Holding back

An invitation

The next morning I decided to go to Pablo's. If I was right, Angie probably told him what was wrong. I'd like to think Angie was making progress, she's smiling more, eating more and has her job back, but I'm still really worried about her. There's still something that she's holding back.

I took a deep breath before knocking on Pablo's door. I wasn't nervous or anything it's just, we aren't exactly best friends. He hates me for what I did to Angie.

"German, what are you doing here?" Asked Pablo as he stood on the door step. He sounded shocked, and not very happy to see me standing outside his house.

"Can I come in?" I asked.

"Now why would I let you in my house?" He asked, crossing his arms and waiting for an explanation.

"It's about Angie."

He hesitated a minute before replying."Oh, right... Well come in..." He slowly let me through the door. I stepped inside and took a look around. It was a great house, prefect for a little family.

I turned my attention back to Pablo. "Now the tone of your voice leads me to believe that you're worried about her too?" I asked as he lead me over to the dining room table.

Pablo just nodded his head and agreed. "She's barely spoken two words to me since she returned." He said sadly.

This really shocked me as I thought she would run straight to Pablo. "She hasn't spoken much to me either." I replied. He looked at me like he was glad. My guess is he didn't want Angie to open up to me if she wasn't speaking to him.

I went in my bag and pulled out the new version of the book she trashed. "What do you know about this?" I asked desperately.

"I don't know... It was a best seller in 1994? What's that have to with anything?" He quizzed me.

"Have you read it?" I aksed, ignoring his previous question.

"No."

"Then how do you know it was a best seller?" I asked, not believing him.

"My brother has that book. He tried to get me to read it but I didn't want to. He tired to persuade me by telling it was a best seller. German, what does this have to do with Angie?" He sounded annoyed that I wouldn't tell him, but I didn't know how to, what would I say? Oh I'm asking because I found it torn up on your best friends bedroom floor.

"No, it doesn't matter now." I replied. I put the book back in my bag and we sat in silence for a few minutes.

"German, you'll tell me if you find anything out, won't you?" Asked Pablo.

"Of course I will. But I'm pretty sure she'll come to you first." I admitted.

Pablo laughed a little bit and shook his head. "No, no, I've been an awful friend. Ever since I got engaged I stopped contacting her. I would ring her every Friday at 6pm when she was in France. Then I just...stopped."

"At least you would ring her. I never spoke to her when she was in France, I would just talk to her through Violetta." I listened to my own words and suddenly I was filled with guilt. I completely blocked her out. I stopped speaking to her. She must hate me.

We sat in an awkward silence for a few minutes before I asked him about his engagement. "Engaged, huh? When did that happen? " I asked.

"A few months ago. My engagement party is this Saturday. I invited Angie, but I don't think she'll come." He said sadly.

"Well, I'll try my best to get her to come." I smiled.

"Wait." He said. He got up and left the room. I looked around his kitchen and saw all the photos of him and his fiancé, they looked very happy. I can only hope for a relationship like that. It would be great to find a woman who isn't interested in just my money.

Pablo interrupted me mid thought by wafting something under my nose. "Maybe they'll be a better chance of her coming if she didn't come alone."

At first I didn't understand. I took the envelop and opened it, then I realised it was an invitation to his engagement party.

"I wrote a few spare ones out just in case."

"Are you sure?" I asked. I knew how Pablo felt about me and I did not expect an invitation.

"Of course." He replied.

"Well I really must be going now. I'll keep you updated on Angie."

He lead me to the door and I was halfway down the path when he shouted me.

"Oh and German, could you please speak to her again about coming back to the studio? We are in need of a new teacher and she'd be great for the job. I don't know why she doesn't want to come back to the studio."

Pablo was clearly oblivious to the fact that Angie had already told me she was returning to the studio. She lied to me.

[a/n I know there's no Germangie bits in this chapter and I'm sorry ok bye]