-Two weeks later-

"Congratulations "

"thank you doctor "

"Just call me Amanda, I am not here as your doctor "

"thank you...Amanda"

I turned around trying to find mister Julian who was beside me a second ago but he just disappeared before I can even realize it

So I sat at my assigned seat, playing with my phone ..looking around once in a while hoping to spot him so I can excuse myself and go back home, after wishing him good night.

The lucky ME!... I couldn't spot him at all for more than ten minutes.

"need some companion for this evening? " Edwin showed up by my side startling me

"hey! ..sure, I would love to "

"good " he pulled the chair and took a seat beside me, adding, "thought you would forget about the wedding "

"and why is that? " I asked now, locking my phone and giving him my full attention

"your wedding is about a month or so from now, so I thought you would be drowning in a sea of tears and papers"

"oh..i took my hands off of it, my mom and Henry are somehow on the same page when it comes to everything, they don't like anything I do so they told me to just be one of the guests and just be present on the wedding day, the rest is theirs to handle "

"less pressure for you then "

"Yeah, how about you? how are you doing these days? "

"business trips "

"no wonder I didn't cross paths with you in the station "

"talking about work .. I got your letter of resignation "

"yeah "

"dad is forcing me to accept it but he's also hoping that I would refuse and just turn a blind eye on it "

"why is that? "

"he doesn't trust people easily and you gained his full trust, I guess he doesn't want to let you go but also doesn't want to force you to stay ..so it's a bit of a dilemma"

"what about you? what do YOU want to do? "

"my dad has trust issues, and I have issues of letting people go" he looked to the grass then back to me "can you not go? "

"can you take me in as a friend nothing less and nothing more ? in other words can you forget everything that is holding you back and making you super awkward with me? "

" you know that I would be lying if I said yes "

"then I would be lying if I said I can stay "

"But, I have a psychiatrist friend that maybe can help me forget "

"I'm not god, Ed"

"and I am your Ed, Amanda "

"Just what is it that you want me to do? what is it that you want me to say Ed? hm?"

"that you won't forget me "

"I won't"

"and you won't hate me "

"I never did "

"and you will forgive me "

I opened my mouth but closed it again not knowing what to say

"will you ? " his pleading eyes dug a hole in me

"I was also at fault Ed, I shouldn't have misled you "

"you didn't Amanda "

"ugh .. I really don't want to do this, it's a happy occasion and we're doing this right now, it's ju-"

"but I-"

"I will only forgive you if I can get invited to yours and Madeline's wedding and if you can show up at mine "

"I will "

"talking about Mad, where is she? " I looked around holding the pain in my chest ...

I was ...and am ....so sorry, Ed.

"she had to work, she's working on a new show "

"What kind of show? " I looked back at him, not giving the pain in my chest a chance to ruin it more than my stupidity did

"variety show "

"Finally, her dream come true " I chuckled faintly

"yeah "

"is that how you two got to meet? "

He bit his lip looking away "yeah "

"well, some gossip is totally appropriate for this occasion " I put my hand on the table resting my head on top of my palm before looking at him

"what do you mean? "

"How did you two meet ? tell me all about this love story "

"Not much to it .." he smiled shyly

"then spill"

" well... I guess, it started when I was trying to get her help to get you, but somehow found myself ...falling for her, the more I got to meet her "

"you call that gossip? " I looked at him with the most bored eyes I can manage

"I'm not good at it "

"then just tell me where mister Julian is, I lost him after I went to see your sister" I asked while scanning our surroundings hoping to find him

"I am a bit offended," he said grabbing my attention "sounds to me that you like my father's company better than mine "

" he knows how to gossip "

"Fine! I will tell you all about it, happy? "

"couldn't get happier " I closed my eyes and opened them wide trying not to blink

"what are you doing? "

"I don't want to miss anything, so tell me all about it "

"stop acting silly, you don't need to open your eyes that wide Amanda "

"fine" I smiled at him and looked at him like I normally do "I'm listening "

"so... it started like this, she-"

"did you have fun? "

"I didn't go on a trip Aiden, it was a wedding" I said plunging myself on the couch beside him while he kept changing the channels trying to find something worth watching

"there were so many rich people even the media covered the whole wedding." he said while I took off my heels; freeing my feet from suffocation

Trust me that breeze that my feet have gotten felt like one of a beach ..and that was super refreshing

"I got in through the back door and as for rich people, I didn't talk to anyone, apart from mister Julian, Edwin and his sister " I closed my eyes laying my head on the armrest of the couch

"it's okay, you are at the presence of a future celebrity, you-ah!" he was unable to finish the rest of his sentence since I hit him with my feet, looking at him through my half-opened eyelids

"I'm tired but I can still beat you up if you keep spouting nonsense"

"how come no one supports me? " he muttered clearly pissed off

"We support you, but we don't support you being obsessed with the idea of being famous "

"I'm not obsessed "

"oh really? who bought a cap and a mask after his first shooting saying that people might recognize him "

He snickered and looked away

"guess what Aiden? "

"What ? " he looked back to me

"no one recognizes you ..still "

My feet were held in a second, I was squirming to free them but there was no use, I was out of breath screaming and laughing while he tickled the bottom of my feet

The only thing stopping him was my mom and dad coming down the stairs in a hurry

"what's all the yelling about? "

"you okay? "

"Yeah!! she's just getting a little massage since her feet are sore from wearing these high heels for long hours " he resumed tickling me before I can catch my breath again

"AIDEN !" that was all I could manage to say before I burst into laughter and start squirming again

All I know later is that I bumped my head on the table spilling a water cup in the process and I fell on the ground with a loud thud making everyone's breath hitch, just looking at me and waiting for me to move

But I was still out of breath after all that laughing so I couldn't utter a word all I could do was hold my hand up and give them a thumbs-up as a sign to say that I'm good

our parents went back up shaking their heads at our behavior and I got up looking at the lake of water on the floor

"you better clean that water before you go to bed" I said looking at it still

"but you spilled it !" Aiden argued, so I turned my head slowly looking at him with a blank face

"aw.." I held the back of my head " my head hurts... I wonder whose fault that is? "

"seriously! ..you !" he pointed his finger at me and just stuttered, unable to find a comeback and so... the grownup I am, I stuck my tongue out at him and ran up the stairs in a hurry after I fetched my heels from the ground.

"remind me to learn how to massage your feet from Aiden "

"you kidding me right now? " I rolled my eyes, laying on my bed, while my phone was on speaker right on my nightstand

It turned into a habit, a night call before going to bed, just sharing our thoughts, getting to know each other more, and inquiring about the other's day. These simple phone calls helped get us closer and much more comfortable around each other. so no one's complaining apart from Joshua who's in the room next to mine, a thin wall separating both of the spaces.

"no, couple more weeks, and you'll have to wear some heels for even longer hours, the least I can do is give you a massage"

"if Joshua heard this he will most likely massage your face "

"Nah, we are fine now"

"oh really? since when? "

"Since I helped him with Vic "

"how come I never heard of this? "

"you know, guys things, no need for you to know"

"he's my little brother!"

"and I am his soon to be brother in law, so technically he is a little brother to me too "

"just spill, what have you done? "

"Nothing much, just introduced him to a friend of mine that's a chef so he can empress her a little since she said she liked a man that can cook "

"and he asked for your help instead of mine? "

"you came back with bruised hands all over after that patient of yours attacked you " his tone changed

"Why does it sound to me like you are annoyed? "

"maybe 'cause I am " he sighs" can you stop working? "

"why? "

"usually the patients that you have are not this violent .. I can't stop worrying Amanda, you were strangled that day and now another attack took place not that long ago, I ju-"

"well I did ask for patients with regular or simple cases before,it was just after the divorce that I accepted other patients, but I'm fine.. there's security waiting outside my door "

"what if they used a pen to stab you ? do you think secur-"

"Henry .. chill.. we don't leave anything that can be used as a weapon in the office, and I have no pens, I use a tablet "

"still Amanda, can you refrain from this, the show is enough "

"I already told you I was quitting the show "

"well...that is actually what I wanted to talk to you about "

I waited for him to speak but he didn't utter a word

"what is it? you're making me nervous"

"I got a call from the Snow station "

"and? "

"it was Edwin "

" stop giving me small drops and spill it all at once"

"he said, he won't let you go ..not as a man but a friend and a brother"

A smile forced it's way to my face and it was so wide that it hurt my eyes and made them tear up

"I never thought I would like that dude, but ...my heart warmed up a little to him after talking for hours "

"hours? " I said sniffing and wiping my tears

"yeah, we spent almost two hours talking on the phone "

"his sister's wedding is still going, though " I said looking at the time on my phone

"that's why I refuse to like him "

" what's wrong now?" I chuckled shaking my head at his ways

"he called the moment you left, he should have just cared for his sister but he was in a hurry to talk to me ....and warn me "

"did he say he would punch you in the face if you ever upset me? "

"you wish, he said to be careful, if you ever give the silent treatment that means a storm is coming my way turning my world upside down "

"What?!" I glared at my phone as if he could see me

"said that you can get violent ...and that, you bite " he added fuel to the fire ..but I just couldn't believe it.

"you lying !"

"I wish but he really did, that's why I can't help but like him, if it wasn't for him, I wouldn't have known the nature of danger I was jumping in "

"oh, really? are you having some second thoughts? don't want to jump anymore? "

" I prayed for your tears to turn into poison and kill me the moment they stain your face ever again and you think I will be afraid of your anger? ..all I fear is being the reason for even a single tear Amanda .."

....

"say something "

"I slightly... cringed"

I heard his deep chuckle which woke some weird sensation in my stomach, making me smile listening to it.

"it was cheesy wasn't it?"

"yeah...just a little "

"well,I know you like cheese the most "

" ..never thought you knew "

"I noticed "

My eyes were slowly dropping shut and my wide smile started to fade into a small one, I needed to sleep

"you tired? " he asked like he was here... looking at me...

"what do you think? "

He chuckled "just go to sleep "

" good night "

"night"

"by the way "

"hm? "

"even though It was a bit cheesy but ...I appreciate your sincerity .. night Henry " and with that, I hung on the phone before I could get to hear his reply

...........

HELLO! and THANK YOU for reading

just wanted to inform you that some of you might feel that things are getting faster from here

BUT! please bear with me a little

I hope you have wonderful days ahead!....