Loving Levi Greene

Chapter 23: The Library

****Amelia's POV****

Abigail secures the end of one of my thick braids, grinning to herself. She must be lost in thoughts about Joseph.

I see it all over her face through the mirror. She is standing behind me in her bedroom, braiding, looping, securing, and pinning my hair into something elegant and grand.

Her and Joseph will be engaged soon, I think to myself.

He is completely infatuated with her, as she is with him.

They deserve each other.

They are perfect.

A spitting image of similar devotion when compared to Abigail's very much in-love parents. She seems to have followed in their footsteps by finding a soul mate as well. How lucky it is to be her, indeed.

My heart warms for Abigail. And for Joseph, for he too, over the weeks that I have known him, has become a very dear friend of my own.

I love them both fiercely and my heart soars for them.

"Are you excited to see Joseph tonight?" I question her with a soft smile.

Whatever daze she was inhabiting vanished, and her eyes settled on me in the land of the living.

Her eyes seemed to twinkle as she held my gaze.

She looked back down to my hair and continued to braid and brush.

"Of course I am. Are you excited to see John?" she asks me, eyebrows raised and focused to hear my answer. Her mouth frowned slightly before she corrected it. She leans forward behind me, holding eye contact through the antique mirror in front of us.

My first thought was no. I am not very excited.

I mean- I am happy to be accompanying John, he seems nice enough.

He said he wants to "show me how I am supposed to be treated", or whatever it was that he said. But my heart can't help but ache at the thought of Levi.

It's been weeks. And he's found someone else.

No wonder he hasn't come to see me.

No wonder I haven't heard from him.

Is it possible that he left the forest, left me, and went straight to the brothel?

Where he then met the love of his life?

My heart clenches. The familiar feeling of rejection causes my cheeks to morph into two red canvases.

I look at Abigail. I realize she is still waiting on an answer, with a look of concern etched onto her face.

I stifle it. I cut the oxygen to those cancerous feelings with the hope of starving them, killing them.

I inhale quickly, and smile brightly.

"I am very excited. I only hope that John feels the same." I say with a sweet, buttery smile.