A/N: There's a timeline to this! I actually know where I'm going with this one 3 Believe in all things Amelia/Matt! And guys… they haven't even had sex yet. Are you excited? I am! Welcome to chapter one!

"He's nervous as fuck Rob says. He's already with him," Brittany states.

"Oh, I imagine so. He doesn't think he does well with crowds, but he does," I replied – silently chastising myself for analyzing him. What the fuck did I know? I hadn't seen him in months. "What did you say the theme of this thing was again?" I asked curiously.

"I didn't," she replied.

And something in her voice alarmed me. "No, he wouldn't…"

"Masquerade."

I slammed the brush I was currently using down on the dresser and landed on the bed – not caring as to the state of my makeup or hair anymore. He was trying to punish me. And I deserved it.

"You said he wasn't fucking mad anymore," I growled out to her.

She put her hands up defensively, "Don't kill the messenger. He's not… mad. He is, however, very frustrated. You left him Amelia. No rhyme or reason. He only held on because Rob and I convinced him that you were just being insufferable, but it went on and on. Nearly 5 months he endured that. I don't want you to think that you were in the wrong, but he does have the right to know. To understand…"

She was right and I knew it… I sighed – putting my head in my hands.

"I know… I know… I just…" This was all what I was afraid of. His terribly normal transient actor life and my… well fucked up family. I was always afraid of those entwining. And here we were.

Everything that we had done together seemed so far off. It seemed like some sort of distant memory I didn't deserve to have. And fuck it had been 6 months that we lived together, 3 of which he was filming for, and then I left for 4 months. Nearly year into our relationship and we had spent less than half of it together.

"Just… try to keep it together tonight. Fall apart when we come back here," Brittany replied to my stammering.

I took her outstretched arm and got my ass off the bed to finish up. I'd opted for something simple; something that would allow me to blend into the crowd. A simple black dress, golden heels, and all that was left would be the mask. Those of which were lying on the bed.

"Come on. Grab your mask. We've got to go if we're to make it in time," Brittany said.

I grabbed each of the boxes strewn on the bed with our masks, applied a light sprinkle of perfume and grabbed my purse. This Gala couldn't be that bad… It was only because Matthew was attending that I was so terrified. How he didn't hate me was beyond me. I knew I wasn't ready to face what I had done to him, but if he asked I'd try.

"Hello, this is Brittany. I'm not available to speak at the moment, but leave a message and I will return your call ASAP."

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

I tried her cell again, praying that she'd answer since I was literally fucking stranded. I'd managed to take the flight back, but I had no idea what the fuck to do after that. I couldn't go home yet, not to them.

"Lo'?" A male voice answered groggily

"Oh, thank god – Rob?"

"Hey 'Melia. Everything alright?" He asked sounding a bit more awake.

"No, no. Is B awake?" I asked – feeling the tears start to fall. I sank down onto the floor of the airport. I wanted to crawl inside of my own skin and never come out.

"What happened?" Brittany immediately asked.

"She… she went in and I'm in America. I left…" I managed to sob out.

There was rustling on the phone and I tried to keep my shit together. She would be here. She would come and get me.

"Okay, I'm on my way. St. Pete/Clearwater or Tampa?"

"St. Pete."

"Do you want to call Rob so he can keep you calm while I drive. I need my GPS."

"No, no I'll be okay… I'm sorry B."

"Don't you dare apologize to me. I will be there before you know it."

We hung up and I looked at the screen of my phone, where one message sat making my stomach crawl up into my throat. He hadn't even bothered to use capitals. I'd royally fucked up.

please let me in

-matt

I let the swimming feeling of panic and anxiety crash over me. I'd left my medicine with Matt anyway. Who cared? I'd end up just like her now.

A/N: Any confusion clarification - italicized bits are all flashbacks. We should completely catch up by chapter 3. Are you leaving this with more questions than answers? Don't worry. They'll soon be answered. Take note of Amelia's personality being a bit more… rash. Less innocent. Life changes people, wouldn't you agree?