CHAPTER FOUR

Linda's POV

“Listen, Linda,” Laura said, squeezing my hand to bring me back to the present.

I looked up at her as she leaned back on her chair, studying me. “Look I know waking up next to some stranger you don't know is…..weird. But it happens. You don't have to stress yourself over it.”

I frowned, staring down at my coffee. “It doesn't just happen Laura, and it feels wrong.”

“But it's not wrong though, is it? Because you're single, that bastard Scott left you and you don't owe him any loyalty.” Laura said bluntly, frustration evident in her tone.

“For years, he controlled everything, your life, your choices, everything! Maybe this wasn't ideal, but for once just let go.”

“H..He wasn't controlling me,” I stuttered, startled by her outburst.

“Yes, yes he did,” Laura replied. “you got offered admission to MIT, your dream school, but you decided to go all the way to California because of that bastard.”

“But you were also going to California,”I answered.

“Was it because of me then?” She asked, staring into my eyes.

I looked down at my hands, Laura was right. I had made a lot of decisions in the past based on what Scott wanted. “Okay,” I said, “you're right, maybe I needed this.”

“Exactly!” Laura exclaimed happily, reaching across the table to grab my hand. “Now I'm not saying you should have more one night stands, the fact that I could get you out of the house was major progress, but maybe meeting other people is the way you'll forget about Scott.”

I nodded slowly, “maybe you're right.”

“Of course I'm right,” she retorted, slinging her bag over her shoulder. “Anyways, you need to go home, you look like a complete mess.”

“Gee thanks,” I replied with a sarcastic tone. “just what I needed to hear.”

She chuckled, her eyes shining with amusement. “You still look better than the creature I dragged out of your room last night.”

I buried my hands in my face as we burst into laughter. “God, you're the worst.”

“But you know I'm right,” she teased. “Go home Linda, take a long shower, drink a lot of water, sleep and dream about the hot stranger you slept with last night.”

I shook my head at her, “Just go Laura.”

She chuckled, “Just text me later, okay?”

“Yeah, I will.”

She smiled softly at me before heading out the door, leaving me in the cafe.

The house was quiet when I entered, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee drifting through the air.

I closed the door behind me and took off my shoes.

“Linda?” My mum's voice called from the kitchen.

I ran my hands through my hair and wiped at my face instinctively, trying to look presentable.

I had planned to sneak up to my room the moment I got home but that was clearly impossible.

“Yeah, it's me,” I said as I walked towards the kitchen.

She was at the counter, arranging slices of bread on a plate. She turned to me, looking me up and down with a worried expression, and then she smiled warmly.

“You're back. It seems like you guys had a lot of fun.”

“Yeah, Yeah we did,” I answered, sitting at the table.

She nodded, still smiling as she carried the plate to the table.

“You needed it, I'm happy you're out of your room again.”

“I'm happy too,” I replied, and I was actually happy, I had experienced some relief and I felt better than before.

“Well, you should go and clean up,” she said. “Then you can come down and have breakfast.”

I blinked at her, that was unlike my mother.

I knew she was worried but she didn't ask any probing questions after seeing me like that, no lectures, nothing.

She patted my shoulder gently before turning back to the counter.

“Okay mum,” I said, standing up and making my way upstairs.

I opened my room door and dropped my bag on the floor without a second thought.

I took off my clothes and flung them on the floor to the bedroom before moving to the bathroom.

I caught my reflection in the mirror, smudged mascara and tangled hair– I couldn't believe my mum saw me like this and didn't say anything.

I turned on the shower and stepped in, sighing when the hot water touched my skin.

As I closed my eyes, my mind dragged me back to snippets of the night before.

His fingers tracing down my spine, sending shivers through me. The brush of his lips against my collarbone.

The way his body pressed against mine, his deep voice whispering my name over and over.

The memories flickered in my head like a broken movie reel, so vivid but incomplete.

His face though, was a blur, like my mind was withholding it from me.

I let out a breath, pressing my forehead on the shower wall.

He knew who I was, he called my name multiple times, but I had no idea who he was.

I shook my head vigorously, I wasn't going to think about it anymore.

I rinsed off and turned off the shower, grabbing my towel and wrapping it around myself.

I stepped out of the shower, shivering as the cool air hit me.

I quickly dressed, putting on a comfortable T-shirt and sweatpants and combing my hair.

My stomach growled loudly, reminding of how hungry I was and rushed downstairs to the kitchen.

As I got downstairs, the sound of the doorbell rang through the room.

I looked to see a mailman walking away as my mum went out to get the mail.

She came back inside with some letters and handed one to me. “This one has your name on it, but there’s no sender details.”

I took the envelope from her, examining it.

It had my name written elegantly on it and I flipped it over, searching for any sign of who may have sent it but there was none.

A feeling of uneasiness came over me as I removed the seal and pulled out a card.

My breath hitched as I read what was written on it.

"You are cordially invited to the wedding of Scott Shepherd and Cynthia Ryle."

I froze, my vision blurring as I read it over and over again.

The envelope slipped from my fingers, landing silently on the floor.