Finding Amity

Chapter 42

I felt the tears streaming down my face before I even processed my thoughts. Isaac had told me that his actions had indirectly hurt someone, but he never told me the details. And I was stupid enough to trust him.

I was supposed to catch a flight down to California on Thursday, just in time for Thanksgiving. But right now, I had my phone and my wallet and I did not feel like talking to Pippa right now.

I pulled out my phone and ordered an Uber. Destination: Eugene Airport.

My thoughts were muddled in my head. Each new thought was quickly sucked into the black hole before I had a chance to really hear it. I was on an airplane on my way back to Avondale, with nothing but the clothes on my back and my wallet.

The world seemed to be moving faster than before. In what had only felt like a minute, we had landed in LAX and I was stepping out of the airport with no idea of how I was going to get to Avondale.

"Amity!" Called out a cheerful voice to my left. I turned and saw Cooper, holding a sign that read "Amity Harper" in thick purple letters. "When you said you were flying down early, I made a sign and I was gonna hold it up in the terminal, you know, like in the movies."

I threw arms around him and hugged him, an unbreakable smile on my face. Being back in California, I started to forget everything that had happened over the past months.

"I missed you, too." He laughed. We pulled away I put my hand on the still wet paint on the sign. "Where are your bags?"

"I didn't bring any." I muttered. "I still have clothes at your house, and I was... in a rush. Just really excited to come home."

The second we stepped inside my old home, I felt the stress lift out of my body and drift away. I fell down onto the fluffy white rug in the living room and sighed. Sunlight burst into the room from the full length windows looking out into the backyard at the pool. I hadn't been for a swim since Summer.

"Lets go swimming!" I proposed.

"How about we don't because the pool hasn't been cleaned in months and it is freezing." He suggested. "Instead, you can explain why you're here."

"I told you."

"I don't believe what you told me." He said.

I remained on the floor, staring up to Cooper. He knew me too well.

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Was it that guy? Dustin?" He dared. "If he hurt you, I will kill him."

"He didn't hurt me."

"What did he do?" There was a dangerous edge to his voice.

"I just... I realised some people weren't who I thought they were." It was the truth, at least, as much of the truth as I was willing to say.

"If it's so bad there that you so desperately needed to leave without even packing a bag, you can transfer somewhere else." He suggested. "I still can't believe you turned down Stanford. I'm sure they'd be more than happy if you were to enrol there."

Even though a part of me wanted to just walk away from the drama I found myself in the centre of, I wanted to stay with Hadiya and Birdie and Marley. I had made real friends and had a life there and didn't want to leave them.

"You know, even when we're in different states, I will always be here for you." He smiled. "Always."

I looked up to Cooper, a sad smile on my face. I felt... lost. When I was here, with Cooper, I was the girl I used to be. Shy and quiet and desperate for him protect me from the rest of the world. I didn't come back early for any reason other than I wanted him to protect me from the world yet again.

At university, I am outgoing and bold and aggressive. I don't think at any point my feelings were wrong but the longer I spent in California the more guilt I felt. Isaac's presence alone made me almost vindictive. I was so mad at Dustin for bailing on our date that I tried to sleep with Isaac.

Whatever I might have felt Isaac, I never wanted to betray Dustin like that. I never should have even gone to Isaac's home in the first place.

I turned to Cooper, who had now taken a seat at the dining table and was scrolling through his phone. "Wanna teach me how to play basketball?" I asked.