Emilia’s pov
I fix breakfast in Sandy’s kitchen as I quietly hum a tune…. liam had taught me. I move towards the sink and turn on the faucet, washing my hands. I wipe it against the apron and took it off before stepping out of the kitchen. I glance at the wall clock. They had less than an hour to get to work.
I stride to Becky’s room first and she was asleep. I walk to her bed and quickly tap her. Her eyes flutter open.
“You’re late for work Becky” I say lowly. She came home late last night and she looked strangely happy. Strange cos she was still angry at us. I guess its cos she’s with Harry. Thank God she has someone to go to when she’s down.
She glance at me before rolling out of the bed.
“Morning…” I smile warmly at her. She glance at me and nods curtly before walking out of the room. I sigh and run my fingers through my hair. I walk to Sandy’s room and knock at the door. I feel so sorry for her and I can’t help but feel so guilty cos I was the cause of that breakup. The door opens seconds later and sandy poked her head out. All teary eyed.
“Hey Sandy…. morning” She gives me a small smile but didn’t reply.
“Umm… I prepared breakfast already”
“Thanks emmy, I’d join you once I freshen up” I nod slowly and she stare at me for a second before closing the door. I walk back to the kitchen and sit on the stool. I cup my cheeks and rest my elbow on the countertop.
Everything’s changed. I miss the way we were before. Before I met liam, always laughing and joshing each other. All that seems to have changed. I hope everything’s gonna go back to the way they were.
I blew out a breath and get off the stool and begin to dish out food. I place them on the countertop alongside a can of juice for sandy and a can of chilled chocolate drink for Becky. I do hope she forgives us. We need each other now than ever.
Sandy walks in few minutes later, all dressed up. She sits on the counter opposite me and I slid the plate of food across her.
“Thanks emmy” She mumbles and begin to eat. No joshing on how bad the food was. I itch my hair.
“I hope you won’t throw up today” I grin at her attempting a forced humour. She shake her head sideways.
“I’ve got a lot of things on my mind to do that” She smiles stiffly and resumes eating. Becky walks in and we stare at her.
“Hey Becky” Sandy mutters lowly.
“Hey Sandy” She replies, sarcasm dripping from her tongue. I bet she wouldn’t do that if she knew sandy had broken up.
“I dished out your food already Becky… wanna have some” I slide the tray across her and she stare at it for a moment before grabbing the can of drink.
“Actually came to take this, thanks for saving me the stress” She smile falsely before turning to walk out. sandy spares her a look.
“Becky!” I voice out as she got to the door. She stops but didn’t turn back. I walk to her and hold her by the arm.
“I’m sorry I did what I did Becky, you could stay angry at me but not at sandy, I persuaded her not to tell you… please Becky” She turns so she was facing me. I saw pain flash through her eyes but it disappeared like it wasn’t there. She smile at me again.
“It still dosen’t change anything Emilia, you guys lied to me, severally, which I hadn’t done once… I wonder what else you guys have lied about” She glance at sandy and back at me before storming out.
“Becky!…”
“Let her be emmy…” sandy says. I blink back tears before returning back to the stool.
“I feel like shit sandy, I caused all this, your breakup, the way we are now… I hate myself…” I falter as tears pool in my eyes. I hung my head down as the tears fall. Sandy gets off the stool and come around to the where I’m sitting. She pats my back and I could see she was trying not to cry too.
“Shut up emmy… things happened cos they were bound to happen okay, stop blaming yourself for everything. Things happen for a reason… you told me that remember?” I brush off my tears, feeling better after hearing those words. I had always told them that. *Things happens for a reason, God’s plan is different from Man’s* I smile slowly, comforted by the words.
“Thanks sandy…” I voice out and she nods.
“When we get back from work.. we gonna sort this issue out okay” I was smiling widely now. I get off the stool and pull her into a hug.
“Thanks so much Sandy” I mutter gratefully as she hug back. We stay there for some seconds, absorbing our warmth like it was the only support we had before pulling away. They were tears in Sandy’s eyes.
“Awww… come on sandy stop being such a cry baby…” I teased and she smile and tweak my ears.
“Okay emmy, I’m off to work… could you prepare lasagna for dinner…. please” She pouts and I laugh.
“It’s no biggie sandy, run off to work Mrs Chloe would raise hell if you’re late…” She chuckles and shake her head sideways.
“Mrs Chloe ain’t that way anymore girlfriend” I arch my brows. Sandy barely calls her by her name The witch had always been used.
“What do you mean by that Sandy” She chuckles.
“We’d talk about it when I get back in the evening emmy…. cheerio girlfriend. she pecks me on the cheeks before walking out.
I itch my hair, confused. She’s never been happy about going to work, but now she seems eager to get to work today. I shrug ad return back to the stool, she’d explain everything when she gets back. Now… I just want to think..
••••
I sit at the makeup table in Sandy’s room and brush my hair staring thoughtfully at my sad self in the mirror. At least sandy ain’t angry with me anymore. Becky is gonna come around soon, we’re gonna get back together like before. Maybe I’d take the offer to return back to madam Chloe and everything would become as it were before…. except my feelings.
I try hard to convince myself I’d forget about liam. The guy who’d come into my life and left it in chaos. I wish I’d just forget he existed, wish I wouldn’t remember the first time we had kissed, how he felt in my mouth. The times we had quarreled, the stuffs that followed after that. The cuddling, how his perfect voice sounded while he played the guitar. I blew out a breath and drop the brush and pin my hair back.
It was too much of a memory to forget about it. It was all too much to forget in a jiffy, it would probably take weeks or months, but I’d get over it. I sigh and get off the chair. I slid my feet into my footwear and straighten the gown I took from Sandy’s closet.
I need to go home to check on a few things. I left the house not to well and wasn’t conscious of my surrounding. I walk out of the apartment and slip the key under the doormat I adjust my glasses and walk out of the compound to board a cab
I arrived home few minutes and step out of the cab. I blew out a breath and smoothen my hair. I walk into the compound and my eyes stops on Mr Alex, the man who reported me to the cops. He looks at me warily and I glare at him wishing I’d give him an earful. I shrug it off and walk to my front porch. I slip the key in the lock and the faint familiar scent that hit my nose reminds me of everything. I sigh and close the door behind me. I pull off my glasses and itch my eyes. I need to see a optician soon, to get another pair of eyeglasses. I move towards the couch and stare at the floorboards. I sigh when I remember what the cop had said. I push the couch away and open the trapdoor. I went down the steps slowly as I take in the stark emptiness of the room. I move to the table as I look around, to search for anything that could remind me of him, anything at all.
He left nothing behind, he did it so well so there wouldn’t be suspicions from the cops, the only thing that’s left is memories. I trudge out of the room and close the trapdoor firmly moving the couch above it. I walk to my room and hover my eyes on everything. Searching just for a single thing to remind me of him. The single couch, the hard chair, study table, my eyes stops on the bed and his words replayed in my head.
*Come on small ass I don’t bite* I chuckle at the memories, how I’d felt so shy. I shrug the thoughts off and move to my bathroom, it was the last place, I hope I’d see something in here. I walk in and look through the cabinet
Nothing, except toiletries and his toothbrush, that would be a awkward thing to serve as memory.
Then I saw it, on the towel rack among the neatly folded bundles, squashed in between like he was preventing me from seeing it… his beanie. A huge feeling of relief swept through me as I take it off the rack. I thread my finger against the soft wooly material. I press it against my chest, then against my nose.
A strong wave of nostalgia swept through me when I remembered the first day he had forcefully entered my apartment. He had worn this beanie, with a few strands of wet hair tucking out and sticking to his face. His wet face, rain soaked body and chattering teeth. Right then it had chipped off a block of ice in my heart and I had let him in. I breathe in deeper, and it was as if I was hugging him, cuddling him, pressed close to him the many times we had kissed. A smile curve my lips and I part my lips open.
“I miss you liam… I hope you keep your promise…. I hope you come back” I back out against the wall and slid down till my butt was on the cold tiles and my knee to my chest. I press the beanie to my nose as I begin to relish the memories of the sweet times we had been together.
°°°°°
“Harry called” Sandy says as she stuff food in her mouth. I chew on my own as we watched the movie together. I’d left my apartment hours ago, just in time to prepare lasagna. For once sandy decided not to watch horror movie and i’m stuck with watching an action series.
“Why did he call” I mutter, the food muffling my voice. She sigh deeply.
“He told me to plead with Becky, says she had misunderstood something…. she broke off with him” I whip my head to stare at her.
“What!…. wait a sec sandy, you mean they broke up… were they dating?” She shake her head sideways.
“Nah… they weren’t actually dating, but it was close to that, more than just flings actually. Found out she split up with him the same day I did” I drop my plate on the table and palm my cheeks. No this can’t be happening, I mean how can they split up, the same day sandy split up with Dylan, what’s wrong!, what’s happening to us.
“I don’t know what’s happening to us emmy” Sandy tells me. saying my unsaid words. She resumes eating, I lost my appetite already, this is crazy.
“But one thing I’m sure of is we aren’t gonna let this affect us. We’d go back to the way we were before. Get ready emmy cos we are gonna have a long talk between us.
“But where could Becky be?” I ask after a pause.
“Don’t know, we didn’t talk throughout and I was too busy to try…. she left before me and she seemed happy, strange cos she shouldn’t be, I mean they just broke off” I nod again In acknowledgment, remembering the smile she had on her face this morning. Its almost eight and I’m getting worried, Becky wouldn’t stay out late without informing I and sandy.
“So I guess we just have to wait for Becky then” I settle deep into the couch as sandy nods. I bit my lip and focus my attention on the screen, suddenly feeling sorry for Becky. i bet she’s feeling down right now.
We didn’t wait too long before we hear the rustling of key outside the apartment door. I sigh in relief.
“Thank goodness she’s here” Sandy rolls her eyes. The door opens and we hear her singing happily as she walk though the hallway leading into the room. She walks in and I and sandy scramble to our feet at the sight before us. This isn’t Becky. She walks closer to us and I gawp at her.. Shock washing over my body and numbing my feet.
She had her hair on low cut. Her face in weird heavy makeup. Her nose with a nose wring and studs on the upper part of her lips, she put on a long baggy shirt and slacks. I took a step back as she chews a bubble gum noisily. Her dark eyes twinkling. She itch her ears which was also covered in studs.
“Hi babes” She says with a huge grin.