You Only Want Me When I'm Taken

Chapter 54

2 DAYS LATER:

  “No way! Holy crap!” Jasmine yelled into the phone “Well what did you say to her?”

  “I didn’t say anything!” I huffed into the phone rubbing my head “‘Oh, that’ll be 100 pounds, and by the way, I’m your fiancé’s ex and I think I’m still in love with him’?”

  “Well, no, but—” Jasmine sighed “I don’t know, but this is all so surreal. How the fuck is Harry getting married at the age of 23? And to a girl he barely even knows!”

  “I don’t know!” I said in frustration “You should’ve seen her, Jas. No wonder why Harry’s marrying her. I looked like a hobo beside her. I just froze up”

  “So you sold her the painting?”

  “What was I supposed to do?” I almost yelled “I just can’t believe he’s getting married, Jas. I don’t know what to do. I don’t know whether I want to cry and yell or go kick and smash something into pieces. Why am I even thinking about this?”

  “Emily” Jasmine interrupted my panicking “There’s something you should know, and you’re not going to like it”

  “Okay?” I asked, waiting for her to say something when Caleb unlocked the door from outside and let himself in.

  “Hey babe” he said, kissing my forehead.

  “Jasmine” I said into the phone “I’ve got to go, I’ll call you back later”

  “No wait, this is important”

  “I’ll call you back tonight” I heard her stammering something else before I hung up the line. There was no way in hell I was discussing this in front of Caleb.

  “So tonight” Caleb started as I stood up to get us two cups of coffee “I was thinking we should go to my friend’s gig. What do you think?”

  “I’ll um have to skip tonight” I said, trying not to show the agitation in my voice “I’m feeling a bit tired”

  “Are you okay?” he asked, standing up to help me prepare the coffee “Are you sick or something?”

  “No, no. I’m fine. I just want to stay home tonight, that’s all” I said nervously. He looked at me, still unconvinced, so I stood up on the tip of my toes trying to reassure him. “I, um, have to go finish working on my sculpture, so I’ll see you tomorrow at Chris’s party, okay?” I said quickly before turning around on my heel ready to go downstairs when he held me by the arm.

  “Should I be worried about something?” he asked me with a concerned look in his eyes.

  “No” I answered a bit too hesitantly “I’m just…on my period so I’d rather be alone if that’s cool with you”

  “It’s cool” he said, leaning in to kiss me. I pulled away a tad too early making everything just a whole lot more awkward.

  “I’ll call you tomorrow, love” I said, rushing downstairs just wanting to get away from it all. As soon as I was in the studio, I took a deep breath trying to let everything sink in. I didn’t mean to avoid Caleb, I really didn’t, but if he was around long enough he’d want to know what was bothering me, which was something I shouldn’t be bothered by.

  I ran my hands through my hair, ready to let the tears start falling when I stopped myself. I promised myself I wouldn’t do this. Harry was most certainly over us, so why couldn’t I be either?

  I walked towards the stereo placing in the ‘Oldies’ CD deciding that it would making me feel better. As soon as I pressed the play button, the ultimate Spice Girls song started playing. “Yo I’ll tell you what I want what I really really want, so tell me what you want what you really really want” Come on, no one could deny that it was the catchiest song ever. I started moving my bum and hips in sync with the beat singing along while setting up the supplies so finish working on my painting “I wanna huh I wanna huh I wanna huh, I wanna really really really wanna zig a zig uh” I sang along while moving my ass, running the purple paint along the huge canvas “If you want my future, forget my past” I sang into the brush while twirling and dancing dramatically. I almost forgot about Harry and his picture-perfect fiancé. After the second verse started, I couldn’t help it anymore. I put the brush down and started jumping and dancing around crazily “If you wanna be my lover, you gotta get with my friends” I sang along. I was pretty sure the whole building could hear my awful singing, but I didn’t really care at the moment. I shook my ass dramatically and turned around only to find a figure leaning against the doorframe.

  I froze immediately, not really paying attention to who the person was.

  “I am so sorry” I apologized to the person, switching the stereo off. I turned around ready to talk my way out of this mortifying situation, but someone catching me dancing to a Spice Girls song was the least of my worries when I saw who the person was “Harry” I said out of breath.

  “Hey, Emily” he said casually with a smile on his face. I could feel my heart racing. It all felt so…surreal. Like he wasn’t really standing there “Uh, I’m sorry. The door was open, I just assumed that—”

  “It’s fine” I interrupted him “I was just…finishing off some work” I swallowed my throat, looking around for a cloth to wipe my hands with. The tension in the air was so immense you could cut it with a knife.

  “So” he started “Spice Girls, huh?” he laughed. I just stared at him, unable to speak.

  “What are you doing here, Harry?” I asked so blankly. I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes.

  “I came here to see you” he slowly said, shutting the door behind him. He stood right there in front of me, close enough for me to touch.

  “After three years?” I said, letting out a humorless laugh with tears lingering in my eyes. I blinked quickly, trying not to let them fall. He didn’t say anything, he just gaped at me trying to figure out what to say next “Does your fiancé know you’re even here?”

  “Yes and no” he said “She doesn’t exactly know who you are. I just wanted…to check up on you. To see if everything is okay”

  “It’s a bit too late for that, don’t you think?” I told him sternly, crossing my arms.

  “That’s not fair” he protested “I wrote to you. I wrote to you like seven times and you never once answered me. I also lost your number so I couldn’t call or text you”

  “No you didn’t” I snapped, confused at everything “You haven’t even tried talking to me once after that night at your gig”

  “What are you talking about? I wrote you seven letters, you can ask any of the boys if you want” he looked at me vaguely “Just admit that you didn’t even consider writing back”

  “Whoa, hold on” I said, raising my voice “You think I’m lying about this? I’ve never ever gotten a single one of your supposed letters” we were both quiet for a few minutes taking in the presence of each other. For what it was worth, I looked down at his wrist just to check if the tattoo was still there. I could see the ‘P’ and one of the infinity sign rings. So I wasn’t the only one who still hasn’t gotten my tattoo removed yet.

  “How could you not have gotten them? I made sure that each and every one of those was delivered to you” I shrugged at him with exasperation. He wrote to me. I’ve been heartbroken and devastated for all these years only to find out that he really did try. But if Harry said he’d sent them and I haven’t received anything, then what really did happen to the letters? “Look” he started coming closer to me “I didn’t come here to upset you or anything. I just really wanted to see you”

  “Well, you saw me” I said slowly still unsure of what exactly he wanted. He looked exactly the same. Well, more mature looking, but still the same piercing green eyes, the full naturally pinkish lips, and the well-carved jaw and high cheekbones.

  “Your hair” he said holding a strand “What happened to it?” he asked, almost disappointed that I’d cut and dyed it.

  “I figured I needed change” I just told him. He looked at me with confusion, not exactly figuring out what I meant by that. He pulled his hand away, walking backwards.

  “I’m sorry, I don’t know what was going through my mind when I came here” he said backing up “I won’t bother you again” he turned around to leave and I opened my mouth to stop him, but before we could Caleb’s figure appeared in front of us. Oh boy.