Aurélie

Chapter Twenty Eight

Aurélie whirled around, horrified to be at the centre of this scene, surrounded by strangers in a restaurant. She felt like everyone was watching. As she urgently scanned the room she could see that she was right. Nearly every face was turned to watch them and the drama that was guaranteed to unfold after Mel's revelation.

Her eyes darted back to Blake who was staring down at his plate, head down as if he had removed himself from the situation already.

"Blake?" she asked, her voice no more than a whisper. "Blake, what the hell's going on?" her voice was getting louder now and her cheeks were burning furiously. His head came up and he met her eyes with a steady gaze.

"Aurélie, I'm so sorry, I didn't know Mel would be here," his earlier confident demeanor now failing him. Aurélie picked her bag up and slowly moved her chair back.

Breathe slowly, Rel. Keep it together. She rose from her chair.

"I'll let you two catch-up, you clearly have a lot to talk about." She moved gracefully between the tables, picking up speed as she neared the door.

She glanced over her shoulder and saw Mel was still standing next to Blake, frozen in place, an aghast expression on her heavily made up features. The waitress was hovering at the back of restaurant, a gleeful look on her face that told Aurélie that this drama has been the most exciting thing to have happened in the restaurant for quite some time. As she turned to reach the door handle the restaurant erupted in noise as families and couples turned to each other to speculate over what had just unfolded. A delicious unforeseen addition to their evening out. They would have stories to tell their friends for weeks.

Aurélie was relieved for the slight chill in the air that was the result of a loaded summer breeze. Her eyes were prickling with tears and her nose was tingling, threatening to tilt over the edge into a sniveling mess. She took some deep breaths on the corner of the road before smoothing her hair down and crossing. So many thoughts were whizzing around her head but one main phrase took centre stage.

Blake is engaged. He is engaged and I've been sleeping with him. That makes me the other woman.

She could feel her skin crawling and a slippery eel had formed in her stomach, turning up the meal that she'd just eaten. Lena had warned her not get involved with the students. Her godmother would be horrified. If this went really badly then it could completely backfire on everything Lena had worked towards.

She felt sick and leant against the cool stone facade of a closed art gallery. There was a thunder clap overhead, the heat of the day seemed to have been too much and now the heavens were about to open for the umpteenth time this summer. Aurélie was still a fifteen minute walk from the house. She considered hopping on the subway or hailing a taxi but she couldn't face talking to anyone right now. She needed time alone and a walk would do her good. A bit of rain was hardly going to be the worst thing that had happened to her today. She couldn't believe she had been so stupid.

What an absolute jerk. She'd never felt so disappointed. He almost made Adam look good. Did he just think that because he was abroad, he could do what he wanted? What the actual hell? She realised her walk had turned into a complete stomp and people who were hurrying along hoping to get home before the downpour arrived, were giving her a wide berth.

She briefly caught sight of herself in the reflection of a shop window and her face was pale, she looked dreadful. She ducked her head down and darted forward, relieved to recognise the fancy dress shop that was on the corner of Lena's street. She must have been walking for twenty minutes but with such dark thoughts of anger, revenge, doubt and dread swirling around her head she hadn't realised how far she had got already.