PROMISE

FORTY-FOUR: Surprise Of A Lifetime

AMANDA

IT'S OKAY. NOTHING is happening. You need to trust him.

I didn't want to draw any unnecessary attention to myself but I couldn't help feeling my panic begin to rise as I saw Kyle put his phone down.

Kyle, answer me.'

I hoped the message came across him as calm as I intended it to be. But my insecurities got the best of me sometimes. It wasn't like I was insecure about myself, no way. That couldn't be further from the truth. But I was beginning to be a little bit frantic about the whole situation.

This is just a bizarre situation.

It was probably just an innocent interaction with one of his friends. I didn't want to blow anything out of proportion but sometimes it's hard not to when your eyes show you things you have no idea just how to react to them.

I swallowed another big lump on my throat nd blinked back tears when I saw him glance at his phone for barely a second before shoving it into his jacket again. Like someone who had no intention of prioritising my fears. I needed his reassurance at that moment more than anything. All he had to do was just answer my texts. I was validated to feel the way I was feeling right now. He wouldn't like it either if I did exactly the same things he had been doing.

He resumed giving his now clearly undivided attention to the woman who kept moving her hands as she talked, her actions animated like whatever it was, was serious. But I didn't care about how serious their discussion was. It had nothing to do with me and I wasn't interested at all. Okay maybe just the tiniest bit interested.

As I stood there in the scorching heat that I didn't enjoy, begging Kyle to understand my urgency as much as I tried to understand the situation, I felt my understanding slowly slipping away from me. I kept trying to convince myself it wasn't that bad. That maybe he was in a business meeting of some sort. He did have investments as he had once said.

But it didn't work. It wasn't working. Not in the least bit. That bit of patience and understanding was slowly but surely drying up from the tank. Anger like I had never felt before slowly boiled up from my tip toes to the roots of my hair. I was livid. Here I was giving him the benefit of the doubt and he couldn't even care enough to answer me.

I didn't want to jump to the worst conclusion but he wasn't making it easier for him. He lied to me earlier and here he was avoiding my texts. I called him and watched in desperation as he pulled his phone out of his pocket and tensed, his wide eyes staring at it for a few seconds.

Bloody watching it ring!

He must have put it on silent because he put it back, still bloody ringing! I clenched my fists and took a determined step towards the entrance. I wasn't a confrontational person by nature but I didn't care at that moment. I took a few steps but then stopped myself.

I needed to know how he'll answer without him knowing I was there. I really wanted him, no, needed him to pass this test.

'Kyle please tell me where you are right now. I need to know.'

The woman tried to get his attention when he stared away from her. She slid her hand to grasp his and I felt a pain in my chest at that small action. Kyle looked at the hand for a few seconds before pulling it back to retrieve his phone. This time he looked at his phone longer, probably wondering how to answer before whirling around to look at his surroundings.