Ask Me Again (A Sample) - Page 7/38

"I hate you! I will never be with you. Do you understand how much you hurt me? I feel as if someone has died. You will never get the chance to hurt me again!"

He dropped to his knees with tears streaming down his handsome face, and it was almost my undoing when he grabbed me around the waist and wet my nightshirt with his tears. "Alyssa, you have to forgive me," he begged. Reaching into his pocket, he took out a little black box and opened it. Inside laid a beautiful four-carat square-cut solitaire. He attempted to place the ring on my finger.

"Baby, I was going to ask you to marry me on the day of my graduation. But, I can't wait. Alyssa Darden will you marry me?"

"How romantic? You ask me to marry you a few minutes after another woman just crawled off of you. I can still smell her stench on you. How dare you?" The more I screamed my anger at him, the more the tears flowed. Not caring that my nose was running, I took the back of my hand and wiped as much as I could with the sleeve of my shirt. "Get out, Drake! Get out this very minute."

Defeated, he stood up from his bended knee. "Alyssa, please don't do this to us."

"You only have two more weeks before graduation and, in that time, I don't want you to come near me! If we cross paths, don't you dare look at me. Turn and go the other way. If you do, I promise you, I won't be responsible for my actions."

"Please Alyssa, let me make this right. Give me one more chance, baby."

"How could you possibly make this right, Drake?"

"You know, I got drafted by the Dallas Cowboys," he said pulling me close to him. "They signed me to a five-year contract. You could stay here and finish school, and I'll make arrangements to have you flown out to as many games you will be able to attend. I have a 16.5 million dollar five-year contract. I will take care of you and you can finish college without worrying about your finances."

Pushing him away in disgust, I turned my back to him. I took a deep breath to compose my next words. I turned and looked directly into those beautiful hazel eyes. I saw the remorse there, but I couldn't let what happen tonight slide. "Drake, you could make all the money on God's green earth, and I still would not marry you. I'm going to tell you one last time, I want you to leave. If you love me the way you say you do, leave me the hell alone! Never try to contact me again, because my answer will still be the same."