Afraid To Love Again

Chapter 21 - Left and alone

"Let's go out for lunch", I bring up as soon as she slightly opened one eye.
She slept in until 11:00am and I was the first thing she saw when she woke up. I plastered a small smile, "Let's go for lunch", I repeated knowing she probably didn't hear me the first time.

"Are you sure?", she asks puzzled, her voice a little raspy. I nod and she winces while looking at the clock on my bed side table. Her eyes open wide, "Then I've got to get ready. You should have woken me up sooner", she rushes to the washroom. I was already prepared to leave and waited for Amelia to get enough sleep.

Who knew she was going to take nearly two hours? As I waited my phone buzzes and then rings right after. I check my phone, it was a text and call from him. After a whole two days? Does he have something to say? Was there a misunderstanding?

I nearly swipe to answer and Amelia grabs my phone and ends the call faster than I could ever answer it. Looks like she was ready to go. "Give me a minute", she taps on my phone.

"What are you doing?"

"Don't be expecting his call or text from now on", she switches off my phone and gives it back to me, "Or Madeline's"

"What?"

"Let's go now ", she wore her purse over her shoulder and pulls me up from my bed.

As the person who was taking her for lunch, I was supposed to be the one paying. But she still paid even though I insisted. She always gets to spoil me, but I never get the chance to do the same. Amelia excuses herself to go touch up in the washroom before we left so I waited for her.
Leaving me with more than enough time to be left alone with my thoughts.
Accidentally, I spot the last person I needed to see right now. Ace comes in and sit at the table nearest the entrance. My heart drops, but I didn't want to fail Amelia today aswell. I was sitting all the way back here, I don't think he could see me. I was left dumbfounded when Madeline walks in minutes after scanning the restaurant before catching sight of him seconds later.

They were still meeting up. They don't even regret what they did to me. I gulp and Amelia appears out of nowhere to sit in front of me, blocking me. "If you don't want to get hurt more, ignore it", she said frustrated. She saw it too, I guessed and I just look down to not show the tears filling my eyes.

"He doesn't deserve all the tears you're shedding for him!", Amelia yells trying to make me snap out of it.
I was hoping he wouldn't hear Amelia from where he was. "Let's go", Amelia drags me out of there, and passed them without sparing a glance at them.

And me doing the opposite, I could only look at them until I nearly lose sight of them, but Ace spots us nearly instantly through the full length glass window, leaving Madeline alone in the restaurant by herself. He was following us.

"Babe, wait!" , He shouts for me from a distance. I would stop to hear him out. If I were alone. But Amelia neither let go of my hand nor stop for anything.

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"One", she began listing after sitting me down on my chair, "Don't meet up with him. Two; don't call or text him. Three; ignore him in public or whenever he tries to talk to you. Four; Do not think about him-"

"I don't think I can abide by the fourth rule"

"What I mean is cut him off completely. Madeline too. I knew from the beginning, she always tried to compete with you. She betrayed you in the worst way. She backstabbed you, Erica."

She leaves me with no words to say.
Again. She's right.
And I can't even face them anymore. But I have to keep seeing them when I go back to school. Our short break wasn't going to last any longer. I don't think I'd be able to stand it. Amelia won't be here with me either.