The Devil is in the Details (Book 3)

Bet

-Amelia's POV-

"What were you doing out in the park so late?" I asked Francis. He had comforted me with his company and reassurance for a while now and only after calming down did I realise it was probably passed midnight already. The fact that he was here at all, in the state that he was in, was really weird. 

Francis grinned at me, the sight making my chest feel somewhat lighter, before saying, "I was checking out the forest and ended up getting a bit lost haha," I smiled back at him but then I remembered the bet. I don't say anything out loud but I look down and away from him, hoping he wouldn't notice but I wasn't very successful. "What's wrong?"

I tried my best not to look too deep into his eyes which seemed to hold so much concern for me but I couldn't believe it. "Why do you act so nice to me?" I asked and I watched him sigh and look forward. 

"I told you how I feel for you, and although you rejected me, it's not something I can just ignore," I watch as he forces a smile and looks back at me but I couldn't let go of my doubt. 

"I heard about the bet, Francis," I say and his eyes widen at me. 

"The bet?"

"Get me to love you and drop me by the end of the year, have us be together or make my life a living hell, you have quite the friend group - coming up with things out of a novel." Francis groaned out in frustration after hearing that. I half expected him to be angry about being found out but-

"Those fucktards!" I was in shock from his outburst but let him carry on, "The bet you heard, it's true that's what they told me but I couldn't agree to it. The only reason you were in it in the first place was that they knew how I felt for you and breaking your heart was a cry for attention and status." 

I scoffed at his answer, "We're in high school not the fucking Grammys," 

"Tell me about it,"

 "And making my life a living hell?"

"Making my life a living hell you mean. They threatened to ruin the rest of my reputation and anything I could achieve here." I felt for him. I probably shouldn't trust him so quickly but it all seemed so real. The hatred towards his 'friends', his sadness about his future, his love for me. 

But, I couldn't think about love right then because it just reminded me of my parents, the topic which I had carefully avoided spilling to Francis. They were my model of love and success, seeing that had broken all that for me and now I felt clueless about it all. 

I had realised that I had been ignoring multiple calls I was receiving from my parents in the past hour or so that I was out but I couldn't bring myself to talk to them. 

"I'm sorry, about all of this," Francis then says which brought my attention back to him. 

"It's okay," I say and he shakes his head, standing up and giving me a hand,

"Let me make it up to you," I raised an eyebrow but accepted his hand anyway, "Stay over at mine tonight? We'll watch a movie and in the morning, I'll make breakfast!" 

I grinned back at him and was about to accept when I got another call but when I looked down, it wasn't my mother or father, it was my uncle Xavier. "I'm sorry, I need to get this," I told him and he nodded, waiting for me. 

I answered the call in the meantime and waited for his voice in anticipation, how much did he know? How much has he known this whole time? 

"Amelia?" 

"Uncle?" I say and although I tried staying strong, the memory of it all, having to think about facing it all, made me tear up again and I'm sure he could hear it in my voice. He stayed quiet on the other line once hearing my voice and finally I hear him speak again, this time in a softer voice,