𝒂𝒍𝒆𝒙𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒚𝒎𝒊𝒂 | 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐝.

𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗽𝗲𝘀𝗶𝘀

Amelia Woods. If she was to describe herself with too many complicated words, she'll be likely to open the door and send them to her ex's apartment. But to be fair, the words that suited her would be a woman with many regrets.

Her regret that she walked to the public bookstore when she wasn't fond of reading books. The regret that she hadn't brought enough cash to buy herself a copy of the book that her dormmate kept hyping about.

The regret that she accidentally stumbled to see the love of her life in the same aisle as her. The regret that she held someone's hands that was so warm that her eyes got lost in his hazel ones.

She wasn't fond of novels. She wasn't happy with the thought of those clichés tropes that she could completely guess the ending already.

But it wasn't until she saw the reddened ears of the man in front of her and offered, "Please pretend to be my lover."

The odd thing was that the man almost had an expression of winning the lottery when it was clearly disadvantageous to him. He shook her hand and followed her to meet her ex-lover.

"Woods."

"Farrow."

"Lovely to meet you here, Woods." It hurts. Where is the glint in his eyes every time she met him? Was it because of her decision to break up for him to have a wonderful future? But it was all for him.

"Farrow. Well, I changed," she said as she hooked her arms to the man beside her. The charming laugh he gave out was another trigger of memories to her mind, but it didn't even seem to intimidate the man beside her.

"How lovely, darling. I suppose that this is your friend?"

"A smooth talker, are you not?" He added. "Drew Farrow. Well, we're acquainted at some point."

"Charmed. Ethan Lewis, call me Lewis. Normally I would let others call me Ethan, but it would be lovely if I could join into your little game of calling of surnames," Ethan said, not letting both of them butt in to the conversation.

"You talk too much," Drew told Ethan while staring at her intensely with his dark brown eyes.

He knew. He knew that she can't handle people with too many words to utter. The next thing she knew was Ethan's head was leaning to her shoulder, eyes glinting with amusement.

"It's my charm. After all, no one would like a boring, old man." What happened next was something that she couldn't handle. Ethan dragging her away from the bookstore and hugging her tightly in the middle of the sidewalk.

Rain pouring down the streets as if to cover up her loud sobs over the man she truly loved. "Let it all out," Ethan said. "Just listen to my voice. I'll be here."

The tears she shed was equivalent to the pain of the letter of acceptance that Drew received to London.

The pain of watching the happiness slip out of his face to a worry as he looked over to her.

Having to hear that he'll reject his dream school to stay in America because of her being alone in this country.

Listening to his parents arguing to pursue his dreams while knowing she's the only reason Drew's about to ruin his life.

"Let's break up, Farrow."

Making the decision to end it once and for all.

After that encounter, Amelia was shut down again and fell into a despair. One that she can't help feeling the warmth that once scalded her hand so much that she felt the need to touch it again. The feeling of guilt that gnawed her bruised and broken heart increased as she once again saw the hazel brown eyes staring straight at her cerulean ones.

Holding his warm hands, she followed him to his every steps. Watching him smile at her when all she saw was Drew's face overlapping over his soft features.

The feeling of wanting to rip her hair from all of the light kisses Ethan kept pressing to her head, the soft murmurs of him trying to calm her down after a breakdown, and the tears he kept giving that never seemed to stop after she told him her side of the story.

It's too much. How could he love her so much when she was using him as an excuse to forget the love she guarded dearly all this time? Or to kept telling her that she mattered? Or when she realized that he never seemed to fail to give her the love and time she kept craving?

Ethan Lewis is too kind for her. An existence that doesn't deserve to be stuck in the middle of whatever's happening to her. Someone who deserved to be loved purely and never be a replacement of what could've been. There was never supposed to be of them since she was the one that lead him to believe that she was the one who's supposed to give him everything that he deserved.

The last straw that compelled her to decide was when she saw the small blue velvet box kept under his pillows.

Amelia remembered grabbing whatever she could and stuffing it to her suitcase as she stormed to the living room, wanting to see those loving eyes one last time. The confused expression is visible in his eyes, almost making her want to stop dive into his arms.

But enough is enough. If she stayed here even longer, he'll never be free. He'll be stuck as someone whose heart will be squeezed dry for all the love he'd given to the wrong person.

It took a lot of missed calls and blocked number before she managed to get by. Amelia Woods moved to another state. Graduated college. Worked as an accountant at a bank.

It was after a sale from the local bookstore that she noticed a series that she never thought that she'll find it again. His books. All of those all-nighters Ethan spent finally took off.

Those books were in her hands for months, crying over all those words he wrote for her, carefully taking care of each and every page, and keeping them near her desk. Amelia Woods was never a fan of books. But she can't seem to let his works gone to waste.

But then, she met those hazel brown eyes again. The fluttery feelings were still there. Albeit small, the only thing that she kept thinking was that she's glad that he's alright. After all, all those years were bound to change a person.

If she could describe herself again, she'll still say that she's a bad person. Because all she could feel was those overwhelming emotions while sitting across him. Even when Ethan let out all those venting to her, she still thinks that she made a great decision.

Look at him, affording those neat watch in his wrists, the dark eyebags under his eyes were almost gone, and a healthy glow on his face. Gone were the struggling boy who never knew that the person he's loving was a person still stuck to her past.

"... Thank you."

Everyone could hate her for all they want. She'll happily sing of their past alone so they could stay in the future. After all, Amelia Woods was just a person of their past to Drew Farrow and Ethan Morris-Lewis.