Remembering Us

"I Could Never Truly Love You"

*Flashback*

The hand in my pocket sweats around the small black velt box it holds.

The door to the house opens and instead of Amelia in the red dress I asked her to wear, she stands there a pair of jeans and a T-shirt.

"Well, now I feel over dressed." I grin at her but she shows no emotion.

Something is wrong, very wrong. Her crystal blue eyes hold no spark whatsoever.

"Hey," I reach to cup her face but she pulls back. "What's wrong?" Coldness surrounds me.

"We need to talk." She whispers hoarsely and my mind spins. This can't mean anything good. "I can't do this anymore." She whispers just loud enough for me to hear- and I wish I didn't.

"Can't do what?" Surprisingly, I'm able to keep my voice from trembling.

"Us. This facade I've been keeping up, I can't do it anymore."

My stomach drops at the word facade.

"Facade?" She couldn't have been faking the whole time. "What are you trying to say?"

Her eyes close as she inhales deeply. "You have to know I didn't mean to take it this far."

"Amelia." I don't know what else to say as my heart races and my stomach feels stuck in my throat.

"I knew." She says and I frown in confusion. She knew? Knew what? "About the hospital payments."

"What?" My voice sounds weak to my own ears.

"After my date with Kai..." The mention of Kai has my jaw clenching. "I came home and you were drunk... you were mumbling about everything you've done for me and you just wish I'd give you a chance and..."

"And what Amelia?" I grit out, panic, rage, and hurt filling me all at once. I don't know what to say. Everything makes sense now. Her suddenly developed feelings after that night.

"I thought if things didn't change soon, you'd stop payments."

I open my mouth and she quickly stops me.

"I swear Cameron, it wasn't supposed to go this far. But..." Her next sentence shatters me from the inside out. "I could never truly love you."

Instead of responding, I walk toward the door.  Fury takes over my shock and I stop turning back toward the kitchen.

Amelia's head rests in her hands, her elbows propped on the counter.

She straightens when I come into the kitchen. I pull the ring case out of my pocket and quickly chuck it so it hits the front of the stove. She jumps and my first instinct is to apologize but I stop myself.

"You better sell that for every penny it's worth because your dad still has quite a few physical therapy sessions left." I ignore her crushed look. "And I want you out before the kids get back."

"Okay." She whispers, and I grit my teeth.

"Any shit that's still here when I get back on Monday, I'm throwing out." I tell her before storming out.

My hands shake with fury as I pull out my cell phone.

"What can I do for you Mr. James?" Andy Michelson, my lawyer, answers the phone. 

"Cancel- can- cancel- Fuck!" I scream, chucking my phone. "Fuck!" I scream again, my fist colliding with the side of the brick house.

My fist now burns along with my chest. I'm a fucking idiot. I should have know. The funny thing is I'm more upset about her ending this. She could have... No, I throw that thought from my mind. This lie needed to end now.