Open mind for a different View

Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Amelia wanted to turn back around and ignore Eric but instead she stood there watching as he came closer. She didn’t want to hate him. She wanted to know why he had resorted to hurting her rather than coming to her to talk this out. As mad as she was there was still apart of her that wanted to be Eric’s friend and help him.

“Can we talk?” he asked softly from the bottom of the porch steps.

“About what?” she walked down the porch to join him and so no one inside would eavesdrop.

“I’m sorry for everything I said. I didn’t mean it.”

“It sounded like you did, you were pretty careful with which words to use to hurt me.” she couldn’t cower back and let what he said pass, she needed to know how much he had hurt her and how betrayed she had felt.

His head hung low. “For me to try and in explain this and for you to forgive me I’ll have to be honest about everything.” He looked up and revealed the struggle he was having with all of this. “I know you care a lot for my brother and he cares for you. I reacted badly when I realized how much.”

Some of the anger started to slip from her shoulders only to be replaced with confusion and sadness. She regretted what happened between them and wished to go back to those days in his living room playing wii. “Why? Give me one good reason why I should forgive you for embarrassing me in front of the whole school and making me feel like the world’s biggest fool?”

“Because I’m an idiot who didn’t know how to handle the sudden way I started liking you when the whole time you were falling for my brother. I made a big mistake and I’m here begging you to forgive me.”

Mel thought back to everything Lena had told her that morning. She never thought to believe Eric could actually like her but here he was admitting it. “It’s ok.” She whispered as her mind raced to process everything that happened. In the long run it’d be pointless to hold a grudge. “I don’t want you to think I let you off the hook easily because I’m still mad but I understand.”

“Does that mean you forgive me?”

“It means I don’t hate you and I’ll stop planning your demise.”

Eric chuckled and let himself relax. “Thanks. You were on your way out, do you need a ride or something to Tony’s?”

“How did you know that’s where I was going?” she didn’t want to be some love struck teenager running to the guy she was falling for every waking moment of the day.

“He has a fight tonight and you probably want to either grill him about it or wish him luck.”

“A little of both.” Mel confessed weakly, she didn’t like being transparent and it was written all over her face.

“Can I give you that ride or do you still hate me too much for us to go that far?”

“I don’t hate you, I hate what you did.” She sighed and uncrossed her arms. “I’ll take you up on that offer for a ride.”

Anthony was working on some punches with Ross when he heard his brother’s voice behind him. “Give me a second.” he said quickly with all his focus on Ross’ assault. Using a two punch combo he gained the upper hand on his trainer and gained a five minute break. He turned and found much to his surprise that Amelia was with Eric. “Did I miss something?” last he knew they were on the outs and Mel wasn’t ready to budge.

Eric answered. “I took your advice and begged for forgiveness.”

“We’re working on it.” Amelia added.

Anthony was glad to hear it, he didn’t want to be caught in the middle of their feud. He cared a lot for Amelia and Eric was his brother, if they hadn’t found a way to make up then he as going to have to plan something himself. Either way he was thrilled to see them talking again. 

Anthony was about to say something when he realized how she was looking at him. It wasn’t until then he realized he had his shirt off. He smiled like a fool to see the approval lacing her green eyes. Oddly enough he felt himself blushing.

“Hey bro, give us a second.” Anthony reached out and took Amelia’s hand, leading her away to the back where the bathrooms and lockers were. “I would’ve gotten decent if I had known you’d be here.”

“I don’t mind.” she wasn’t shy about her eyes dropping to his exposed chest.

He pulled her into an empty office where they could talk alone. “I’m glad you and Eric are talking again.”

She shrugged. “He’s too cute to stay mad at.”

Anthony grinned, he knew by now she liked to say such things to get under his skin. It didn’t work once he caught on. “He has been looking pretty cute lately.” It was hard to say that without laughing or cringing.

“So you’ll understand when I tell you this is goodbye and I’m running to Vegas to marry Eric?” she said it with such straight face, it would’ve been believable if he hadn’t already known her true feelings and the fact she kept staring at him with lust lining her eyes.

“I will but not before this.” he pulled her into his arms and kissed her.

She pulled back, bracing her hands on the tops of his arms. “Took you long enough.” She was quick to kiss him again after her teasing was over.

He was a hormonal young man, it didn’t take long for all his common sense to slip away and get lost inside of Amelia. In seconds he had her pinned against the nearest wall and his hands under her shirt. Her breasts were warm and soft along the palms of his hands, he quickly forgot they were in a public place and wished for more.

He didn’t pull back because of the place they were in, he pulled back because of the promise they made to each other to wait. As much as he wanted to be near her he couldn’t forget those words.

She groaned as he took a step back.

Anthony smiled softly. “I’m sorry.”

“I get it.” her frustration was written all across her face.

He leaned in and planted a soft kiss on her mouth. “I shouldn’t get too excited before a fight. Afterward we can do whatever you want.”

Amelia ran her hand slowly up his arm, leaving goosebumps in its wake. “What I want it to see your tattoo.”

Anthony stared at her as his brain became mush, for such a simple and sometimes rough girl, she really knew how to get under his skin with just a touch. He had been with girls before but nothing like this. He wondered if this is what love felt like.

He honored her wish and turned around so she could finally see the ink along his back, chest, and right arm. He inhaled sharply as her warm fingers traced over the black swirls and intricate design.

“It’s a lot bigger than I thought.” Amelia said with amazement as her fingers trailed lower on his back. The tattoo stopped just at his tail bone. “When did you get it?”

“It was my eighteenth birthday. What better way to rebel against your strict mom? I had sketched it out myself for a project and realized it’d make the perfect tattoo. What do you think?” He turned around and took her hand in his before he did something stupid, like press her against the wall for another kiss that might go too far.

Her green eyes went a little wide as she look in the rest of the tattoo from the front. She had seen pieces of it on his arm already but not the ink across his right breast. “I like it.” she answered after another minute of observing. Her eyes snapped to his face and a small smile tugged at her lips. “Maybe one day I’ll show you mine.” She was getting a kick out of teasing him.

Amelia was walking away before his hormonal laced brain understood what she said. This girl was gonna be the death of him. He followed her out of the locker room and back to where Eric was waiting. As he walked through the hallway he questioned how the hell he was going to keep his hands to himself for the next six months until she was eighteen.