It Wasn't Meant To Be

Chapter 41

Author's Note:

Hello everyone, hope you all are doing well! So, I just wanted to post this short note in the beginning just to tell you guys that the pace of this book is about to get a tad bit fast, but I assure you that everything will be coherent and make sense just like the previous chapters but my main reason to say this is only because its Chapter 41 and I really need to bring in my A game for the future chapters.

Violet's POV

Why did Reed have to be this cold? Again, why did I always think that he would care, when I always knew that he was nothing more than a liability that was bestowed upon me, something that I never asked for. It was a silly thought, the one person who broke you the most, would suddenly start thinking about you. I was shaken back to reality with Sarah snapping her fingers in front of my face, "What's up with you Violet, you keep zoning out?" I chuckled, "Work's gotten a lot more stressful lately, I'll be better when I sleep." Sarah sighed, "You're always making excuses Violet." I looked up from my charts, "Did I tell you something about Astrid?" Sarah shrugged, "I don't remember you telling me anything about her, is everything okay with Dr. Astrid?" I took a deep breath, "Dr. Astrid and Reed dated, way back in college." Sarah's jaws dropped open, "You'll catch a fly Sarah."

"Is this small for you? Who hasn't Reed dated, he's onto breaking Hugh Heffner's record." I laughed, "Something of that sort but when he loves somebody, he's committed." Sarah nodded, "I heard he's been dating Melanie for six years, come on, just put a ring on it already." I rolled my eyes, "He already has Sarah." Sarah scratched the back of her neck, "Why do I always keep forgetting?" My eyes caught sight of Mom looking at me, "Is everything okay Mom?" She smiled, "Your Father's awake, he wants to talk to you." A wave of relief washed over me, "Thank God, I'll be there in a minute." I patted Sarah on the back, "You'll get it later Sarah." 

Father was looking through his phone when I walked in, "My girl, how are you doing?" I giggled, "I should be the one asking you this question, how are you Dad?" He smiled, "I'm perfectly fine, after seeing you, it just hurts a bit." I frowned, "Do you remember anything about what the shooters looked like?" Dad tapped his fingers on his chin, "Dear, they were wearing black suits which made it very difficult for me to recognize them, I'm so sorry I can't help you." My heart filled up with sympathy, the sheer trauma of being shot lead me to think that he must really be mentally exhausted and unwilling to talk about anything that happened a few hours ago. "It's okay Dad, I think you should rest right now, I'm sure our team will be able to find him." He smiled and heaved a sigh, "You're quite right, I am extremely tired and Matt will be able to track him or her down soon." With that, I hugged my parents and left for my supposed home. The night was slowly melting away as the stars clouded the black atmosphere, it was a romantic day. How odd, a person like me who had no experience in this apartment, knew what slow and romantic nights felt like, I was never a poet but being a musician taught me so much about emotions, how to be expressive but practicing these things was difficult, almost impossible. I remembered the last day of high school, when Sarah literally forced me to watch "The Notebook" even though I literally begged her to watch a documentary but that was the day I vowed, marriage and me were like fire and water. Now, in reality, my non-existent fairytale dreams were absolutely crushed, lovers don't exist, love- in general, is not there. It's always a compromise. Sometimes, when I see Melanie and Reed, I wonder if there is something between them, how can you be with someone for six years? 

When asked what a dream marriage for me would be- I always answered that we both would work and come home to share a cup of coffee, eat dinner, talk and sleep. Simple but even those minutes of togetherness would be pure and not have any expectations. We would never force each other into anything, give space and time to each other, be understanding and live like there was no tomorrow. This year, well was the complete opposite of what I had in mind- my parents practically bartered me off when I could have easily survived alone but there's always this sense of gratitude inside of me. I parked my car in front of the complex and noticed Reed's car was a lane or two away from me, which meant that he was home. I staggered inside the complex and pressed the elevator button, but then I noticed an elderly woman smiling at her husband, as they waited for the lift just like me. There was pure adoration in their eyes- like they knew each other since a lifetime- almost like eternity. I was brought back to reality with the elevator door opening, I laid my head against the wall and stared at the ceiling. "Tough day?" the woman asked, a sweet smile on her face. I sheepishly grinned, "Tough is an understatement, being a doctor is hard work." The man laughed, "I know how it feels, I was an army doctor myself before I started my own business, which grew up to an empire." 

"My parents too own Carlot Industries and trust me, it's no easy feat." I was welcomed with my floor and bid them farewell, I fumbled with the keys as a wave of exhaustion hit me. The lounge was dimly lit and there was complete silence everywhere. I went to my room and quickly changed into a black loose shirt, long grey  cardigan and sweatpants, which was the coziest outfit I owned. I made myself a cup of black coffee and had an apple along with it for dinner, after which I decided to play the guitar. "Looks like nobody has touched you for the longest." I crossed my legs and sat up on the couch, the one song that came to my mind at that time was "my future" by Billie Eillish, maybe it was perfect for the occasion. As soon as I strummed the first chord, it felt like all my worries had disappeared and perhaps were never even there in the first place. "Cause I-I, I'm in love...Just wanna get to know myself." 

"But with nobody here, I'll see you in a couple years."  With that, I strummed the last chord of the song, a sudden wave of happiness washed over me. "If you were a guy, I'd definitely date you," I spoke to my guitar before getting up. "Sadly, he's not real." Holy shit, who was that? Don't look Violet, it could be a burglar. "Yeah that's why I said that." The person chuckled, "Sorry to say Violet, but you don't have exquisite taste in men." Of course, it was Reed. "You're probably right, but why is it that you're always standing behind me when I'm singing." Reed shrugged, "I don't know, probably its fate." Fate, one of the thing that was against me. "Not to lie but you sing pretty well." I shook my head, "I'm not the only person who knows how to play it." Reed came closer and spoke in my ear, "I thought you'd teach me a thing or two." My heartbeat accelerated, what the hell does he want now, "You can't learn the guitar in one go." I felt Reed smile, "But we can start somewhere, right?"