Chapter 2 .

The man I thought I was gonna spend the rest of my life with, was vigorously kissing and touching another woman. As I saw him take his hand and slip it under her shirt, I felt myself breaking. I could physically feel my heart bursting into a million pieces only to be repeated. As if someone was yanking a hold of my heart and squeezing the life out of it.

I didn't know what to do, I froze, unable to move.

I forced my feet to lift off the ground and I started to run. I ran and ran, never stopping, not once.

I found myself running into the woods and I didn’t stop there. I ran until I could no longer feel my legs and then I fall to the ground. I leaned my back up against a tree and started crying, more than I ever had in my entire life and I couldn’t stop. I lay down on the ground and curled my legs up to my chest.

I felt the sun on my skin and my eyes were squinting as the beams were getting stronger.

”Mom, close the drapes!” I moaned as I turned to shield my face from the sun.

And then I feel it. The leaves under my hands, the sticks beside my head and I slamed my foot against the trunk of the tree I had leaned against last night. I jumped up in a panic as I realized I was still in the woods, I had fallen asleep here last night.

I hastily picked up my phone and saw that I had no missed calls or texts from my parents, how come? Did they not notice that I wasn't home all night? What was going on. Whenever my brother didn't call they would panic and freak out and he didn't even live at home. My brother had a job and a life of his own yet they would if they didn't hear from him at least once a week they would panic.

The lack of contact from my parents confused me, but they probably had a good reason.

As I scrolled down I saw I had texts and calls from Lydia, my best friend. I could understand why she would be worried as we talked every day, but yesterday I hadn't called her and she had been at work until late that night. As I scrolled even more I saw that I had missed texts and calls from Liam. And like a slap to the face, all the events of last night came running back to me. The touching and kissing, the other woman and the running.

I got up on my feet and saw what seemed like a bright light coming from my left, so I walked towards it and as it turned out it was the way back to the village. As I came out of the woods the light was gone. I looked around to see if it had been a reflection but there was nothing there and so I shrugged it off.

I walked slowly with my arms just hanging there by my sides. As I reached my house, I realized that my hair must’ve look like a bird's nest because that's what it felt like when I touched my head. I was just about to unlock the door when I realized it was already open. I stared at it for a while before I slid it open further with a feeling of distress rising rapidly.

But there they were, sitting by the kitchen table drinking coffee, with not a single care in the world. I walk in and they both turned to me with the most shocked expression I had ever seen on either of their faces. However, it didn’t seem as though the shock was from how I looked or the fact that I hadn't been home, but because of the fact that I was home.

”Avery? What are you doing here?” My mother asked me with a tremble in her voice.

”Seriously? I haven't been home all night and this is your reaction to seeing me?” I could feel my eyes tearing up but I forced myself to hold back the crying, my voice, however, had already given me away.

”I just thought—” My mother didn't finish the sentence as my father grabbed her arm in a warning.

They looked at each other and just as something had clicked, both their faces altered. As if putting up a facade or a mask of sorts, they quickly rose from their seats and came running to me.

”We are so happy to see you, darling.” My father said and they both hugged me.

I stood there in shock, knowing full well that there was something going on but without permission, my mouth took control

”Liam was with another woman.” I could feel my face not making a single movement, my eyes blank as if I were dead.

They pulled back and looked at each other again, then back at me with little to no emotion in their eyes whatsoever.

”Sweetheart, we are so sorry to hear that. Have you broken up with him?” My mother didn't look all too shocked but then again, perhaps she saw something I didn't because I loved him. Mother’s intuition and all that.

Without answering her question I turned around and started taking slow steps towards the staircase.

As I made my way up the staircase I could hear my mom calling out for me but just barely, I had closed out her voice and didn't stop walking. When I had made it up the stairs I turned left and walked down the small hallway, I walked past my sisters' room, my parents' room and the bathroom as I finally got to my room.

I opened the door and went straight to my bed, crawled under the cover and just laid there.

For three days I just laid there. I didn’t eat, I didn't talk and I didn't react to what anyone was doing or saying to me. I just laid there, under my blanket staring at the ceiling. I felt like everything was over, like my life was ruined.

Then I smelled how the scent of cologne filled my room, I knew that scent, I knew it because I was the one that had bought him the cologne.

He took a seat on my bed and reached for my hand. I automatically jerked my hand back to my chest as I sat up and looked at him

”Hey, babe, how-" I didn't let him finish, I cut him off because I didn't want any excuses and I would not pretend like I didn't see what I saw.

"Who is she, Liam?" I asked him with tears in my eyes. I hadn't cried since the day I saw them, and crying now, in front of him was the last thing I wanted, but apparently, I wasn't the one in charge.

"Who is who, babe?"

Babe? He had no right to call me that anymore.