Red
Chapter 9
Losing him was blue like I never known, missing him was dark grey, all alone
Forgetting him is like trying to know somebody you never met,
But loving him was Red, oh, Red, burning Red…
Nina
It's a week and a half until the wedding, and Amber is going crazy. She's been making corrections to tiny little mistakes, getting people re-fitted for their dresses, even though they already purchased them, making sure the flowers are perfect, and all of that other crazy jazz that goes on before a wedding.
Payson and I had gone shopping for her new clothes at the mall. Later, I ended up bringing her to the police station, where Payson spilled the beans. They had a court date set for December, two months from now.
Yes, two months from now. Until then, Payson will be staying with me.
Except I live all the way in America, which means that I'll have to move here.
Honestly, I don't have a problem with that. Besides, I wouldn't be able to talk to my best friend as much if I lived a whole continent away.
Ergo, I have my sentimental things currently shipping out here, and the rest of the stuff that I don't need and will be buying anyway, is going to be sold.
Right now, Payson and I are flat-hunting.
"What do you think of this one?" I whispered to Payson as the salesman for the flat we might possibly purchase droned on and on about how great the flat is.
Frankly, I didn't like it. At all. But, my opinion doesn't count, as I am Payson's temporary guardian until the court date, where I will become her permanent one. If we win the case, that is.
"I hate it," she whispered back. I mentally sighed of relief.
"And the bathroom is quite roomy-,"
"Um, excuse me, sir…we're not interested in this flat. Thank you, anyway, though," I interrupted him.
He began to protest, and try to convince me to buy it, but I grabbed Payson's hand and hurried out of the apartment complex.
"He was persistent," Payson stated after we were comfortably walking the streets of London, without a greasy-mustached salesman chasing after us.
I nodded.
Payson sighed. "I don't think we'll ever find a good apartment."
"We will, babe. Don't sweat it. How about that one over there? It looks nice, and we can check to see if they have any open spots available for us," I said, nodding to the apartment complex to my right.
"It does look nice."
We headed for the apartment, walking into the nicely decorated lobby.
"Hi, I was wondering if you had any flats available," I asked the nice brunette receptionist.
"We most certainly do," her high pitched voice sounded strangely nice and caring. And, the weird thing was that it didn't sound forced. "Apartment 4B is available, with no waiting list, actually. The couple that lived there just moved out yesterday."
I smiled at her. "That's great."
"Come on, I'll show you up," the receptionist said.
She led Payson and I into the elevator, pressing the four on the number pad of floors.
We arrived, and the brunette unlocked the door to apartment 4B with a key that was hanging from her lanyard.
"Here we are," she said. "It has three bedrooms, all with en suites, a medium sized kitchen and dining room, another guest bathroom in the hallway, and a nice-sized living room."
She showed us around the apartment, and it was really nice.
It already had furniture in it, vintage, actually, so all I had to buy was mattresses and the little extra things on the side.
"I really like this one," Payson said.
"It's really pretty," I agreed.
"Should we buy it?" I asked her.
She nodded a yes and that was that.
"When can we move in?" I asked the receptionist, whose name tag said Christina.
"Well, the soonest is tomorrow," she said.
"Perfect," I said.
"What is your name, ma'am?" asked Christina.
"I'm Nina Martin. This is Payson," I said introducing ourselves.
Christina smiled at us.
"Well, Payson and I have to go. We need to help my best friend wrap up the plans for her wedding," I said.
"Okay," said Christine. "Good luck. Goodbye."
I flashed a toothy grin at her as Payson and I begin to walk to Amber's.
"I really like that one. I can't wait to move in!" Payson exclaimed.
"I know, me to."
"I'm going to the grocery store for some Oreos," I said, walking into Payson's 'room' in Amber's house. "Wanna come?"
Payson looked up from the book she was reading and shook her head.
"'Kay. Do you want anything?"
"Um… I would like some crisps, please."
"Chips, you mean?" I asked. I can't help that I'm American.
She nodded.
"I'll be back in about twenty minutes."
I got to Tesco's hurrying inside before they closed. It was pretty late at night, and my strange cravings have taken the best of me.
Asking a worker where the Oreos were located, I was basically running towards the aisle.
I wasn't exactly thinking right where I ran right into someone, hitting my head pretty damn hard.
Rubbing the back of my head, I said weakly, "I'm sorry… I didn't see you there."
A soft laugh came from the person in front of me. I couldn't see, and I was still seeing tiny black spots from hitting my head so hard.
"It's okay."
That voice made me widen my eyes, and shake my head to make sure I wasn't hallucinating.
"F-Fabian," I stuttered.
"Nina!" he exclaimed.
"Save it," I said, getting up from my spot on the floor and walking away.
Apparently, I wasn't fast enough.
Fabian caught me by my wrist, turning me around to face him.
"I'm sorry. For everything," he looked deep into my eyes, and for the first time, for only a millisecond, I believed him. But I pulled away.
"Do you have any idea what you did to me?" I shouted. I was fully aware that I was in a grocery store, but that dumb part of my brain was getting on a role.
"You were my only happiness in Anubis, Fabian," I said. His eyes were saucers. "Hell, you were my savior. No one knew what happened before I went off to boarding school. Only my gran knew.
"And you want to know what happened when you ignored me? I spent every waking hour plotting how to get you to love me like you used to. In the process, I myself, was ignoring my gran's phone calls. Do you want to know what happened on the day of graduation, Fabian?"
I didn't even give him a chance to respond before continuing. "My gran died. I didn't even get a chance to say goodbye!"
Fabian was speechless.
And the next thing he did surprised me, Jesus, Mary, everyone on earth, and even the damn grocery carts.
He kissed me.
He. Kissed. Me.
I wasn't exactly sure what happened next, but all I knew was that Fabian's lips were on mine, and I was kissing him back forcefully.
"I've missed you," he whispered in my ear after we separated.
Someone get Dr. Phil, because I need some therapy.
"Me too," I found myself whispering back.
A cold splash of reality lapped over me.
My mouth dropped. My eyes widened. I pushed him away.
"What was that? Did you think you could kiss me and I'd come running back to you?"
"I—,"
"No. This isn't The Notebook. You can't just do that. This is a grocery store for crying out loud!"
Oreos and chips were the last thing on my mind as I stormed out of the grocery store to Amber's car, leaving Fabian speechless.
The whole drive home, I couldn't stop thinking about what I was just a part of.
How did this happen. Why did I let it?
He isn't Noah, and I'm not Allie. I'm not going to go back to him.
There are no real-life Noahs. They don't exist. People think what they have is love, but it isn't. It's just lust in disguise. What Fabian and I had certainly wasn't love.
And you can't simply forgive and forget some things either.
Well, this is a crappy excuse for a dramatic chapter. It's too short for my liking, too. It's been almost a month since I last updated! I really have just had a lot of things happening lately, and I apologize for dropping off of the face of the earth.
I had some Writers' Block, too. The Notebook has recently become my favorite film, and believe it or not, I only watched it for the first time about two weeks ago. It was one of the only movies I cried a river for.
Anyway, I will update soon. We got off for Thanksgiving Holidays this week, so it's all good... I will catch up on some writing then.
Until then, please review on any suggestions, feelings, etc.