The Love I Need

Chapter 11

--THREE DAYS AGO--

"No way!" An excited voice shrieks from down the aisle. I ignore the commotion and stick to scanning the boxes of granola bars on sale. Only the crappy ones are discounted, but maybe I'm being too choosey. Living the past eight years with a steady flow of money at your disposal will do that to a person.

"Amelia?" the voice says next, and my hand pauses mid-air as I reach for a box.

I know that voice.

"Amelia Gillen?! Holy smokes, I don't believe it!"

I drop my hand and turn to see a beautiful brunette rushing toward me. She drops her basket of groceries and throws her arms around me. "Wait, no, it's Emilia, right?" she asks with a laugh, squeezing me to her as if we're the best of friends and it hasn't been close to a decade since we last saw each other. "I remember now. Your foster brother corrected me right before the two of you skipped town."

I open my mouth to say something, but all that comes out is an awkward, "Hi."

"Hi?!" She finally drops her arms from around me to place her hands on her hips. "You disappeared eight years ago with your mysterious foster brother and all you have to say is hi?" she scolds, then shakes her head, sending her flowing hair twirling around her. "Nuh uh, girl. You can do better than that."

Inspite of how desolate my life has become, I find myself smiling. "Hello Marissa James. How've you been?"

Marissa takes her left hand off of her hip and holds it toward me, revealing the dazzling bands on her ring favour. "It's Marissa Monrow now," she gushes, "Kinda sounds like Marilyn Monroe, huh? Isn't that so fun?" she giggles.

My eyes go wide. "You married Ricky?"

She shakes her head. "No, his dad."

Now my eyes feel like they're just about bulging out of my head. I swallow back all of the rude comments begging to pour out of my mouth and offer her a smile. "Oh, that's... that's great. He was always so... Wow, that's so great."

"Rich," Marissa fills in for me, and though I try to keep my face neutral, I don't think I succeed.

Marissa just about doubles over laughing. "Oh Amelia, always one to spare other's feelings, aren't you? I wouldn't dream of marrying that old geezer. Yes, I married Ricky!"

"Fuck Marissa," I say with a relieved laugh of my own, "I was going to say, wasn't your family rich enough? I didn't think you'd need a sugar daddy."

Marissa shakes her pretty head and bends down to pick up her grocery basket. "No, no sugar daddy for me. Though, I did date Owen for awhile, to the dismay of my parents."

That name means nothing to me, and it must show on my face because Marissa says next, "Oh, right, he moved around here after you left. He lived on the poor side of town, close to where you and Cal stayed. Really nice guy. I mostly dated him to piss off my parents, at first, but then I started to actually kind of like him. That is, until Ricky saw things getting serious between us and came to sweep me off my feet, which was a bit annoying because I was really in a stage of wanting to upset my parents, ya know?"

I don't know. I've never had parents to piss off.

"But anyway, after all the scandal surrounding Ricky's mom, I guess I got my way, but I'm sure you know all about that," she says with a smirk.

I am so confused. "Why would I?"

Marissa looks down the aisle and then back at me. "Speaking of, where is that brooding bad boy of yours? What brings you two back to town?"