13. Struggling Bonds #3
My mind drifts back to Liam, tucked safely in bed at my mom’s house, and for a fleeting moment, I wish I could trade the clinking glasses and polished small talk for a quiet night at home. Eric approaches, a fresh drink in hand, his expression warm and easygoing.
“Amelia,” he says, his voice cutting through the soft din of the room. “You’re doing great. Everyone’s impressed with the work you’ve done on this project.”
“Thanks,” I reply, offering a small smile. “It’s a team effort.”
“Don’t be modest,” he says, his tone playful. “You’ve been the backbone of this collaboration. They’d be lost without you.”
I chuckle lightly, brushing off the compliment.
Eric’s words always toe the line between professional and personal, but I remind myself that he’s just being...
Eric. As he’s pulled away by another colleague, I feel my phone vibrate in my clutch.
I pull it out, expecting a message from Hazel or my mom, but my breath catches when I see Reid’s name flashing on the screen.
He rarely calls, and when he does, it’s usually after I’ve reached out first.
I swipe to answer, stepping away from the bar toward a quieter corner of the room. “Hello?” I say, keeping my voice low.
“Amelia,” Reid’s voice comes through, a mix of hesitation and irritation. “Why are you whispering?”
“I’m at a work event,” I explain, glancing around the room to make sure no one’s listening. “A cocktail party with Eric and some collaborators.”
There’s a pause, and I can almost hear his jaw clench through the phone. “With Eric?” he asks, his tone sharp. “You’re out on a date with your boss?”
I stop short, his words hitting me like a slap. “It’s not a date, Reid,” I snap. “It’s a work event. You know, something adults do when they have jobs.”
“Don’t patronize me,” he bites back. “I know what a work event is, Amelia. What I don’t get is why you’re spending so much time with him. Don’t you see how it looks?”
“How it looks?” I repeat, my frustration bubbling over. “It looks like I’m doing my job, Reid. That’s all this is.”
“Then why does it feel like there’s more to it?” he demands, his voice rising. “I see the way he looks at you in those posts. The way he talks about you. Don’t tell me you don’t see it.”
I press a hand to my forehead, closing my eyes. “Eric is my boss. He’s complimented my work, not me. You’re reading into things that aren’t there.”
“Am I?” he shoots back, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
Before I can respond, I hear a voice in the background, faint but unmistakable. “Reid, where are the paper plates? The food is here.”
My stomach drops, the words hitting me like a punch to the gut. “Is that Jada?” I ask, my voice sharp.
“Amelia—”
“Don’t even try to explain,” I cut him off, my anger boiling over. “You’re accusing me of crossing boundaries with my boss, but Jada’s in your room? Do you even hear yourself?”
“She’s not in my room,” Reid says, his frustration mirroring mine. “I’m with a group of friends working on a project. Jada’s here, but that’s it. There’s a difference.”
“Oh, so now there’s a difference,” I snap. “When it’s you, it’s innocent. But when it’s me, suddenly I’m doing something wrong?”
“Because it’s not the same,” he says, his voice strained. “You don’t see it, but?—”
“You’re such a hypocrite, Reid,” I cut him off, my voice trembling with anger. “You don’t trust me, but you expect me to trust you? How does that work?”
“Amelia, you’re twisting this?—”
“No,” I interrupt, my voice breaking. “I’m done twisting myself into knots trying to make this work while you sit there and accuse me of things I haven’t done. You’re the one who’s pulling away, Reid. Not me.”
The line goes silent, the weight of our words hanging heavily between us. When Reid finally speaks, his voice is quieter, almost hesitant. “I don’t want to lose you, Amelia.”
For a moment, his words soften the anger burning in my chest. But they don’t erase the hurt. “Then stop treating me like the enemy,” I say, my voice trembling. “Because I’m starting to wonder if we’re even on the same side anymore.”
“I’ll...call you later,” he says after a long pause, his voice strained.
“Yeah,” I whisper, my throat tight. “Together, always and forever.”
He hesitates, then echoes the words softly. “Together, always and forever.”
The line goes dead, and I lower the phone, my hands trembling. The argument replays in my mind, the raw emotions swirling until I can barely think straight. I feel the tears welling up, but I blink them back, straightening my shoulders.
Eric approaches, his smile easy, oblivious to the storm raging inside me. “You okay?” he asks, his voice warm but casual.
“Yeah,” I lie, forcing a smile. “Just a phone call. Nothing important.”
As the night drags on, I go through the motions, smiling at the right moments and nodding along to conversations I barely register. But deep down, the weight of my conversation with Reid presses heavily on my heart, leaving me to wonder if we’ll ever find our way back to the love we used to share.