Dirty Little Bastard

50

Applying every single braincell of mine to concentrate on my work at the hospital was the only thing keeping me at least partially sane at this point.

Why would he have done that to me? Sure, he was thinking the best for me in the long run, but right now it hurt so much, having had him just drive away like that.

We were done, it seemed, for good.

He had given me so much joy and happiness, it was strange to think I didn't have that anymore. I had grown so used to having him around, he had become home for me.

Time heals all – that was what I was relying on.

"Hey, Lettie," Linda hugged me as soon as I arrived by the table she had got for us at the coffee shop down the street from the hospital.

"Hey," I hugged her back, knowing that lunches with her had always been a certain source of laugher and happiness for me.

It had been a week and a half since my talk with Theo, and the only one who knew anything about it was Linda.

"You look gorgeous," she gave me a encouraging smile once we pulled back.

I let out a small laugh and ran a hand through my hair. We sat down opposite each other at the round table.

"I've already ordered for us," she told me, "how's your day been?"

"It's been fine. Dr Stanley's sick so I'm doing rounds and checkups with Tim, it's been fun," I told her with a gentle smile.

"You and Tim? Something in the works there, or?" She suggested, and I giggled lightly with a shake of my head.

"No," I assured her, "I'm focusing on myself right now."

"Good for you," she gave me a genuine smile.

We chatted casually and I mentally thanked her for not bringing Theo up.

Her and Elise were now dating, and I was incredibly happy for the two of them. Hearing her talk about them was a very needed distraction.

After Linda and I had eaten lunch, she went to the bathroom while I ordered us coffees. My phone buzzed on the table with a text.

From: Emma: Hey! Is it possible to sleep over at your place tonight? xx

To: Emma: Sure, is everything alright?x

From: Emma: Yup. We just haven't seen since Russia, and I miss you(:x

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"He talks to Justin, Justin talks to me," she explained gently while we were on our third glasses of wine.

"Oh. Listen, Emma... it's very sweet of you to try and make me feel better, but I really don't want to talk about him," I gave her a small smile, hoping she'd understand.

It had been almost two weeks, anyway. I hadn't tried to contact him, and it was obvious he hadn't even texted me.

It seemed to me as if Theo continued to stay out of the public. There seemed to be no news of him at all. People of course were wondering what was going on, but none of them were close to the truth.

I had heard though, that he had returned to practice with his original team, now as a winner of the World Cup.

"That's fine, I get it," she assured me, sipping her wine.

I had put on a random and chill playlist on shuffle from Spotify, and it was now quietly playing through my speakers while we hung out in my living room.

"Do you like Coldplay?" She asked as a new song began. It was 'A Sky Full Of Stars' by Coldplay.

"I love Coldplay," I grinned, watching as her eyes lit up with excitement.

"Me too!"

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A few more wine glasses and hours later, we had fallen asleep in my bed.

I had felt quite alone for the past week, so even if Emma wasn't aware of it, I was glad not to be alone tonight. Of course I had Frosty, but she was different.

I found myself unable to sleep. It was around three in the morning when I began tiptoeing downstairs for a glass of warm milk.

I sat myself down by my laptop on the island table.

Since I had gotten paid yesterday, I decided to check up the status of my student loans. While the page loaded, I went to pour warm milk into a cup.

The only light in my house was coming from outside and from the screen of my laptop.

My brows furrowed once I began nearing the island table again. I had to be seeing things.

The cup of milk fell from my hand and shattered against the hard floor once I had sat down on the bar stool and further inspected the page.

What did it mean I had no student loans left to pay?

I spent the next ten minutes refreshing the page, completely panicking. When I realised I truly had no student loans to pay, I dodged the broken pieces of glass on the floor, as well as the spilled milk, and ran upstairs to wake up Emma.

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Poor Emma had helped me clean up the mess I'd made, before she sat down to inspect the website of my bank account.

"There has to be some sort of mistake, I had so much still to pay..." I was pacing the kitchen behind her in my pyjamas, unable to think clearly at this hour.

"It isn't a mistake," she told me, "it says here they've all been paid off during one time. Two days ago."

"That's not possible..." I really couldn't believe this. I stood by Emma and she showed me the activity.

"No," I began shaking my head, "I need to call the bank."

"Honey, they're not open at this hour," she yawned and spun around to face me.

I felt so bad having woken her up, "I'm so sorry for freaking out like this. Go back to sleep, please."

"You'll be fine?" She asked me, clearly very tired.

"Yes, yes," I nodded, thoughts already focusing on one person in particular, "thank you for helping me."

"No problem. Just don't stay up too late, okay? I love you, good night," Emma gave me a smile.

"Good night."

Once I was alone in the kitchen. I took out my phone and texted the only person I knew whom I could blame for this.

To: Theo: What the hell have you done, you dirty little bastard?!

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A/N: I have no idea how paying student loans works if you have them, so just deal with some facts being so inaccurate!!