The Road of Love

Chapter Twelve

Leo made no attempt to call Emma the next day.

He was proud of himself. He had won the bet again. He felt good. He had no reason whatsoever to feel bad.

"Emma is just stupid to have trusted me for the second time" he said shaking his head.

*****

"Has he called?", Livia asked the already forlorn Emma when she entered the room.

Emma shook her head in response.

"He's not going to call" Livia said flatly.

"He will" Emma said defensively.

Livia moved to the bed and hugged her friend.

She wanted to rip Leo apart for putting her best friend in such a state.

"He doesn't deserve you. you deserve a man who will answer your questions and call you back after a fight" Livia advised Emma.

Emma gave her a look and a sigh of frustration.

Livia held back her tears.

"It's all ready 2pm and you've not eaten anything. Please take something" Livia pleaded.

"I'm not hungry" Emma responded and covered her head with the blanket.

"Emma" Livia cried.

"Please don't force me to" Emma responded to Livia's cry with her head still covered.

"Emma, please don't do this to yourself" Livia said touching Emma's body through the blanket.

"Please stop it for God's sake" Emma blurted out angrily.

"What should I stop?" Livia questioned in a tone of anger and worry.

"Tell me, what should I stop?" Livia went on.

"Forcing me to eat and stuff" Emma said in a quite tone.

"Do you want to kill yourself because of a guy who doesn't care about you?" Livia cried.

"He cares all right?" Emma retorted angrily and sat up, the blanket off her face.

"I can't do anything about it Livia, I love him. It's simple yet complicated" Emma lamented.

"I don't know what to do anymore" she finished and broke down.

Livia was rooted to where she stood.

She looked at her friend and did nothing. She had to allow her to cry and let all the emotions out.

Emma continued to cry. She lay on the bed and buried her head in the pillow.

Livia walked to her and lay beside her.

She turned Emma over so she would face her. She wiped the tears from her eyes with her blouse.

"You're beautiful in every way and other men would kill to have you. Don't let a man who doesn't know your worth devalue you." Livia said to Emma.

Emma just stared at her, the tears threatening to fall.

"Don't allow him to treat you anyhow. You have to move on, it's not going to be easy but I know you're a fighter" Livia finished with a sigh of frustration.

"Thank you, Livia" Emma said in a croaky voice.

A minute of silence passed.

"Where's the food?" Emma asked with a smile, breaking the silence.

"That's the spirit" Livia screamed happily.

Livia made some dance moves with her thin waist.

Emma covered her face in order not to see Livia's dance.

"I'm better than someone we call Emma" Livia said in a breathy voice.

They both laughed.

*****

Gerald paced the floor in uncertainty.

He didn't know what he was doing in front of Emma's room at 7:30 am on a Monday morning.

"Think Gerald, think" he said hitting his forehead repeatedly.

"I'll tell her I came so we go to class together" he told himself but decided against it.

He walked to the door and turned around to leave the building.

He walked back to the door the moment Emma opened the door.

"Oh hi" Emma said raising her eyebrows in question.

"He, hello" Gerald stuttered.

"I came to check on you" he answered Emma's unasked question.

"oh, all right" Emma said blushing unknowingly.

"Are you on your way to the lecture hall?" Gerald asked.

"Yeah, obviously" Emma answered with a laugh.

"Let's go then" Gerald said.

"Sure" Emma replied.

"After you" Gerald said pointing to the flight of stairs in front of them.

*****

Leo was with his new girlfriend when Emma and Gerald saw him.

He tightened his grip around her waist and passed them without a word.

Gerald cast a quick glance at Emma and smiled.

She smiled back.

They got to the lecture hall fifteen minutes before the start of the lecture.

They chit-chatted for a while before Gerald dropped the bombshell.

"You weren't sad when you saw Leo with the girl?" he asked staring at Emma.

"Do I have to be sad because he's found himself a girlfriend?", Emma asked rhetorically, "I only pity the girl" she went on, "I know where this would lead them both", she paused and continued "and it's nowhere" she finished and turned the page of her book.

"I'm very glad you've moved on" Gerald said with a congratulatory voice.

Emma giggled.

"The best is yet to come" Emma assured.

Gerald gave her one of his sunshine smile and turned to face his book.