Chapter One
Emilia’s POV
I wasn’t watching the movie; I was simply staring at the television against the wall in my living room. It wasn’t about the movie.
In fact, The Notebook was one of my all-time favs.
I was tired.
Not tired of anything in particular, it was just…everything. It was a Wednesday, and that meant no class, no group study, no afternoon Frappuccino.
I had already tackled the laundry earlier in the day, hours before making the elaborate breakfast I’d only finished an hour ago. Looking over at the doorless kitchen, which was just a few feet away from the sitting room, I made a mental note to get eggs on my way back tomorrow.
As much as I liked holing up in my apartment for as long as I could, I wasn’t fond of movie binges, especially in the afternoons. It made me feel idle.
I would have gone home -well, to my parents’ actual house where I grew up - but my dad hadn’t been there for over a week. He was out and about with his meetings and campaign strategy meetups, typical for the ever-ambitious Senator Romano. Since I couldn’t exactly spend the whole day by Mom’s tombstone, I’d opted to remain at my cozy Upper West Side apartment.
Swift knocking on my door made my eyes shift from the television to the ceiling as I tried to think of who it could be. There was no point in going with the ‘who am I expecting?’ question… I wasn’t expecting anyone.
I rose to my feet, adjusting the neckline of my black sweater as I crossed the short hallway.
The knocking came again just before I turned the lock and opened the door.
It was Trey, my neighbor.
The bright sunlight that poured in from the half-open door was nothing compared to the brightness of his smile. As always.
“Hey, there,” he greeted with a playful jerk of his head.
Managing a smile, I looked up as I said, “Hi, Trey.”
“I was going out to get a drink… wanted to see if you’d like to come along.”
“Oh, um, I would have loved to, but…” I started to explain, looking up to meet his blue eyes before he cut in.
“Come on, we could get frappuccinos from The Shakers,” he pressed, winking at me. “You’re not late for a class.”
“No, the thing is, “I started, “I’m doing some tedious cleaning.” I wiped imaginary sweat off my forehead with the back of my palm, “I can’t leave it halfway, you know, it becomes even harder.”
I inwardly cheered at my performance.
“Aw,” he commented, his face visibly falling for a second before he lit up again, “Or, I could wait, then when you’re done…”
“I’d want nothing more than to collapse on the couch by then, I assure you,” I interrupted, sighing dramatically. “Maybe next time.”
He nodded, his smile still evident.
“Okay, Emilia.”
“Yeah,” I muttered.
“See you around.”
He turned around, and I shut the door, pursing my lips as I returned to my former position.
Trey was one of those persistent, nice guys who make you feel bad for turning them down. For both our sakes, I wishedhe would just take a clue. A relationship was the last thing I wanted; the last one stung badly enough. I wasn’t in the never-love-again category; I just wasn’t wired with such an ability. But love was something I preferred reading and watching until later, when I’d be ready and fully equipped to wade through those murky waters.
I pulled my knees closer to my chest and tried to focus on Ryan Gosling’s face on the screen, shutting out thoughts of love and nice guys.
