I Amsterdam (Completed)

Chapter 10.4 - Brandon

She lied to me.

And it's not that she hid from me, but she lied to me as well.

Her parents are not with her in Amsterdam.

She hasn't moved to Amsterdam for good.

She's just a girl who ran away from a torn family.

And all this time I thought we had similar backgrounds, similar families, and that our struggles connected us. But everything she said was a lie. Who knows what else she lied to me about?

My parents still weren't up when I returned home, but I wasn't gone for very long anyway. Either way, I wouldn't have to face the consequences of going to see Emma right after they told me not to, and as it turns out, it seems Emma isn't worth that anymore.

Is she worth it? I remembered Hailey had asked.

I guess not.

"Back so soon?" Hailey asked as I passed by. I ignored her, but that didn't stop her from following me to my room. "What's wrong?"

I exaggerated a sigh, and jumped onto my bed. Everything seemed like such a jumble of a mess within my brain I could barely think straight. "You were right, Hailey," I admitted. "Our parents were right. She lied to me."

"Emma?" Hailey clarified, perplexed.

"Yeah."

"What do you mean?"

"She lied to me about everything," I said angrily. "She said she moved in with her parents next door, but in reality, she has no parents. Her mother's dead, and her father's in a USA facility getting treated for his grief. She's basically a runaway orphan."

There was silence.

"Does her father know where she is?" Hailey asked.

"I don't even know."

"Maybe you should ask her. Go talk to her."

I shook my head. "I don't think I should. She's not worth it. Like you said."

"I didn't mean it that far, though. You can still talk to her. But don't let her influence you that much that you break our rules. You can still have both us and her, but you can't tip the balance of the two."

I forced a sarcastic chuckle. "After yesterday, I think my parents will never let me see her again. I have to choose, but fortunately, I realized my decision is easy just in time." I groaned. "Argh! Why didn't I listen? I know nothing about her, and I sacrificed everything for her!"

"I still think you should go talk to her," Hailey advised. "You never know what she has to say. And soon enough, our parents will forgive you. Like they always do."

I scoffed. "Why the change of heart all of a sudden? I thought you wanted Emma out of my life."

"I never wanted that, only your happiness. And you love Emma." She stated it like a fact, like it was impossible to not be true. "Just like we love you."

I looked up to my sky window. For the first time, I noticed all the stains that blocked my clear view of the clouds and the sun.

I sighed. "Either way, I should probably tell Mother and Father first," I said. "Rule Four."