Life & Love of the Tormented

Sixty Five

  Once inside the cafe we place our order and take a seat at a nearby table to wait.

  "So you're a coffee fan?", I ask Jarrod.

  "English people can drink stuff other than tea, you know that right?", he replies sarcastically.

  I roll my eyes, "I know that dickhead", I say while throwing a straw at him, "I'm just making conversation".

  Jarrod blocks the straw as if it was a bullet and laughs, "I know I know, and yes I do. I'm a huge fan of coffee actually, so please tell me these guys do decent cup", he exclaims.

  "Yeah they do.", I say smiling. "I'm so excited, the coffee at Mums is shit", I laugh.

  "I had one last night, it really is shit", he agrees. "Do you like coffee Ria?", he asks her.

  Ria glances up from her phone, "Huh?".

  "Do you like coffee?", Jarrod repeats the question.

  "I like it, I drink it but I'm not obsessed like Amelia", she says casually before looking back at her screen. "She's such a bitch if she doesn't get her coffee", Ria announces.

  Jarrod and I make eye contact.

  "I'm obsessed alright!", I admit and we both erupt into laughter.

  My phone begins to vibrate in my back pocket. I pull it out and see on the screen that Carter is calling.

  "One second", I say to Jarrod and Ria while still giggling.

  I hit answer, "Hello?"

  "Hey babe", Carter says on the other end of the phone. His voice is soft and he sounds tired.

  "Hey, how are you?", I say back.

  "Yeah, I'm alright baby. I'm just on break between my classes and wanted to hear your voice", he says.

  I get up and step away from the table, raising a finger and mouthing 'Be right back' to Ria and Jarrod.

"I'm glad you called. I miss you", I say to him. "You okay? You sound a bit flat"

  "Yeah I'm okay, just tired. I had such a shit sleep last night", he tells me.

  "Amelia! Our coffee is ready!", Jarrod yells over to me.

  "Who's that?", Carter asks.

  "Oh that's just Jarrod. Mum's new partner, William, it's his son. We just did a coffee run to give Mum and Will some alone time.", I say the last two words suggestively. "Ria is with us", I tell him abruptly. For some reason I feel like I have to reassure him who Jarrod is and that I'm not alone with him. "Not even sure I like the kid. He's kind of cocky and..."

  "You don't need to justify why you're with him or what you think of him or that you two aren't alone babe. I trust you", Carter says.

  "You do?"

  "Shouldn't I?", he asks laughing awkwardly.

  "No of course you should. Just with what we've been through I don't want you to think..."

  "I don't think those things of you Amelia.", Carter says talking over me slightly, "I'm sorry I ever did", his voice softens apologetically.

  "It's okay... I gave you plenty of reasons to think that of me before", I admit.

  "Amelia let's go!", Ria calls as her and Jarrod head for the door of the cafe.

  "Can I call you back? Our order is ready and we have my car so I've gotta drive.", I say.