The Dice #26a

“What about Becca?” Dunni asked, her voice filled with uncertainty.

“What about Becca?” Moses responded, more confused than ever.

“I thought you were into her. I thought she was the one you were proposing to,” Dunni replied, attempting a small laugh as she wiped away the tears streaming down her face. Moses sighed with relief, finally feeling like he was getting through to her.

However, his relief was short-lived when Dunni asked brokenly, “Why now?”

“It’s not now; it has been forever,” Moses said, taking her hands in his, never breaking eye contact. He felt at a loss, unsure of how to convince her. “I have been telling you all my life, but you never took me seriously. Our story should be written into a book and made into a film. I bet it could win the Oscars.”

“Because you were not,” she screamed, hitting his chest with her small fists, crying uncontrollably.

Moses gazed at her with increasing worry. Dunni was becoming more distressed by the moment.

“Tade proposed last night, and I said yes,” she said, lifting her left hand to show him the sparkling solitaire diamond engagement ring adorning her index finger. However, she realised that the ring was not there. She left it on her dressing table. “The ring is upstairs,” she said lamely, not accustomed to wearing it.

Moses felt a pain in his heart unlike anything he had ever experienced. His heart momentarily stopped as he struggled to breathe. “The guy you met about six months ago?” Moses asked, disbelief evident in his voice. “Please tell me this is a joke,” he pleaded.

Dunni shook her head, tears falling involuntarily.

“Is that what you want?” he croaked, tears welling up in his eyes, his voice breaking with emotion as he swallowed hard. How had they reached this point? Was the universe playing tricks on him? Dunni was his world from the moment she entered his life. It had always been her and no one else. He had tried two other relationships, but they couldn’t compare to Dunni. And now, what? He ran his hands over his head and across his face. This couldn’t be happening. He needed to do something. He stared at her, unaware that the tears on her face mirrored his own.

Pulling her into a fierce embrace, he felt her offer little resistance. “If Tade will make you happy…” he began but couldn’t bring himself to finish his sentence. He wasn’t ready to let her go. How could he ever survive without her? She was his breath, his oxygen, and this was not just a cliché or words from a romance book. This was his reality. He had no life outside of her. The house he built had her input because he had always envisioned their future together. He had insisted on bringing her on as a partner in their firm to ensure she wouldn’t be lured away by another company.

Dunni is an exceptionally gifted architect, and while her hard work had earned her a leadership position in the firm they had built together, it was her beauty, personality, drive and sense of humor that had captured and won his heart. It had always been Dunni, his entire life. His heart felt torn apart. The thought of her marrying someone else was unbearable. There had to be something he could do. He had to convince her to give them a chance. She couldn’t simply jump into a relationship with a guy she had only recently met and discard someone she had known almost her entire life. There must be something in her heart for him.

Moses stepped back, lifting her chin with his fingers, looking deeply into her eyes, silently willing her to give their love a chance. He was devastated when she looked away. That was the answer he needed. If she couldn’t meet his gaze, she wasn’t ready to fight for them. He kissed her forehead, defeated, stood up and let himself out. His heart hurt so badly, and he struggled to breathe.