A Jottie Romance - The Rosewood Chronicles

Chapter 10 - Forbidden Love

Jamie's P.O.V:

As he walked away from Lottie underneath the dull grey sky, Jamie's thoughts started to blur in the cold rain. He had just done one of the hardest things he ever had to do. He had to tell Lottie that they can't be together. It broke his heart, but he was Jamie Volk, he was a Partizan, he wouldn't listen to all of these emotions. He would push them away and ignore them, like he had been trained to do his whole life. This circumstance was no different, surely?

But maybe it was different. Because Jamie had never felt this way about anyone before. Girls had always blushed and giggled when they saw him, but he never had any interest in them. Until he met Lottie.

Lottie was not like most girls, just like how she told him by the pool that Jamie wasn't like most boys. He replayed the moment of them by the pool, when his spiked drink meant that he let his guard down in front of Lottie. For the first time, it felt bittersweet, because he couldn't do that anymore; he couldn't show Lottie that other side of him.

It was to protect both of them. If he showed Lottie how he really felt, then it would end up hurting the two of them. And he didn't want to hurt Lottie, which was why he ended it all whilst he still could. Now they will simply be colleagues, and there will be nothing more between them anymore. Ever.

Lottie's P.O.V:

Am I really going to do this? The thought of what she was about to do scared Lottie, that was true, but, honestly, she was more afraid if Jamie ever found out. But I have to do this. She was going to ask Anastacia for advice. Anastacia - the suspect they couldn't trust.

Lottie made her way down the unfamiliar Conch corridor; she had never been down here before, but she did know Anastacia's room number. She reached the door, took a deep breath, and knocked. To Lottie's surprise, the door opened rather quickly, hardly a second after she had knocked. And on the other side of the doorway was Anastacia.

"Lottie! What are you doing here in Conch? Do you need anything?" Anastacia looked like she was just about to leave her dorm, equipped with her signature sunglasses. Her chestnut brown hair cascaded down gracefully to her waist. Lottie suddenly felt even more intimidated.

"Um...well, yes, actually...I need some advice, if that's okay with you."

"Oh...okay then, but about what exactly? You need to hurry, I don't have much time." She said, looking at her jewel-encrusted watch. Anastacia was definitely one of the richer students at Rosewood.

"Okay, um...well, can I come in?" Lottie asked, sweat building on her skin.

"Sure." They walked over to two Conch-red armchairs in the far corner of the room, with a small, polished mahogany coffee table placed in between. "So, what sort of advice do you need? School advice? Friendship advice? Or...oh, of course, I see now... You want relationship advice, right?"

Lottie blushed red at this, and mentally willed herself to calm down and breathe. "Um...yeah, I guess so..."

"Great! So...let me guess, the lucky boy is Jamie?" She asked teasingly, finally removing her sunglasses to give Lottie a questioning look.

"Y-yes..." Lottie replied, blushing a brighter red than her armchair. All of a sudden, she regretted asking Anastacia for advice about this; who knew if she was to be trusted? She could be trying to get information out of Lottie for all she knew. I've made a terrible mistake.

"I though as much," she had an almost smug look on her face as she said this, "but what do you actually want to ask me?"

"Well, you and Saskia like each other, don't you?" Anastacia visibly tensed up at this, and gave a short nod. "Right, and she's your Partizan, isn't she?" Again, Anastacia gave a small, stiff nod. "So...how did you end up dating your own Partizan?"