia said with an angry look.

"It's not that I don't trust you, but I don't know why you don't listen to me, I told you not to talk to him again," Kyle said, almost raising his voice.

"What are you trying to say Kyle that I shouldn't have Male friends, even if most of them are my customers? Asked Anastasia.

"That's not what I meant babe" stressed Kyle, "all I'm saying is this guy in particular I don't like him.

"Trust me, Kyle," said Anastasia, "He means no harm, he's a changed man"

"For Godsake Anastasia, he is your ex for crying out loud" Kyle shouted feeling frustrated, "can't you see he's trying to take you away from me".

"Really Kyle! Is that what this is all about, you think I'm going to go back to him after everything he put me through?" Asked Anastasia, her tone changing.

"Yes! Yes! That's what it's all about, ever since you told me about him I haven't been myself, first, it was the gifts, now both y'all talk on the phone like lovers" Kyle said angrily almost on the verge of tears.

"Oh is that right" Anastasia retorted with hands akimbo

"You know what? I'm outta here, I can't do this tonight" Kyle said grabbing his car keys.

"Where do you think you're going?" Anastasia asked looking concerned.

"It's none of your business," Kyle said replied angrily.

"Wait, babe, you can't go out in the storm and besides it's dark," she said.

"Just leave me alone, you can go ahead and talk to Jerome, I don't care anymore since I'm always the bad guy," Kyle said walking out angrily and shutting the door behind him.

Anastasia stood leaning on the door sobbing, she loved Kyle so much but sometimes he seemed to have an angry reaction to almost everything. He was a loving and nice guy, for all the times they've been together he never lifted as much as a finger to hit her and he always showed love and affection but he couldn't stand it whenever she talked to another guy on the phone, that was his weak point. Loyalty. He wanted a woman who was loyal and did not flirt around with other guys that's why they always fought like enemies all the time over one thing.

That night Kyle had had enough of all the games so he couldn't take it anymore, she sat staring out the window thinking if they would ever get back together because she was madly in love with him and didn't wanna lose him.

"Please Kyle come back, I promise I'd be good baby… I love you" she thought to herself as fresh tears gushed from her eyes.

Kyle drove to the park cursing and blaring the horn, the rain was so heavy he couldn't see far so he decided to settle for the park.

He parked by the roadside while the rain dropped steadily, he began to think about where he got it all wrong with Anastasia, they'd been dating for three years and yet they always fought over one thing which was loyalty.

Anastasia was a beautiful girl with blonde hair and blue eyes. They were together at high school and college, back in high school she dated a guy called Jerome.

Her relationship with Jerome had been toxic, he was always moving with other girls not caring if she was hurt or not. He could see from afar that everything wasn't ok with her but he couldn't talk to her and he also had a girlfriend too. Malia Kyle's ex-girlfriend was a sweet girl, she was intelligent too, and both her parents did approve of Kyle. Kyle and Malia became friends after an incident that happened at one certain time in high school. That fateful day she was chased by a stray dog down the street, Kyle who happened to be passing by saw it and ran after them. He armed himself with a stick and a stone as he ran after them, he threw the stone first which hit the dog on its head, the dog turned around to see him, when the dog saw him it began running towards him but he didn't move. Kyle hit the dog with the stick, and the dog yelped in pain and ran away barking in pain.

Malia had already stopped running to see who her savior was,

"Oh thank you, thank you, you're my hero," she said hugging Kyle.

"It's nothing really, wait! I know you, aren't you Malia?" Kyle asked dropping the stick in his hand.

"Yeah I am, why?" Asked Malia,

"You're my classmate from school," Kyle said.

"Oh I know you," Malia said, "you're one of those boys that like to sit at the back, I always thought you were a bully"

"Really! Is that what you think of me?" They both laughed.

Kyle walked Malia home and from then on they became close friends. How did they start dating? Well, this was what happened.

Kyle and Malia became close at school, everyone was surprised about their friendship but they didn't ask them anything. Before then Kyle had always been a bad boy, he was a bully, a troublemaker, and a dullard. He always performed poorly in his studies so he had to make up for it at summer school, but ever since Malia came into his life he became a changed person. He and Malia always made it to school very early, he always sat close to Malia in class, he stopped bullying and was cool with everyone, and most importantly his grades shot up. The teacher was surprised at the kind of man Kyle was becoming. He was given an award as the best-improved student as well as the most well-behaved student at the end of the academic year, everyone was happy for him, especially Malia.

Prom soon came and as usual, everyone began looking for their prom date. Anastasia didn't wanna go at first, but Jerome threatened her so she had no choice. She couldn't even tell her parents because they wouldn't believe her, besides they liked Jerome and hope his relationship with their daughter would end up in marriage. Anastasia wasn't from a well-to-do home, which was why her parents were using her to satisfy all of their selfish desires, forcing her into a relationship with Jerome. Jerome on the other hand was a spoilt brat born with a silver spoon in his mouth, that was why he always treated anybody that came to his path as dirt. Jerome and Kyle never crossed paths as they both tried not to get each in other's way. Anastasia stayed on the same street as Kyle but the only thing they did was wave to each other every morning and that was all.

Two weeks before prom the teacher announced the class and everyone was excited about it talking about it nonstop, everyone was excited except Anastasia. She was worried because she would be forced against her will by both her parents and Jerome. That week she and Jerome fought for his room, he had hit her in the face causing a black eye. Out of annoyance, she left his house vowing never to have anything to do with him, but her parents went behind her back to beg him to forgive her… she didn't have a say of her own anymore.

Malia had already bought a dress with the help of her mom, it was the loveliest gown there was. Kyle's dad also bought him a nice pair of suits at the recommendation of his grandfather so he could look nice on that day. His parents were already familiar with Malia so were Malia's parents with him.