What The Heart Remembers - The Heart #2 (Complete)

Chapter 18 - Part 2

Lacey

"Go away," I mumbled as I burrowed deeper into my pillow.

"Come on Lacey," my annoying brother said. "Let me in."

"No," I said, sitting up putting my arms around my knees as I brought them closer to my chest.

I didn't want to be around anyone. I was hurt and I didn't want an audience. My eyes were red and puffy from crying. My chest still hurt every time I thought about Adonis' betrayal.

The pain was overwhelming and I closed my eyes briefly trying to reign my emotions back in. I didn't want to feel the heartache but there was no shutting it out.

"He called," Alex told me through my closed bedroom door.

I had to swallow the emotion that clogged my throat. Every time I thought about the way he'd betrayed me it felt like a knife plunging into my heart.

I thought we were finally together and we had our future laid out before us. There was no tumor to take it away and no missing memories to make me second guess my future.

Then he'd gone and done this. He'd screwed it all up.

There was no point in trying to figure it out because it didn't matter what had led him to this, his actions were the only thing that counted. We were over and there was no going back.

I couldn't overlook infidelity. There were people who could but not me. Every time I looked at him I would remember her voice over the phone. I would obssess over it.

It was bad enough I didn't understand why Adonis loved me when he could have any girl he wanted. What made me so special? Apparently nothing.

I swallowed hard as I rested my chin on my knees.

"I don't care," I said, trying to keep my voice level and uncaring. Nothing he could say would fix this.

"Lacey."

"No, I don't care," I repeated shaking my head. It was a lie. I did care and that was why it hurt so much. Maybe if I said it enough times I could stop the pain.

"I know you are hurting," he began to say.

A couple of tears escaped down my face and I brushed them away fiercely.

"I need to be on my own," I told him.

"You want me to beat the shit out of him?" he asked.

It wouldn't solve anything. But it was the protective big brother coming out in Alex. He wanted to help but there was no way to fix it.

I never thought Adonis would be capable of this and if I hadn't heard the girl myself I would never have believed it. Everything that had happened last night had led to the phone call this morning. Instead of feeling reassured that he loved me I'd landed with the hard reality that despite his words, he didn't.

In my mind I tried to come up with a reason why he'd do that but I kept coming up empty. I knew Adonis well and his actions didn't fit in with the person I thought I knew. Had my illness and the worry over my lost memories push him into someone else's arms? I had put him through hell.

"Ugh," I said, feeling more frustrated.

I glanced to my door. At least it was silent on the other side. Alex had finally got my message that I wanted to be alone. I stood up, feeling like I needed a change of scenery.

My phone started to vibrate. I looked at it and saw the caller ID. It was Adonis. He'd called me twenty times already today and I hadn't answered one of his calls.

I opened my door leaving my phone behind. Sam stood on the one side and my brother stood on the other side of the door.

"I need to get out," I told my brother as I walked away the incessant ringing. I heard footsteps behind me and knew it was Sam.

"I can't let you go out alone," he said softly. He was still being paid to protect me.

"Then you'll have to come with me," I told him without missing a beat.

No one else tried to stop as I left the my house. Outside I waited as Sam opened the door to the rental car he was using and got in. He got into the driver's side before he turned to me.

"Where to?" he asked.

"There's a park down the road. I want to go there," I told him.

He drove me to the place quietly. I looked out into the park as he brought the car to a stop. I got out with a heavy heart. At the swings I stopped. Sitting down on the swing I moved myself back and forth with the steady push of my feet against the ground.

The thing about falling for someone you knew your whole life was the memories of them filled every aspect of your life. Every room in my house reminded me of him. Even sitting on the swing allowing my eyes to float over the view in front of me I couldn't stop myself from thinking of Adonis. Almost everything around me reminded me of him.

The only way to stop it would be to move to a new town. I laughed as I felt the sting of tears. The soft pressure of a hand on my shoulder reminded me I wasn't alone.

"Maybe you should give him a chance to explain," Sam said and I shook my head, pulling out of his grip.

"I don't want to talk to him," I said.

He didn't push it. Instead he sat down in the swing beside me.

"Have you spoken to him?" I asked. I stared in front of me, refusing to look to Sam.

I wasn't sure why I asked the question. It didn't matter what he said, there could be no explanation for what he'd done. Remembering the way he had dismissed me and the confession of love he'd made of stage sent another physical wave of pain through me.

I gritted my teeth and refused to give into the emotions. I refused to cry.

"Yes," he answered. I couldn't stop my eyes from darting to his.

"What did he say?"

It shouldn't matter but it did.

"He said it was a misunderstanding."

I was already shaking my head. How could it have been a misunderstanding?

"Why don't you hear him out and make a decision after that?" Sam suggested.

It was easier said then done. Just hearing his name mentioned cause me so much pain, I didn't want to have to face him.

"I can't." It hurt too much.

I let out a deep and emotional sigh before standing up. Sam stood up beside me.

"I want to go home," I told him and he dutifully drove me home.

At my front door I turned to face him.

"Thank you for everything you've done for me," I told him.

"I'm sorry this happened to you," he said. His eyes conveying his sympathy.

"I won't lie. It sucks but I can't change it." I shrugged dismissively. "I need to cut him out of my life. I need to build a life without him."

It sounded easy but I knew it was going to be hard.

Sam nodded.

"I don't need you either," I said before I realised how harsh it sounded. I put my hand out and touched his arm. "I didn't mean it like that. You've been great but I don't need you here to watch over me anymore. I don't need a bodyguard."

Sam pressed his lips together and frowned.

"He still wants me to keep you safe."

I had to stop myself from losing my temper but I managed to keep it in check.

"The thing is. What he wants doesn't matter anymore. Please don't make this hard for me Sam. I need you to leave."