Remember me.

part twenty three.

Kelly didn't stay for much longer after that. They sat together in uncomfortable silence as no one spoke a single word for what felt like an eternity. She soon noticed Kelly fidgeting in her spot, playing with the rubber band on her wrist absent-mindedly as she actively avoided her best friend's gaze. It was not long later when she finally looked up and left saying that her mum needs her home as soon as possible. Amelia merely nodded. She hadn't even had the chance to thank her for coming over yet but she was already watching as her best friend walked through that door, leaving her all alone in her room again. She could hear how her footsteps quickened as she walked down the stairs and the sound of the door slamming shut quickly reached her ears. What she couldn't hear was how fast her heart was beating and the way she chided herself softly as she walked out of the room, thinking about how hard she had messed up.

Amelia doesn't understand why Kelly had reacted the way she did because to her, it was not a big deal and she simply couldn't comprehend just how this small slipup can actually be a huge mistake. But of course, she didn't know, after all, they meant to hide it from her for as long as they could. So there she was, all alone in her room with all the thoughts swirling in her head as she was left with a million unanswered questions keeping her awake that very night. 

She was still tossing and turning around in her bed, still wrapped in her blankets as her eyes remained wide open. She couldn't shake those questions off her mind and they continued to haunt her despite how hard she tried to. And just like that, it was already 3 in the morning. She couldn't stand it anymore. She was no longer in her bed, instead, she was putting on a huge pullover and a pair of leggings, getting ready to head out anytime now. Her parents were fast asleep in the room next to hers, unaware of the fact that their daughter was about to sneak out of the house once again. 

Her footsteps were light and she gently closed the door behind her as she made her way out, careful not to wake her parents up. The sound of her heart thumping against her chest furiously was echoing in her head, above the noise of the low rumbles reverberating throughout the place. She didn't exactly know what she was doing at that very moment but she found herself in her parents' car, driving down the streets that were barely lit. The windows were rolled down as she let the wind blow through her hair, a small smile etched onto her face. For a while, she forgot about everything around her and all the questions that were running through her mind as she enjoyed the cool breeze and the soft music playing in the background. The car soon came to a halt and she only sat there as she leaned back into the seat. She let her eyes flutter shut as she took in one huge breath of fresh air. 

A minute or so had passed when she finally stepped out of the car. The sky was pitch black, only a few stars twinkling brightly above her. She had thought about driving up to his house and firing all her questions at him all at once but instead, she was greeted by the vast ocean right before her eyes, stretching far away with no end in sight. The sound of the waves crashing against the rocks calmed her mind as the feeling of blissfulness washed over her entire body. This was the place she would always go to whenever something is bothering her and she needed a distraction, a distraction so huge that it could take her mind off the things she doesn't want to be reminded of. She needed to forget everything for a little while, even if it is just for a minute. 

And so there she was, sitting alone at an empty beach, staring straight ahead of her as she watched the waves crashed onto the shore. She had her knees tucked close to her chest, wrapping her arms around her legs as she took in the beautiful view before her eyes. There's just something about it that felt so peaceful and serene. The sounds of nature surrounded her, drowning out the noise in her mind. 

But little did she know that this was where Nathan would always come to whenever he's feeling down. So, it's safe to say that Amelia was shocked to see him standing in front of her at this exact moment. "Amelia? What... What are you doing here alone?" He asked, looking down at her. What are the odds that they would meet on this very beach once again? It almost felt like it was meant to be.

She jumped ever so slightly at the sudden voice, breaking her out of her little reverie. She looked up to see Nathan looking right into her eyes and quickly averted her gaze back onto her wringing hands. "I could ask you the same thing."

This time he was seated next to her and he had his eyes boring right into hers again. "It's dangerous to be out and alone this late you know?" He quickly said as concern and worry laced his deep raspy voice, fully ignoring her words. She broke the eye contact another time and looked away, staring back at the ocean once again. 

She nodded. "Yeah..." She muttered under her breath. "I know, Nathan. I  just have a lot on my mind right now," she admitted as she let out a sigh. 

"You can talk to me, you know that right?" There was a short pause before he finally spoke again. "Even if it's about me." She looked at him and saw that he wasn't looking at her but only stared ahead into the ocean for a while. 

She took in one deep breath. "Alright, here goes nothing..." She mumbled under her breath before looking up. "I just have all these questions in my head you know. And, it may not be a big issue but they are bothering me and I just couldn't sleep, so here I am."

"Just shoot."

"Umm... So, you probably knew Kelly came over earlier in the day and she gave me my favourite Korean dish," she started as he nodded, listening intently. "And she accidentally burst out saying you were the one that queued for it. So, I am just confused. Why would you want to hide that from me? Why didn't you come and see me instead? And why did she leave me alone after that? Is it really that big of a deal? I don't see the problem here and I don't know if I ever will."

Nathan was stunned by all the questions and whys she was throwing straight at him even though he had expected this and nothing less from it. But somehow he still couldn't give her an answer right away as his mind was still in a mess. "Amelia... I...I just had something to do after, so I couldn't come," he lied in the end despite knowing how wrong it was and how bad it felt to lie to her. But he didn't want to lose her just yet, he wasn't ready to lose her anytime soon. "And you are right, there's no problem, it's not a big deal. She probably had to rush home to something, maybe she was in a bad mood," he reasoned.

She didn't question it one bit but simply accepted his explanation and merely nodded. "Yeah, I guess you are right. I am probably overthinking this," she laughed. "I can't believe I wasted all that time staying awake when I could already be sleeping like a pig." 

He let out a deep chuckle. "At least you can sleep now, you are welcome."

A/N:

Hey all! Hope you enjoy this chapter! More things will be unravelling in the future chapters and everything will start to make more sense hehe 

Don't forget to vote, comment and share if you enjoy this book so far, your support means a whole lot to me <3 

See you in the next chapter!

With love,

Rachel xx