Finding Amity

Chapter 40

After a rigorous shower where I hopefully washed off all of the flecks of dried mud from my body, I changed into the warm clothes Isaac had lent me and met him and Pippa by his car.

It was dark by the time we got back to the campus. I looked up to my dorm building to find Dustin leaning against the wall, his eyes trained on the car. As Pippa stepped out of the car, I remained glued in my seat

"Amity," Isaac warned. "I know this guy. He's not a good person."

"I'm already breaking up with him to be with you." I laughed. "You don't need to continue your protest against him."

"No, you don't understand. He's not going to be happy to see you step out of my car." His eyes stared at Dustin, concern etched into his pretty face. "I'll walk you to your dorm."

"Isaac, no. Stay in the car, I'll be fine." I sighed. He frowned at my instruction.

"I'm not leaving until he does." He warned.

I rolled my eyes. "Goodnight, Isaac."

"Goodnight."

I stepped out of the car and started walking towards Dustin, who was glaring at Isaac's car. He stood in front of me, and when I reached him, he leant forward to kiss me. I stepped back, pressing the palms of my hands against his chest to distance ourselves.

"What?" He asked, venom in his voice. "I have to cancel one date and you run off with Isaac Stark?"

"No, it's not like that." I explained half-heartedly.

His eyes ran up and down my body, or more so, at the clothes on my body. "You're wearing his clothes." His fists clenched at his sides. "You slept with him."

"I promise you I didn't." I clarified, though it wasn't far from the truth. "My clothes got muddy."

He turned away from me, biting his cheek trying to decide whether he could trust me or not. I felt guilty at the fact that he shouldn't.

"But I do have something I want to say to you." I tried to continue, but the words got lost on their way to my mouth.

"He's trying to steal you from me." He hissed. "And you're letting him."

"I am not your property!" I exclaimed. "I can't be stolen from you!"

"So that thing you want to say to me, it's not that you're breaking up with me to be with him?" He wasn't desperately asking, he was demanding I admit it. I sucked my bottom lip into my mouth, trying to control how mad I was at myself.

"He hasn't stolen me from you." I whimpered. "He was always the one I wanted to be with, I just decided now that having those feelings while being with you isn't fair. I'm not treating you the way I should. Thats why I think we should stop seeing each other."

I could see the anger bubbling and boiling inside of him. He turned and punched the wall of the dorm building, surely breaking a finger in the process. "God fucking dammit, Amity!" He bellowed. I heard Isaac's car door slam behind me. "You don't even fucking know him!"

I took a step back, cowering from the fiery rage coming from a guy I'd once thought was sweet.

Isaac reached us and stepped in front of me, shielding me from Dustin.

"I think you should go." He warned.

Dustin laughed hopelessly at the instruction. He raised his finger, pointing it at me as I peeked out from behind Isaac. "You're going to regret this." He threatened before heading towards his car. On the way, he stopped to kick the bumper of Isaac's car, but he remained by my side unfazed.

Once Dustin had left, Isaac grabbed my hand and walked me to the door of the dorm building.

"I know you asked me to stay in the car." He mumbled as we stepped onto the elevator. "I just, I saw him getting angry and I just... I couldn't just watch."

"It's okay." I squeezed his hand. "I didn't think he was going to get so mad."

"Amity," He started as the elevator doors opened on our floor and we stepped off. "You know how you thought I wasn't an asshole. That I was just misunderstood."

"You mean when I wrote those things in my diary and you read them?" I chuckled.

"I am sorry for that!" He insisted. "I thought it was a planner I opened it to see what your schedule was and when you'd be home. But then I saw my name and had to read it."

"Naturally." I added sarcastically. "But yes, I do remember thinking that- and I do still believe it, even more so now than before."

Isaac came across tough and rude, but now I knew why. He grew up in a trailer park, the odds stacked against him. His hard exterior is how he survived college surrounded by upper-class pricks. And I knew he wasn't a bad person. We didn't go any further today because he knew it was the wrong thing to do, even when I was to overcome with my stupid hormones to see it.

We reached the door to my dorm room, and I turned to face him.

"Please remember that." He pleaded. "I've done things I regret, but I never intended to hurt anyone. Please trust me on that."

He was talking about the girl, the situation involving him, Pippa, and Cruise. They all insisted there was no way they could know what would happen, but I could see the guilt in Isaac's eyes. He blamed himself.

I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulled him down to my height and squeezed him tightly. "I know, and I do. I trust you."

When I pulled away, a light smile played on his lips. "You're too good for me." He whispered.

I kissed him on the cheek before wishing him goodnight and stepping into my dorm room, butterflies bouncing around my tummy.