The Heartbreak Factor - Part Three

Chapter Thirty-Two.

“For the four hundredth time, Sammy, we are not going to watch High School Musical,” George laughed as we sat on the floor by the shelving unit, browsing through our entire DVD collection, trying to find a DVD to watch for our movie night. “You’re 20 years old.”

I looked at him in shock. “No, we are going to watch High School Musical and you will sing along to it,” I grinned.

After just over two years of dating, I knew exactly how to push his buttons - pulling an angelic puppy face. “Fine,” he whined, getting the DVD from the shelf and putting it in the DVD player as I jumped onto the sofa and snuggled under the blanket.

“If you make me do Troy’s solos again though,” George said as he got under the blanket and put his arm around me. “I’m gonna call off the engagement.”

“Oh, shut up,” I grinned. “You love being Troy Bolton.”

“Whatever Gabriella Montez,” he joked as the movie began to play.

*

“It’s funny when you find yourself looking from the outside. I’m standing here but all I want is to be over there,” George sang to himself.

“George,” I giggled, half asleep on his chest.

“Yeah,” he smiled, looking down at me.

“You’re doing it again,” I laughed, staying still with my eyes closed.

It was unbelievably relaxing to just lie on the sofa, resting my head on George’s chest and listening to his heartbeat. Even the occasional humming off George singing along to the DVD didn’t even stop me from drifting off to sleep.

“Why did I let myself believe that miracles could happen? ‘Cos now I have to pretend that I don’t really care,” he continued to sing, trying to annoy me.

“I thought you were my fairy-tale, a dream when I’m not sleeping, a wish upon a star, its coming true,” I sang, still half-asleep on his chest. “But everybody else could tell that I confused my feelings with the truth when there was me and you.”

“Shut up, you muppet,” George laughed as he played with my hair, “and go back to sleep.”

“Okay,” I grinned, closing my eyes again and slowly drifting back off to sleep as George continued to hum along to High School Musical.

*

Opening my eyes, I looked around the front room to see the television screen turned off and no sign of George. Standing up, I walked over to the door and peered down the corridor to see the front door ajar with George’s hand on it. I could hear some murmurs coming from behind the door. Instead of going to see what was going on, I decided to hang back in the living room and try to eavesdrop on the conversation.

“You have to tell her, George,” a voice said.

“I can’t.”

“Why not?”

“I love her.”

“You love me though.”

“No, you have to go.”

“I’m not going until she knows the truth!”

“Rio, you have to go.”

Rio? Rio? The fan from last night? Why was she at my front door? Why was she arguing with George? What was this ‘truth’ they were on about? He didn’t love her, did he? I stood looking down the corridor, waiting for someone to say something that would at least answer all my questions about the conversation. After a few moments of silence, the door moved and George walked back into the apartment, closing the door behind him. Before George had chance to see me peering around the corner, spying on his conversation with Rio, I ran back into the living room and stood by the shelves, trying to find another DVD to watch.

“You’re awake then?” George laughed awkwardly as he walked back into the room to see me putting High School Musical 2 into the DVD player.

“Yeah,” I nodded. “Is High School Musical 2 okay?”

“Whatever,” he smiled, sitting back on the sofa.

I sat down on the opposite side of the sofa to him. “Who was that at the door?” I asked after a few moments of awkward silence.

“Oh,” George said. I could tell by the pause he was trying to think of an unquestionable cover-up story to tell me. “It was next door,” he smiled to me, trying to avoid direct eye contact. “They just wanted to know if we would mind keeping an eye on their apartment while they were on holiday next week.”

“Okay,” I smiled, knowing what he had just said was a complete lie.

*

“I’ve been thinking.”

“Yeah,” I said, keeping my complete focus on the movie, although my mind was going into overdrive over the whole George and Rio situation.

“We should set a date for the wedding,” George blurted out.

I looked at George in shock. The idea of a wedding was the last thing on my mind. “Erm.. Um.. mmm..” I stuttered.

“Why wait? We’re still gonna feel the same way in a few years like we do now, so why wait?” he smiled.

I nodded. “Maybe,” I said, freaking out inside.