“You got what?” Kayla exclaimed in shock as she stared at Amy.
“Lower your voice, Kayla,” Amy tutted. She was in Kayla’s house and had just told her Liam engaged her. Also, Cole was coming to visit Tris and she didn’t want to see him.
“No, I will not. After all, the whole world is bound to find out that you’re engaged to your ex’s best friend!” Kayla wasn’t in support of Amy’s decision.
“I just couldn’t say no to him. He’s been there for me, Kay,” Amy shrugged as she looked down at the finger Liam’s ring sat on. The ring was quite a beauty and very expensive.
“Wake up, Amy,” Kayla said, crouching in front of Amy and holding her face. “It doesn’t matter if he has been there for you. He’s Cole’s best friend. Do not confuse care for love,”
“Didn’t you say I did a good thing leaving Cole?” Amy asked her.
Kayla nodded. “Yes, I did. But, I did not ask you to get married to Liam. I said, be free. Explore your choices. Not get married to his best friend within three months of break up,” she center as she stood up and rubbed her forehead. “Ish.. gosh. What am I going to do with you?” She groaned.
“So, what should I do now? Return his ring?” Amy looked at her.
“As a matter of fact, yes. Please, do so. I do not support you in this. Find someone else to get married to. Just not Liam,” Kayla pointed.
“You never really did like him,”
“I fucking don’t like any of the men you’ve been with and you know that. Liam is no exception. I’m not being biased,”
Amy knew that was very true.
“I’m doing what I think is best for me, Kayla,”
“Have you thought of it this way? Why he quickly engaged you? It’s been three months and he just betrayed his friend,” Kayla said as she sat down and finished her glass of wine. She needed to face her friend with the facts.
Amy shrugged. “I haven’t really thought of it that way,”
“He’s rushing you into marriage so Cole wouldn’t get an opportunity to claim you. It’s like he’s been waiting for this moment all his life!”
“You’re probably right, because he’s been in love with me since our high school days. He’s seizing the opportunity he got and I’m not going to blame him. He’s a good guy and I wonder why I haven’t noticed his love all these while,”
“Good guys can be evil too, Amy,” Kayla pointed out.
“Not Liam. He doesn’t have a crazy ex who would try to sabotage our relationship,” Amy said as she looked away. Saying that reminded her very much of Cole.
Kayla could feel the pain Amy wasn’t talking about. It dawned on her that she was getting married to Liam, not just because he was a nice guy and would bring her peace, but because she wanted to forget Cole.
She held Amy’s hand. “Believe me, I understand what you’re going through. Though, this isn’t the right way to go about things, but, I’ll support you,”
Amy smiled at her. “Thank you, Kay,”
Kayla smiled back as she patted her hand.
•
Amy returned home late. That was when she was sure Cole would have left. Unfortunately, he wasn’t gone. The instant she sighted his car, she turned to leave, but Tris walked out of the house with Cole. He caught sight of her. “Mommy!” He said in delight.
She was forced to turn back and look at him. She smiled at Tris as he ran up to her and hugged her. “When did you come back?” He asked.
“Just now, baby,” she said as she lowered down to kiss his forehead.
“Daddy was just leaving. Are you two getting a divorce?” Tris asked, looking at her.
“Did he tell you that?” She inquired.
“No. Cindy told me in school that before her parents got divorced, they stayed separately,” he explained.
Amy realized that it would be very hard to tell Tris that he was about to have a stepfather. “Don’t worry about things like that, okay?” She ruffled his hair.
He shrugged. “Okay,” he replied as he walked over to Cole. “When am I seeing you again?”
“I’ll be back here by weekend,” Cole assured him with a smile.
“Alright,” Tris sighed and Cole hugged him. “I love you,”
Cole kissed his cheek. “I love you more,”
They let go of each other and Tris walked into the house.
Amy didn’t know how to face Cole, and as soon as their eyes met, her legs quavered, and her heart thud against her chest.
Cole proceeded to walk past her, but she found herself stopping him.
“Cole?”
He paused and didn’t turn to look at her. He was afraid that his own heart would betray him.
“Thank you for always coming to see him,” she said.
He swallowed back the hurt he felt. “There’s no need to thank me. He’s my son and I’ll always be there for him,” he said, without looking back.
He proceeded to leave again.
“Cole, I’m getting married,” she said, stopping him in his tracks.
He couldn’t believe his ears as he turned to look at her. He faced her completely. It’s been just three months since they separated and now she was about to become another’s wife? He tried his best to make it look like he was not hurt as he maintained his stoic look.
“Good for you,” was his response and somehow, it broke her hearing those words.
He noticed the ring on her finger. “Looks pretty expensive. He would be able to take care of you and give you the peace you want,” he said sarcastically.
She ignored the sarcasm in his voice. “It’s Liam,”
He stared at her. “Come again,”
“I’m getting married to Liam,” She replied as she tried to steady her breathing.
His fingers curled into a fist as he let out a hurtful dry laugh. “So, he finally did as he had told me,”
Amy didn’t understand what he meant, and she brushed it aside. “I’m just telling you so you wouldn’t hear it from the blog first,”
“Does Tris know?” Cole inquired.
“I’ll tell him soon,”
“Wish you all the best of luck,” Cole replied as he walked away, got into his car and drove off. He drove off the speed limit with his hands tightened around the steering wheel.
Amy swallowed back the lump in her throat. She had not expected talking to him would be so difficult and painful. But, she had to let go of him. He was her past and right now, Liam was her future.
*****