The Fate Of Broken Hearts

Chapter 22

During the next couple of days, I had been checking up on Elijah to see how he was going. Though he hadn't said much about it over the phone, I knew there was more to what happened than he was brushing off. But I didn't say anything about it since I didn't want to bother him, so I carried on with my week like everything was fine.

It was a quiet afternoon today, not much had happened since my run-in with Gabriel and my father, which to my relief, had helped me focus on everything else other than my personal life for a while.

So, I lay between the covers and the mattress, curled into a ball and enjoying the first night of the weekend watching TED Talks, while I had just gotten off the phone with my mother. She had called to get her weekly report on how everything was coming along here, and we caught up on the important things, but I didn't mention my father just yet. I didn't want her thinking about anything other than her work and Mark, so I said nothing, deciding to tell her about it sometime later when she wouldn't worry so much.

When I put my phone down and pressed the play button on my current video, not long after, Myra had burst through my bedroom door in her party clothes and waving around what looked like a phone (I wasn't sure since she was wavering it around so much). Her hands shut my laptop lid at once and she dragged me out of bed quicker than I could even get one word in.

"Come on!" She pushed me through the bathroom door and shut it closed as soon as I got in.

"Myra-" My confusion rushed through the door. "What- why-?"

When the door opened again, I caught a glimpse of Myra before she shoved a pile of clothes – which coincidentally all looked good enough to go out in – and shut the door again.

"Get changed! We are going to a party and I will not take no for an answer!"

My giggles echoed off the bathroom walls at how ridiculous this was.

"I am not going to a party, Myra." I smile and pick up the pile of clothes so they wouldn't get dirty, shaking my head from side to side. "You know I don't like them."

I hear her groan from the other side, and then the door cracks open again, just enough for her face to peer through.

"Please, please, please go! I'm sick of going to these things alone." Before I could talk again, she was already talking again, more rushed and afraid of what I would say. "If you go tonight, I won't ever ask again! I swear!"

"Myra, you are being ridiculous." I chuckle and push through the door easily.

When I looked at her pleading eyes I almost felt bad for always saying no, but as I entered the kitchen for a glass of water, I found Lars sitting on the small couch watching TV, laughing mockingly.

"I told you she wouldn't go. Pay up." He held out an open hand, yet Myra refused him and forced me to turn to her.

"Why don't you ever go? Just this once! Please...!" She begged, trailing off. "Come on, Emma! You aren't a proper college student until you go to a party, and besides," She takes out the glass I was going to fill up with water and fills it herself, handing it to me without really realising it. "It could be fun!"

"She is right, you know." Lars turned his head from the TV he had his eyes glued to, and focused them on me. "You could have fun. There's a lot of people there and I bet you could meet someone new, I don't know, maybe make a new friend or something?"

"I don't really want to meet someone new... and anyway, I would feel uncomfortable not knowing anyone besides you two. Really, thank you for the offer... but I think I'll pass."

"You can't just stay in this apartment forever..." Myra explains. "You need to at least have one fun night where you aren't surrounded by books all the time!"

"I am not surrounded by books all the time..." I look at her only to see her looking back at me with crossed arms and a face that said all the opposite. "Okay, so, maybe I do. But there is nothing wrong with that."

I take a sip of my water and place the pile of clothes on the table.

"No, there isn't, but don't you want to go out...? Have one night where you aren't worried about anything? No stress, no personal life, no nothing. Just a good night out with friends."

Well, it didn't sound so bad when she put it like that...

"Okay... let's say I did go, what would I even do there?" Myra straightened immediately, filled with grins and optimism. "I don't want to ruin your night as a couple and me being there will only be a burden."

"What if you bring a friend?" She shot out.

"That would be a good idea." Lars said from behind her, still seated.

But the only friend I could think of was Will, and I didn't know if he would want to go to a party.

"I don't know..." I said, unsure.

Myra looked at me as if she had a sudden idea.

"How about you call them?"

I looked at her uncertain.

"If they say no, then I won't bring it up again and you can stay here with you laptop. But if they say yes, then we go all together. Does that sound fair?" She raised he brows.

I shook my head with a tearing smile. "Fine,"

I dialed Will's number and heard the phone ring for barely a moment before he picked up.

"Hey!"

"Hi, Will." I said more shyly than normal.

Lars and Myra were watching me in the background, Myra looking more nervous as she had one of her nails between her teeth.

"Are you okay?" Will asked me, clearly noticing my tone.

"Err," I clear my throat and glance at the two behind me, waiting. "Do you want to go to a party with me and my roommate? I know it's absurd and it's a bad idea and you probably won't want to go... but I wanted to call just in case." I spoke fast hoping that I wouldn't have to say it again.

I stood in the small kitchen nervously waiting for his answer.

"I would love to go to a party with you." He voice was lighter, the kind that surfaces when he's smiling from ear to ear. "You have been surrounded by books ever since I met you, one night of fun can't do you much harm... I think it's a great idea."

"Really?" My surprise caused my brows to dip. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure. I'll be there the entire time and if it ever gets boring like they usually tend to get, we can both leave for a late night coffee if you're up for it." He was definitely smiling by now.

With Will and everyone else in the room telling me it was a good idea, I began to measure my pros and cons of going to this party.

On the good side: I could have fun, I would have a distraction, and Will would be there. I trusted Will.

On the not-so-good side: There are a lot of drunk strangers I don't know, I wouldn't fit in with anyone else there, there would be loud music, I have studying to do... And Aiden would be there...

I weigh all of them on an imaginary scale but even though there were more reasons to stay home, some small part of me wanted to go... If Aiden was there maybe-

"Emma?" Will's voice calls out to me.

"Yes." I blurt it out, knowing that was a bad idea, yet I go with it. "I'll see you around..." I look at Myra, who then mouths, "...ten?"

"Ten it is." He chuckled a little before he said his goodbye and then, hung up.

"So...?" Myra stressed the single word with anticipation.

"I'm going..." I tried to hide my smile but it ripped open when I saw her doing some kind of victory dance, clapping her hands.

"This is going to be so fun!" She dragged me back into the bathroom by the arm, so excited that it almost scared me, while Lars continued to watch the TV ever so calmly.