Amy hadn't answered any of my calls in two days. At first I'd considered that she was just busy, but now I felt like she was just ignoring me.

This weekend had probably been the slowest of all my weekends. It was my weekend without Amy, and while before I had hoped for time apart, now it physically hurt not to see her.

I'd have to wait till school tomorrow to figure out what was going on with her. I honestly felt insecure. I wasn't sure what had gone wrong in our relationship for her to up and ignore me like that. But I understood, sometimes breaks were needed. I just wished she had talked to me about why I was suddenly cut out this weekend.

I sat at home, staring at my phone, hoping Amy would call or give me a text telling me she was okay. I worried far too much about her. I love her. I feel like I have a rite of passage now to worry about her.

My biggest fear is losing someone I love. And not the losing them as a friend or partner, but the other type of losing. The type where I will never see them again.

Lost in my thoughts, it took me an entire minute to realize that someone had been knocking on the door. I rushed out of my seat, hoping it was Amy, but it wasn't. It was a tall blonde girl, hair curled as though she belonged in another time.

"Hey, Tyler right?" I stood staring at her. She looked so young and so old all at once. I wondered how that was possible as I watched her. She looked a little bit like Amy.

"Yes, who are you?"

"My name is Trina. I believe you're my soulmate. And I yours. Can I come in?" She asked as my eyes widened. If ever there was a time that I wished Amy was here, now would've been it.

Without waiting for me to let her in, Trina walked into the room.

"I'm sorry, Trina, was it? I have a girlfriend."

"Yes, Amy Bloom, correct?" She asked. I nodded, watching her walk through the living room and sit on my couch. She nodded for me to sit beside her.

"Yes." I responded as she watched me curiously.

"Tyler, I've been around for a long time and I don't mean to sound rude, but girls like Amy Bloom don't end up with boys like you. Now I'm not trying to sound like a villain, but I know things Tyler. I know that you deserve more than an Amy Bloom. Because if you knew what I knew, you wouldn't stick around her much longer."

"And what do you know?" She was making me mad. I hadn't felt true rage since that doofus Aaron barged into my home drunk. It felt so long ago.

"Look Trina, thanks for stopping by, but I'm not interested in whatever you're selling. We're not soulmates because I don't believe in soulmates. Okay? And second of all, get out of my house." I saw a small smile on her face at my words.

"As you wish, dear." She smiled, walked over to me and reached for my hand, "but just know that soon enough, we will be pulled together and there won't be anyway to stop it."

"You're delusional." I glared at her, my voice a low growl as stepped closer.

"If I wasn't, love would be dead. Besides, darling, I can feel your heart racing right now." Trina said as she placed her fingers on my chest.

I hadn't realized it until she pointed it out, "No, it's not." I said, my voice breaking and giving too much away.

"You can deny me now Tyler, but the reason I'm alive today is because my soulmate is alive. And that's you." She fluttered her eyes, her lips inches away from my own. I felt drawn to her, I didn't want to. And the second I was about to give in, she backed away and smiled. "I'll see you at school tomorrow, soulmate."

I was speechless. It felt surreal, like I'd been swept up in a hurricane and somehow survived. I watched her head for the door, her purpose served. I stood there dazed as I heard her outside.

"Oh! Hi Amy! So good to see you, my name is Trina." I heard her say. I knew how this would look to Amy. Damn.

"Amy?" I rushed outside. She stood by her car, her eyes puffy. I wondered why she'd been crying. I walked over to her and hugged her close. "I've been trying to call. Are you okay?"

She didn't speak, simply standing outside. I looked up as Trina got in her car and drove off.

"Amy? Come on in. You okay?" I asked, placing my hands on her shoulders.

"Tyler." She said, struggling to speak, "Bailey's been arrested."

"Your sister?"

She nodded, her body shook as she looked down, her shoulders slumped.

"Come inside, I'll get you some water. I want to know how I can help. I'm here for you, I want you to know that. And I love you." I said, lifting her chin and kissing her forehead.

She slumped against me as I reached for her hand. It hurt me to see Amy like this.

I couldn't even tell her about what was going on in my life with Trina because it seemed so insignificant compared to what she was going through. I didn't want to trouble her anymore than she was already in.

Amy followed behind me closely and I shut the door once she was inside. She sat in the spot that Trina had occupied moments ago and I sat beside her, holding her close as she placed her face in her hands.

"Why was Bailey arrested? Who else knows about this? And baby, where've you been for the past two days?"

She took a deep breath and I wondered if I had been asking too much.

"I haven't seen her since the arrest. They said it was for murder and cannibalism!? Can you believe that something like this could even happen nowadays! I can't believe it though, my sister would never..." Amy spoke as my mind wandered. It filled with thoughts of disgust and the realization that Bailey has hit on me on numerous occasions when I was at Amy's house. Is that how she lured in her meals?

I wanted to puke just thinking about that.

"What?" I wasn't sure how to tell Amy that I had a weak stomach and hearing about stuff like that could easily make me puke.

Before I got a change to further explain, I felt it coming up my throat and rushed to the nearest sink.

"Tyler!" She called, "are you okay?" She asked, standing beside me as I puked my guts out.

"I'm sorry, Amy, I just have a really weak stomach." I said. She patted my back and poured me a glass of water. Funny how I should've been the one to take care of her during this tough time, yet the roles had switched.

"It's okay, we don't have to talk about that. I just wanted to let you know what's been going on. I haven't heard from the police and am planning on going down to the station some time this week or maybe next week."

"I hope everything works out for you and your sister." I said, forcing myself to keep the images out of my mind before I barfed again.

"What's been going on with you?" She asked, probably gesturing to Trina.

"It was the weirdest thing. She literally knocked on my door and declared that she was alive because we were soulmates and so I told her to leave." I said, glad that I was able to talk to someone about it. It felt nice to get it off my shoulder.

Amy paused for a few seconds and led me to the couch, "I think I've seen her around school." She sat beside me and held my hand, "for the last two days, I've been at Aaron's place. It was just an automatic response from what I'm used to. My phone died since I wasn't allowed to enter my own home. The police put yellow tape around my house while they investigate the crime scene." I felt anger brewing inside me as she spoke about Aaron. Just hearing about him irked me enough to make me mad. I tried to maintain myself while she spoke, it was so damn hard.

"And only Violet and Aaron know about Bailey. And now you do too. I'm scared this news will go viral. I don't want my sister's face on TV, my parents will be so disappointed in us." She finished as I sat there staring blankly.

It really bothered me that the first person she went to talk to about this all was Aaron. I'm her boyfriend for crying out loud. I didn't want to create any further problems in her life, but I knew this would boil and stew inside me until I resented her for it. It made me wonder if she just didn't trust me enough to go to me first, if I was just unreliable.

"Tyler?" She asked, placing her hand on my shoulder as I flinched.

"Amy, I... I'm not sure how to word this."

"Just say it,"

"I just don't understand... why you went to Aaron first instead of me."

"Is this an ego thing?" I wasn't sure what to respond to her so I just remained silent, "well, he lives closer and it was just where I went after being traumatized! And nothing happened Ty, I love you. Besides, Violet was there too." She said.

"Yeah, I get that, it just makes me feel inadequate as your boyfriend that I wasn't the first person you sought out comfort from."

"Tyler, I think you're overthinking or reading too much into it, Aaron was just conveniently closer..."

"Am I just convenient to you too then?"

"What? What are you even talking about? You're being so irrational." She furrowed her brows in frustration as she stared at me.

"Amy, it might be an issue with my pride or it might just be my trust issues, and I've tried so hard to keep this relationship as healthy and happy as I could. But you know I don't like that guy, you know, that out of all people he's someone I can't stand, yet you decide to go straight to him once an inconvenience happens." I knew it was nasty to say, but I was angry.

"Look Tyler, it takes two to keep a relationship healthy. And if my sister going to jail is an inconvenience to you, then I don't think that makes you a part of a healthy relationship where you don't care about me. Yeah, I understand you don't like Aaron, but he's been my friend way longer than you ever have. And what about you? I don't show up for two days and you've got the next blonde girl in your house to fuck around with?"

"You can't accuse me of something like that! I don't even know her!" We were screaming at each other now, my blood boiling as my heart was racing.

"Neither can you because Aaron is just my friend! He's always been."

"Then why don't you go date your good friend Aaron?!" I shouted back, my blood boiling as anger engulfed me.

"Maybe I will! I think we need a break Tyler!" She screamed, pushing herself off the couch with brute force as she rushed toward the door.

"No, what? Amy, no! That's not what I want." I chased after her as she approached the front door. It was at this moment that I realized I'd messed up.

"Well learn then Tyler, life's not about getting you what you want! Asshole." And with that, she slammed the door shut and left my house.

I ran my hand through my hair in frustration.

That was not how that was supposed to turn out.

In case you're interested in getting the totally edited/revised/changed paperback version of this book:

https://www.amazon.com/Boy-Who-Read-Minds-ebook/dp/B08RYV11F2/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=veronica+Soliman&qid=1609863783&sr=8-3

The Boy Who Read Minds (completed!)

. The Boy Who Solved Crimes

Bailey's Story (Butterflies of Gold)

. Joseph's Story (An Era Away)

Anya (Tyler's Story)