“Me either. I don’t even know what we were laughing at. What could possibly be that funny?”
Amelia shook her head. Courtney’s clumsiness was funny, but not that funny. They definitely got the case of the giggles. “No idea.”
Amelia opened the cash register drawer and counted the money. As she wrote the total, Courtney watched her. She looked away as soon as Amelia glanced at her. Amelia could tell Courtney had something she wanted to say. Courtney looked at the floor and tapped her foot.
After she hesitated for a few minutes, Courtney drew in a deep breath and said, “I’ve liked him since elementary school.”
Amelia’s body tensed. She had a feeling this talk would come. She looked over at Courtney. She could see the hurt on her face.
Courtney swallowed hard. Amelia could tell she was holding back her emotions. What emotions she was holding back, Amelia was not sure. Amelia made eye contact. Courtney looked away.
When Courtney spoke again, Amelia heard the tremble in her voice. “He’s perfect. He was never mean. He’s polite and friendly.” She gripped the counter. Her knuckles turned white. “I told him last summer I liked him. He told me we’re too good of friends to ruin our friendship.”
Amelia could see the hurt and anger on Courtney’s face. With her jaw clenched, Courtney continued, “It just hurts, you know?” She looked at Amelia. Tears filled her eyes. She tried hard to keep the tears at bay. “It hurts knowing you aren’t good enough.”
Amelia felt awkward. She looked down at the floor. She kicked a tiny rock under the counter.
Courtney continued to vent. “Do you know what hurts worse?” She didn’t wait for Amelia to answer. “He dated a Courtney. They started dating shortly after I told him that I liked him.” Courtney raised her voice. “I fell for him, and he didn’t catch me.”
Tears fell like rain from her eyes. Amelia stood silently. She was not sure what to say or do. She waited for Courtney to get ahold of herself. Amelia almost told her to get a grip.
Courtney wiped the tears away. “I’m sorry. I just wanted to tell you I’m not mad at you or jealous. I’m mad at myself. I’m mad because I let myself fall for a guy who couldn’t care less about me.”
”Courtney, I’m sorry.” Amelia still was not sure what to say. She was not good at this.
Courtney shook her head. “It’s not your fault. You have no reason to say sorry. This happens to me all the time. A guy seems like Prince Charming, only to find out he isn’t mine.”
“Yours will come when you aren’t expecting him.”
Courtney shrugged and looked down at the floor. “I’m not so sure about that.”
“Trust me on this. I’ve been there.”
Courtney looked at her. Her head tilted and she raised an eyebrow. “You? Yeah, right.”
“It’s the truth.” Amelia was irked by Courtney’s attitude toward her.
“You’re perfect. How could you possibly have any idea?” Courtney rolled her eyes.
Courtney’s snotty attitude angered Amelia. Amelia felt a flash of anger, which caused her cheeks to turn bright red. She balled her hands into fists and said, “Why does everyone think my life’s perfect?!” She asked as she raised her voice. “It’s not! It’s far from perfect!”
Courtney froze in one place and stared at Amelia with wide eyes.
“I’ve had my share of hurt. Trust me. I’m twenty-six years old! I was in a relationship for five years! Five years! To a man who I thought loved me just as much as I loved him! Boy was I wrong!” Amelia shook her head. Still angry, she continued on, “This man that I loved shattered me to pieces! He put me back together, and shattered me again!” Amelia shouted. She pointed her finger at Courtney and said, “So don’t tell me that I don’t know what it’s like or that I’ve never been there! Because I have!”
The anger overwhelmed Amelia. She thought it felt good to unleash some of it. She felt a little guilty for taking it out on Courtney. In a way, she was glad she had. Courtney played the victim, and she was tired of it. She did not have time for the immature, snotty brat. Whether Courtney was her friend or not, it made no difference at the moment. Courtney’s attitude pissed Amelia off.
“I’m sorry, Amelia. I didn’t mean to…” Courtney started to apologize until she was interrupted by the bell above the door.
Amelia looked away from Courtney and froze still. Her mouth dropped open and her gaze fixed on the person who walked through the door. Zach walked into the store. How long has he been here? How much of the argument did he hear? Did he hear me yelling? Amelia thought. I hope not. She knew she probably looked like a raging lunatic, and there was no doubt in her mind she sounded like one, too. As he stepped closer to the counter, he glanced from Courtney and back to Amelia. The tension was thick between them. Amelia knew he sensed the tension, whether he heard the argument or not.
“Everything okay?” He looked at Amelia.
Amelia felt like she was going to have a meltdown. She was on a rollercoaster of emotions. She wanted to scream and throw something, but she also wanted to bawl like a baby. She nodded.
She watched as Courtney ran from the counter while she hid her face with her hands. Zach noticed too. The puzzled look on his face told Amelia that she had to explain what happened. She wasn’t up to explaining it to him at the moment.
“What in the world happened?” He held up his arms. “What’s this about?”
Amelia shrugged. She would rather not discuss this with him. It was insane, really. All of this was because of Courtney’s jealousy, and she got her feelings hurt. Amelia rolled her eyes. Poor Courtney. Amelia thought. She felt no sympathy for Courtney. Courtney needed to learn a lesson. Amelia was glad she was able to teach her not to assume other people have not experienced heartache or painful situations. Amelia smirked at the satisfaction of setting Courtney straight. She looked at Zach as he watched her. He waited for an explanation. Finally she said, “Just a disagreement.”
Zach knew better. Amelia could tell he did not believe her. “Really?” He tilted his head and an eyebrow lifted. “About what?”
Amelia refused to tell him. She needed to calm down and let it go. Talking to Zach about it would rile her up again. “Nothing, really. It’s not that big of a deal. I’ll tell you later.”
Zach looked toward the back room. “Where’d she go?”
Amelia shrugged. Zach walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her waist. “Are you sure everything’s okay?”
Amelia relaxed as soon as he touched her. She was still a bit irritated, but nonetheless, she relaxed.
She nodded. He kissed her forehead. “Okay then. I’ll see you tonight?”
She nodded again.
“Okay. I’ll be over around seven,” he said as he walked to the door and opened it. He left the store. He waved at her through the front window. He made a funny face. Amelia waved and laughed. She could not believe how much anger she had released. She was so tired of hearing people say how perfect her life was. Nothing’s ever perfect, Amelia thought.
Within fifteen minutes, Courtney walked up to the checkout. Amelia noticed that she must have redone her makeup. Courtney’s eyes were red, but her makeup was flawless.
“I’m sorry, Amelia.” Courtney took her spot at the end of the counter with the plastic bags.
Amelia accepted the apology. “I’m sorry, too.”
“Still friends?” Courtney asked innocently.
Amelia faked a smile, amazed by how immature and naïve Courtney actually was. “Yes.”
They finished the workday without any further arguments. Courtney did, however, ask questions about Amelia’s past relationship.
“You said you were in a relationship for five years, and you thought you were in love with a Prince Charming. What happened?”
Some people hang onto every word you say. Some can never let things slide by, Amelia thought. She could feel her anger rise a bit, but she relaxed and dismissed it when she realized how innocent Courtney’s qu
estion was.
“I was in a relationship for five years. For the first two years, it was great. He was in college and I worked. He moved off campus and invited me to live with him. He lived by the University of Bellford, which meant I had a bit of a drive back and forth to work. After a year, I realized it was too much to keep driving back and forth every day. We both agreed. I moved back in with my parents. He told me to get a job in Bellford. To do this and to do that. He wasn’t happy with me when I moved back home to my parents’ house. When I told him no, he got mad. This went on for another year. The distance didn’t help our relationship at all. Then I found out I was pregnant.” Amelia hesitated, and then continued on. “I went to his place to tell him and he had another girl there.”
Courtney gasped and raised a hand to her mouth. “What?! Oh no!”
“He admitted he had been with her for the last year.”
“That’s terrible!”
“I told him I was pregnant. He became all mushy and apologetic. He told me he wouldn’t cheat again. I believed him.”
Courtney shook her head.
“He went to the doctor appointments with me. He heard the baby’s heartbeat with me. I thought things were good with us.” Amelia hesitated again. She forced back the tears that tried to escape. “The day I miscarried, I tried to call him. He didn’t answer the phone. My mom took me to his place. When I knocked, I heard a girl’s voice. I didn’t think much of it. Stupid me.” Amelia shook her head. She gently wiped away the escaped tear. “Until he opened the door and I saw his face. His face told me everything I needed to know.” Tears slowly slid down Amelia’s cheeks one by one. “I told him I lost the baby, and we were through. I was so angry and hurt.”
“Oh, my gosh. I’m sorry, Amelia.” Courtney had tears in her eyes.
“I told him he could celebrate now, and screw anyone he wanted to.” Amelia wiped her face with her hands. “But it hurt me so bad to say that to him. The whole relationship and breakup hurt me, worse than I thought it had. I was in therapy for the last year. I was in therapy for a full year after the relationship ended.”
Courtney was in shock. She did not say a word. She stood at the end of the counter with her mouth open.
Amelia nodded. “I told you my life isn’t perfect. My life’s far from perfect.”
Chapter Fourteen
When Zach came over to Amelia’s house, she had supper cooked for the both of them.
“Mmm, it smells good in here,” Zach said as he walked through the front door.
“You’re just in time. I made spaghetti with garlic bread,” Amelia hollered from the kitchen. She smiled as she pulled the pan of bread out of the oven.
Zach walked into the kitchen. He stood behind Amelia and wrapped his arms around her. He moved her hair away from the side of her neck. He slowly kissed her neck. She giggled and said, “Stop it.”
“Mmm, okay. Give me a minute.”
She turned around and faced him. “Why don’t you listen?” She smiled, and he kissed her smile.
“Because you’re so irresistible.” He continued to kiss her and held her tightly.
Amelia did not want him to let go. She wanted to be in his arms forever. She loved the attention he gave her, but she had to finish supper. Zach moved away from her as she prepared the spaghetti. Once she mixed the sauce and meatballs in with the noodles, she scooped some onto their plates.
They sat in silence while they ate. Amelia took the silence as a compliment. She watched Zach devour his food. She silently chuckled.
Zach looked up and smiled. “This tastes really good. You should be a chef.”
Amelia smiled back at him. “Thank you. My mom always told me the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.”
He chuckled. “There’s some truth to that.” He took another bite. He pointed to his plate and said, “Especially when the food tastes this good.”
He winked and wiggled his eyebrows while he patted a hand over his stomach. She blushed and laughed. “Would you like more?” She asked him as she took his plate.
Zach sat back and stretched. He rubbed a hand over his stomach. “I better not. Even though it was delicious.”
“Okay. I’m going to put the leftovers in the fridge. Then we can curl up on the couch and watch a movie.” She winked at him as she walked away from the table.
“Watch a movie, huh?”
“Unless you don’t want to?”
“I had something else in mind.”
“Like what?” she hollered from the kitchen.
He walked into the kitchen. He walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. He kissed the back of her neck. Chills ran up and down her spine. She leaned back into him and slightly moaned. Between kisses, he said, “I want to make love to you.”
His lips traveled along the back of her neck. A moan escaped through her parted lips. She wondered if they were moving too fast. Stop worrying and just go with it, she thought.
She put the containers of food in the fridge. Embraced in each other’s arms, they kissed as they fumbled through the hallway and up the stairs. He explored her body with his hands. He undressed her slowly while he kissed her fiercely. She trailed her hands under his shirt. She felt his abs, solid as a rock. She undressed him. She could not get his clothes off fast enough. She ripped them away from his body. He had taken her clothes off within seconds. She stood naked inches from him. He lifted her gently and placed her on top of the bed. His breath was hot as he hovered over her in his boxers. She grabbed at them. He shook his head. He laid her down on the bed. He explored her body with his mouth. When she moaned, he kissed more fiercely. He cupped her breast in his hands and his mouth slowly trailed across a nipple. She moaned and her body arched. He was hard as he pressed against her. She arched her body against him. He slid his boxers off. Their bodies moved in rhythm with one another. They finished together. Zach collapsed beside her.
“That was amazing!” She moaned while she said it.
“You’re amazing.” Zach said as he kissed her.
“You’re incredible!” She smiled and kissed him. She hopped out of her bed and grabbed her clothes. She slipped her legs into her underwear and pajama pants. He watched her dress.
“What do you say we watch a movie?”
“Now?” Amelia asked as she slipped her T-shirt over her head.
“Unless you don’t want to?”
Amelia laughed. “I do, but I want to stay in bed with you and cuddle.”
She looked at him as she sat down next to him. She ran a hand through the hair on his chest. His eyes pleaded, hungry for more attention. “We can cuddle while we watch a movie or we can go for round number two.”
Amelia laughed and rolled away from him. She stood up and looked into her bedroom mirror. She combed her hair with her fingers and placed a ponytail in her hair. “What movie do you want to watch?”
Zach stood by the bed and got his clothes on. “That’s up to you.”
Amelia nodded. “Okay. Is a chick flick okay with you?”
Zach shrugged. “Whatever you choose is fine with me.” He walked over and pulled her close to him. “Is it crazy that I’m falling head over heels for you?”
A smile crept onto her face, but soon faded when memories of Ryan rushed into her thoughts. Ryan had never told her what he felt. He had hidden his emotions well, or until he was caught doing wrong. She watched Zach’s reflection in the mirror, his face half covered by her hair. His blue eyes watched hers.
Zach leaned back and sighed. He dropped his arms to his sides. “I knew it. I’m crazy. I shouldn’t have said that. It’s too soon.”
Amelia shook her head. “No, that’s not true at all.”
“Then what are you thinking?” His face was pained by the torment of her reaction.
“I’ve never had a man be so honest.” She turned to face him. “A man has never shared his feelings with me.”
“You mean your ex?”
“Yes. He only shared his feelings wh
en I caught him doing wrong.”
Zach raised an eyebrow. “Doing wrong? You mean he…”
She interrupted his question. “Yes, he cheated on me.” She felt relief as she told him. “It goes much deeper than that.”
“Tell me, please?”
She furrowed her eyebrows and crossed her arms. “Isn’t it bad juju to bring past relationships into a current relationship?”
He shrugged. “Maybe, but I don’t care. I want to know everything about you. Every good, bad, and ugly detail.”
She wanted to know everything about him, too. She was not sure if she was ready to hear it, though.
Amelia sighed. “Okay, I’ll tell you.”
She sat on the edge of the bed, and he sat next to her. She told him the details of her five year relationship with Ryan, the same way she had told Bailey and Courtney. The tears fell gently down her cheeks. He reached over and wiped her tears away. He put his arm around her and held her.
When she told him about the pregnancy and the miscarriage, his eyes filled with tears. “I cannot believe that punk did that to you.”
Amelia shrugged and wiped the tears away from her face with her hands.
He grabbed her hand. “I can promise you I’ll never ever hurt you.”
She could see sincerity in his eyes. She knew he was telling the truth. This was her second chance. Her chance to have the life she had always wanted. The chance to fall in love with Prince Charming and be swept off of her feet. To be loved without fear or doubts.
“I’ll never abandon you or break your heart.” He hugged her. He sat back and said, “We’ll have many years together.”
She smiled. She loved to hear his promises. She remembered her mother had always told her, ‘One day, you’ll find a man who’ll hug you so tight, all of your broken pieces will stick back together.’
She smiled at the thought. She thought, I think I’ve found that man. She looked up at him, and he smiled down at her.
Chapter Fifteen
“It was amazing!” Amelia exclaimed to Bailey.
“Spare me the details, I might get a little jealous.” Bailey grinned. She shook her head and said, “I can’t believe you! Ms. ‘I’m not ready for another relationship yet.’” Bailey used her fingers as quotation marks as she rolled her eyes.
Second Chances (Fairshore Series Book 1) Page 9