CHAPTER 48
Robert's Point-of-View
I seriously contemplated turning the car around several times on the way back to the hotel.
[i]Maybe she'll come back. She did last time.[/i]
It was all wishful thinking. She was really gone this time.
Emma's Point-of-View
I officially hated long plane rides. There's nothing else to do besides think. For twelve agonizing hours.
[i]I wasn't going to see him for another month. Four weeks. Twenty-eight days. May 10th was way too far away.
Unless of course he visited on the time he had off, but the chances of that were slim now that Chris was upset with him. Plus the most time he'd get off is two days. Forty-eight hours. Minus twenty-eight hours of traveling. That's only twenty hours that we'd be together.[/i]
See what I mean? There was way too much time to overanalyze things.
When I finally landed it was ten o'clock in the morning in Los Angeles but I was exhausted. Jet lag had the best of me. Amanda picked me up from the airport. It was so good to see her. I had forgotten how much I missed her.
"You're back!" Amanda shouted excitedly, embracing me in a warm hug.
"I'm so happy to see you!" I hugged her back. "Did I miss anything?"
Amanda suddenly looked sad. "A lot, actually."
"Manda, what's wrong?" I asked sympathetically.
"I'll talk to you about it when we get home. I want to hear all about Italy! How was it?" she asked curiously, putting her car into drive. "Oh. My. God!" she shrieked, examining my hand. "Is that what I think it is?"
I laughed. "I really need to put this ring on another finger. I'm not engaged or married, I swear. It's a promise ring. Rob gave it to me in London over the weekend," I gushed.
"Wait, London? I thought you were in Italy?" she inquired.
"We were. Italy was amazing. He took me on a little motorcycle to the Trevi fountain and all around Rome. But then he surprised me and flew us to London. We stayed at his parents' house where he grew up. You'd love it there, Amanda, the city is absolutely amazing!"
"Tell me about the ring!" she said impatiently.
"Ok. So he took me to this really pretty restaurant for dinner and then we went for a walk afterwards in this park in the center of the city. It's pouring down rain and then next thing I know he's on one knee with a ring in his hand promising that he'll always love me and protect me."
Amanda squealed. "That is [i]the[i] cutest thing I have ever heard!"
All this talking about Robert really made me miss him. "I miss him," I said sadly, staring at the ring on my finger.
Amanda patted my shoulder as we walked up the stairs to our apartment. "He'll be back before you know it," she assured me.
I dumped all of my bags on my floor, not wanting to bother with unpacking just yet. I was way too tired and I needed to find out what was wrong with Amanda.
"Are you going to tell me what's up?" I asked her as I sat next to her on the couch.
She was fiddling nervously with her fingers. "Ethan and I broke up."
I was completely shocked. I never would have guessed that would happen. They were inseparable and so good together for almost a year. "Manda, I'm so sorry. What happened?"
She started to cry. "Nothing happened, Em. We just changed, that's all. It wasn't like it used to be. We're both really busy and don't have that much time to spend together," she explained.
I wrapped my arms around her, cradling her. "I'm so so sorry. It's going to be ok, though. Things will work out. Maybe you two just need a break," I assured her.
"No, Emma. It's over."
How could two people just change so quickly? They were madly in love. Spent every hour of every day together.
They were just like Robert and I. Or we were just like them. And now they were done. No more.
* * *
While Amanda took a nap, I made a trip to the grocery store. Stocked up on ice cream and popcorn, Amanda's two favorite foods. And when I arrived back home I baked a batch of funfetti cupcakes.
"It smells amazing in here!" Amanda said as she came out from our bedroom. "What are you baking?"
" I made some cupcakes. Here, have one!" I set a plate of cupcakes and a bowl of popcorn out on the coffee table. Amanda sat on the couch while I put in The Notebook to the DVD player.
I curled up next to Amanda on the couch, grabbing a handful of popcorn.
By the end of the movie, we were both in tears. Actually, it was more than that. We were hysterical.
"Why do we do this to ourselves?" Amanda asked me, wiping the tears that were falling down her cheeks.
I was laughing and crying at the same time. "This is what we do when we're depressed. We make ourselves more miserable."
"What kind of logic is that?" she laughed.
I shrugged my shoulders. "I love you Manda. Everything is going to be all right."
"I love you too, Em."
Once I regained my composure, I went outside to call Rob. I sat against the wall by our front door, my knees propped up ahead of me.
"You're safe. Good," he answered.
I laughed, some tears still trailing down my cheeks. "Yes, I'm safely back home. What are you doing?"
"Just doing some reading. How is it to be home again?"
"Well," I started. "Amanda and Ethan broke up so we have been eating comfort food and watching sappy love movies since I got back."
"Dam.n. I'm missing out. Sounds like tons of fun," he chuckled sarcastically.
"It's not funny, Robert," I said defensively. "They were in love and now it's all over."
He accommodated to my seriousness. "That's not going to happen to us, love."
"But what if it does? What if next time you have to leave for six months, eight, a year even. Then what?"
"Can we just take things as they come, Em. As of right now, I am finishing up this movie and then coming home to you. When and if something else comes up, we'll discuss it then," he proposed rationally.
"I guess you're right. I'm overreacted again. I'm sorry. It just scared me seeing how sad she was. I don't want to end up like that."
"As long as I have any say in it, you will [i]never[/i] have to worry about that. I love you Emma Westman."
"I love you too."
"Get some rest. I'll call you tomorrow."
