Best Friend

Chapter 19

Harrison left for L.A early Monday morning, with a promise that he'd return soon.

It's Friday, and Harrison is not only staying in L.A two weeks, but he has also been sighted with his 'fake girlfriend' multiple times on gossip sites, and social media.

Sunday I finally gave up and checked out who this fake girlfriend was, what she looked like but most of all, what she posted on her social media, and once I found out her name, my whole world felt toxic.

Riley Mulligan, supermodel who was born and raised in California, not only was she gorgeous but she was also smart, with a degree in marine biology, she was everything I was not with the looks and the brains to stand by Harrison and not crack under the spotlight.

She not only took beautiful photos on her gram, but she also had a fair amount with Harrison also, and the more I looked, the more I believed their relationship, especially since her most recent post, posted only four hours ago with Harrison's arms wrapped around her.

I felt sick to my stomach, had Harrison lied to me?

He'd only messaged me once, and that was Tuesday to tell me he was missing me, since then it's been quiet with not a single text or call from him, it's been two weeks after he told me he'd only be gone a week.

My apartment building was safe to live in come Monday, so I said goodbye to Harrison's parents, Gabby and Robbie, and then went on my way with my stuff in hand.

For the full week, I had went back to my normal life, I hosted a live stream to advertise adult toys, went shopping, then I spent the rest of my week watching movies, and avoiding social media.

The 2nd week flew by and today's my first day back after my two week forced break, which couldn't have come sooner in my opinion. 

I had forgotten just how lonely it was whenever I was at home, Harrison had ruined that ignorant part of me, only for him to disappear and leaving me alone with this void of emptiness inside of me.

"Charlotte."  Benji greets me, coming into the staff room. "How was your holiday?"

Taking off my coat, scarf and hat, I roll my eyes. "Oh you know, great."

Benji laughed and nodded his head knowingly. "You're the only one I know who hates time off, I swear if it wasn't for rules you'd never leave here."

He's not wrong either. "Where's Micah?" I asked, not seeing his car on the way in.

The door to the staff room opens and that's when I see Micah, only the most nicest guy I have ever met, with a smile so charming that all the mommies can't help but lust for, his looks weren't that bad either.

"Charlie." He greeted me, smiling handsomely as he took off his coat. 

"Morning to you too." Benji sarcastically says, sipping his coffee.

Ignoring Benji, Micah moves to stand behind me and puts his hands on either side of my shoulder as I looked up at him.

"We missed you around here, the days felt longer without you here." He said, making me laugh.

"Trust me, I missed you guys too." I said honestly, smiling at Benji who cheekily stuck his tongue out, before getting up from his seat.

"Well I'm on gate duty, see you guys at lunch." Benji says, before leaving the room with a wave my way, leaving me and Micah in the staff room.

"So what did you get up to?" Micah asks, coming to sit next to me at the table. 

Even if I really told him what I got up to, he'd either never believe or or never speak to me again, either way, I simply shrugged. "Not much."

"You should've called me up, we could've went out to see a movie and maybe have dinner together." He said, making me look at him.

Did he mean as in a date? Surely not... this is Micah, whose never shown that sort of interest in me before... or has he?

"Sorry." I sheepishly apologies as he smiled. "I would've liked the company."

"Maybe next time?" He suggests, his eyes never moving from mine.

The space between us felt thicker, or maybe it was just me, but it felt like Micah was asking me out... but I couldn't tell, he was either very good at hiding his emotions, or maybe he was just a very straight forward guy.

Apart from Harrison, I haven't had much experience with this type of man, even with Harrison I felt out of my depth.

"Sure, next time." 

The children had been escorted in by Benji in lines as they waited outside their classrooms, my class children waited patiently, with smiles on their faces as soon as they saw me approach them.

The moment I heard 'Miss Miller' I felt like all my troubles and doubts with Harrison had flown away, and the rest of the day went on like that, me not thinking about him once, just like how it was before he came back into my life.

The day had went by slow, which I was thankful for as I loved my job and I loved seeing how happy the children got from all the activities I had planned for them during the day, nothing beat the feeling I felt once I saw their happy faces as they waved 'see you tomorrow' to me as they left with their parents.

As a school teacher I had never really thought about moving on up to teach teenagers, I was content with my job, I never felt ashamed for not earning a lot like all the others I grew up with, because to me it was never about the money.

Since Harrison left, I just wanted to belong somewhere where I didn't have to compete, or try to overcome someone else's shadow, and I felt like I had finally found it, so why would I quit? 

I also think Harrison feels the same, for so long he had wanted to be an actor and to be famous, he got it, so why would he throw that away? Moving back here where there is nothing for him just felt like he was throwing his life away.

His perfect American life, with movie premiers and supermodel girlfriends.

It all felt so exotic compared to my bland black and white life in a small town with a population of 50 thousand.

"Charlotte, wait up!" I heard a voice call out, making me turn around.

Micah, who was jogging towards me with his car keys in one hand, and his phone in another as he made his way towards me as I stood waiting near the gates of the school.

"Hey." He breathed out in the cold air. "Do you want to grab a coffee with me?" 

A coffee? "What, now?" I asked, confused by his question.

"Yeah, now." He nodded his head. "Theirs a nice place that serve sandwiches not far from here."

Coffee and sandwiches, what was this all about? Despite something inside of me telling me to lightly turn him down, the image of Harrison and Riley smiling was burned in my head, their smug faces destroying that tiny voice, telling me to just go home.

"Sure, I could eat."

Harrison had left to play house with someone he swore to not have any romantic feelings for and had yet to break off the relationship after two weeks, so why should I wait for him blindly when he's already lied to me?

I wasn't going to wait for him again, never again, so I went with Micah, and for once, stopped thinking about Harrison... and who knows, maybe I might enjoy myself.