Reconstructing Amelia (unedited)

Chapter 76

December 17th, 2019

The thing about dates is that they never go exactly how you expect them to. There's always something that makes it somewhat disappointing . . . usually.

Our date had gone perfectly.

We'd gone out grocery shopping and picked out all our favourite sweets and snacks (I tried a lot of new things) and had a picnic in Central Park. It hadn't been one of those fancy or adventurous dates, and I was glad it hadn't been. It'd been a while since we'd spent close time just being together. It was one of those dates when all you do is talk. But not talk in the small-talk kind of way, talk as in the you-can't-stop-talking-because-you're-so-in-love kind of way.

Even though I hadn't been given a curfew, we made sure to come back relatively early, around nine-thirty or so. But Neo hadn't left, we'd gone upstairs to my room to keep talking.

But talking had turned into kissing. And kissing had turned into something I'd decided had gotten too out of hand for my liking.

"Mmhhhhh," I let out a soft hum as Neo planted kisses down my neck.

One hand was propping himself above me while the other was sliding up the underside of my back, both of our shirts already off, his fingers sparking eerily cold electricity from his touch against my skin.

My own hands were tangled in his now-tousled brown hair, my fingers tightening as his body dipped lower onto mine. Warmth radiated off of his tan skin, his body just as toned as I'd imagined it.

I'd been extremely self-conscious when I'd taken my own shirt off, not sure if I was comfortable with him seeing all the scars and bruises, but he'd just kissed me and told me how much he loved me.

But the farther up his hand went, the more my breath caught in my throat - and not in a good way. I wanted to be ready for this, for him, but this was turning into a nightmare for me. And all I could think about was Mason.

"Neo," I whispered hesitantly.

He didn't hear me, crashing his lips onto mine.

"Neo," I said a bit louder, pulling away from him. "Stop," I couldn't get the memory of Ella's funeral out of my head, the five guys standing over me.

Neo ceased immediately, propping himself up higher as he studied me wide-eyed in concern. "What's wrong?"

A tear slid down my cheek. I couldn't even find the words to tell him. I didn't what to say. I didn't even know how I was really feeling. All I knew was that it felt wrong.

"Mia, hey, talk to me," He sat up, reaching to take my hand, but I flinched away, the memory taking over my reality.

"Stop!" I screamed. "Don't touch me!" More tears came flowing down my cheeks and I hurried to get myself away from the bed, standing up on shaky legs.

Neo looked both worried and heartbroken. "Mia, just tell me what's wrong. Whatever it was, I'm sorry. Just talk to me, please,"

But I didn't get the chance to even try to respond before my door burst open and Alan came barreling in, wrestling Neo to the ground.

"You son of a bitch!" he yelled. "What did you do to my sister?"

Neo grimaced on the floor but he didn't fight back. He was too busy looking at me.

I couldn't stand being here any longer, especially now that Cato, Xander, and Eli had come in as well. I snatched my shirt from the bed and rushed to the bathroom, locking the door and sliding down it against it, clutching my knees to my chest as more tears kept coming.