She Stole The Bride

31

Amelia's POV

Paranoia consumed me as I unnecessarily cleaned my apartment. I wanted everything to be perfect. Syd was coming over to have dinner and I felt embarrassed about how my apartment looked.

I wondered if I should clean my bedroom. It's not like she'd go in there. But what if she did?

I fluffed my pillows and tried not to worry too much. When I heard the doorbell, I felt overwhelmed.

I took a glance at myself in the mirror and took a deep breath. It'll be okay.

When I opened the door, Syd was standing there with a bottle of wine in her grasp. She said, "I honestly wanted to bring flowers, but this seemed more appropriate."

I smiled at her. "Your company is enough."

She seemed nervous, but I was nervous too. "Smells great. Do you need any help?" Syd walked in and towards the the kitchen.

"No, I'm all set."

"I like your place. It's nice."

"Thanks." I placed the bottle onto the kitchen counter and grabbed two wine glasses from the shelf. "How was your day?"

Syd said, "I had a few unexpected things come up, but it went well. What about you?"

"Just getting ready for you." I poured for us both and handed her one. "Are you hungry?"

"Yes, starving."

I led her to the table. "Are you sure I can't help in any way?" Syd asked.

"No, just sit, and enjoy my company."

She smiled. "Okay."

I set the table and sat across from her. Syd looked around, while I looked at her. When she caught my stare, I noticed a blush creep onto her cheeks. "You look nice. You always do," I told her.

"Thank you." Her blush intensified. "You, uh, look great too. I like that necklace."

I reached for it and smiled. Then I remembered who gave it to me and felt guilty. I hid my angst and took a sip from my glass.

"How's Miley holding up?" I asked. I regretted it as soon as the words left my lips. Was I trying to ruin our evening?

"She still won't talk to me. And I've stopped trying to reach out."

"I'm sorry, Syd."

"No, it's okay. Miley needs to be on her Dad's side right now. I've made my peace with it. Nothing I've ever done has made up for me leaving him, and nothing's going to change now that you left him too. I've accepted the blame." Syd shrugged her shoulders. "I can't change what's happened. I've tried my best to be a good parent to my daughter. And I've walked on eggshells around Daniel for over a decade. He's never going to forgive me for leaving him, and he's never going to forgive me for taking you away from him."

"But it's not your fault, Syd."

"Doesn't mean that they don't hate me. I just know that no matter what I do at this point, I can't make them happy."

"I'm sorry. I never wanted to bring more problems to your life."

Syd reached for my hand and squeezed. "My problems started way before you came into the picture. Don't worry so much, Amy."

"If we're fucked regardless of what we do, why not just—"

"Let's just enjoy our night, please?"

Rejection consumed me once again. I knew that she wanted me as much as I wanted her. She fought her feelings more than I did. It was hard for me to accept. But I did understand.