Chapter 148 Don't Show Him
Rebecca didn’t plan to call Amelia especially after how their conversation had ended the other day.
She really didn’t want to call her. She told herself she was fine and just needed rest, physically and emotionally. That everything would settle on its own.
But by evening, nothing had settled and her chest still felt tight. Her mind still wouldn’t stay quiet. Every small thing reminded her of something.
The flowers on her table, her phone lighting up and even her lips…
So instead of sitting there and pretending anymore, she picked up her phone and called Amelia.
Amelia answered on the second ring.
“Rebecca?”
Her voice already sounded alert, like she knew Rebecca would be needing an emotional support.
“Hey,” Rebecca said, her voice soft.
Amelia sat up where she was sending that something was wrong.
“Are you okay?” she asked immediately.
There was a small pause. Rebecca looked down at her hand, not knowing what to say now that Amelia had asked her.
“I’m fine,” she said, and Amelia frowned.
That was a lie.
“Where are you?” she asked instead.
“At home,” Rebecca replied, wondering why she was asking that.
“I’m coming,” Amelia said matter of factly.
“You don’t have to—”
“I’m coming,” Amelia repeated, leaving no room for argument. Without waiting for Rebecca to say any other thing, she ended the call.
Rebecca stared at her phone, then let it fall beside her. She leaned back into the couch.
Her eyes closed. Maybe I shouldn’t have called. She told herself but deep down, she knew she needed this.
Because she couldn’t carry it alone anymore. Not tonight.
About thirty minutes later, Amelia walked in. Fast, with no smile or small talk. She dropped her bag and looked straight at Rebecca who had just taken her seat
Amelia’s chest tightened. This is bad. She walked closer slowly.
“Rebecca…”
Rebecca tried to smile a little. “I’m fine,” she said again.
Amelia stopped in front of her and shook her head.
“No, you’re not.”
Rebecca looked away. Her fingers tightened slightly.
“I said I’m fine,” she repeated.
Amelia crossed her arms. “You only say that when you’re not.”
Silence settled between them. Rebecca swallowed. Her throat felt tight but she told herself to hold it together.
“What happened?” Amelia asked.
Rebecca didn’t answer. She just stared at the floor, her mind running.
Do I even know where to start? She asked herself.
Amelia watched her, then sat down beside her.
“You can talk to me. You know that. What is it?” she said quietly.
That was it. That simple sentence and that soft tone.
Rebecca’s control broke and her lips trembled slightly. Her eyes filled and before she could stop it, tears slipped out.
She turned her face away quickly.
“I’m okay,” she whispered, but her voice broke even more.
Amelia’s heart dropped. She’s really hurting, Amelia thought.
“Becca…” she said gently.
But Rebecca shook her head. “I don’t even understand what’s wrong with me,” she said, her voice shaking.
“I don’t know why I feel like this,” she cried.
Amelia didn’t interrupt her, she just listened. Rebecca wiped her face quickly but even as she wiped it, the more tears came.
“It’s Derek…” she admitted.
Amelia’s expression changed slightly. Although she wasn't surprised.
“What did he do?” she asked and Rebecca let out a small breath.
“He came last night,” she started.
Amelia’s eyes widened slightly. “He what?” she asked, surprised.
Rebecca nodded slowly. “He came and he saw me… with Adrian.”
Amelia went still. “And?”
Rebecca’s fingers clenched together. “He got angry… we argued…”
Her voice got quieter as she said, “And then… he kissed me.”
Silence settled between them as Amelia looked at her in shock. “He did what?”
Rebecca closed her eyes, like saying it again would hurt more.
“He kissed me.”
Amelia leaned back slightly, her jaw tightening. “That idiot—”
“I slapped him,” Rebecca added quickly.
Amelia stopped and then looked at her. Rebecca gave a small, tired nod.
“I slapped him and walked away.”
Amelia exhaled slowly. Good. She thought but then, she looked closer at Rebecca’s face, at her eyes and at the way her hands were shaking, then she knew that was not the full story.
“Why are you crying then?” Amelia asked softly.
Rebecca swallowed and then she looked down.
She wanted to say ’Because it affected me,’ but then she didn’t know how to say it. She didn’t even want to admit it. Because she had said the Rebecca Amelia knew had died.
While all that were going on in her head, Amelia was still watching and waiting for Rebecca to say something.
Rebecca let out a shaky breath and just decided to spill the beans. “Because… it affected me,” she said quietly.
Amelia didn’t speak immediately, she just studied her.
Then asked slowly, “Do you still love him?”
Rebecca’s heart stopped for a second. That was the very question she had been avoiding. She'd been running and hiding from it, yet here she was, faced with it.
She shook her head quickly. “I don’t know.”
Amelia didn’t move. “Rebecca,” she called, her tone has changed now sounding a bit more firm now.
“Do you still love Derek?” she asked again since she knew Rebecca knew the answer and the earlier she faced the truth, the better for everyone.
Rebecca’s chest tightened. Her eyes filled again.
She thought about lying but she knew she couldn’t. Because not only would she be receiving her friend, she'd be deceiving herself as well.
Her lips parted slowly, and then she nodded, a sigh escaping her lips.
“Yes,” she said, the word coming out small and weak.
For a moment, Rebecca covered her face and neither of them spoke.
Then she sighed. “I hate it,” she whispered. “I hate that I still feel like this.”
Her shoulders shook slightly. “I hate that he can still affect me like that…”
Amelia watched her, her heart softening a little but her mind still clear.
“You don’t hate it,” Amelia said quietly.
Rebecca looked up, confused. “Of course, I do.”
“No,” Amelia shook her head. “You don't hate it. You just hate that he hasn’t chosen you.”
Hearing Amelia say that,Rebecca went still, because that was closer to the truth.
Her eyes dropped again. “I waited for him,” she said softly. “For so long…”
Amelia nodded slowly. “I know.”
“And now…” Rebecca continued, her voice breaking, “he comes back like this… like I’m still his to claim…”
Her hands clenched. “It’s not fair.”
Amelia leaned forward slightly. “It’s not,” she agreed.
Then Amelia asked the question that had been sitting there. “So what about Adrian?”
Rebecca blinked, her mind shifted slightly. “I don't know. I just feel… calm with him,” she admitted. “And that scares me.”
Amelia raised a brow slightly.
“Why?”
Rebecca frowned. “Because it’s easy,” she said. “It’s too easy.”
She shook her head. “I’m not used to that. Besides, you don't approve of him,” she said and Amelia laughed lightly.
“I don't because he seems like he's hiding something. That doesn't mean if you insist on him that I wouldn't give in,” she said truthfully, making Rebecca sigh.
Silence sat between th
em again for a moment. Then Rebecca asked softly,
“So what do I do?”
Amelia didn’t answer immediately. She thought about it for a moment, then said,
“You don’t show him.”
Rebecca frowned. “Show who?”
“Derek.”
Rebecca blinked in both confusion and surprise. “What do you mean?”