Semua Bab My Enemy Is My Lover : Bab 61 - Bab 70

James's POVAmanda reminded me of an inauspicious past — a past I buried under three decades of achievement and hard work. Actually, seeing her was like being dragged back to a hurricane I escaped.The kind of book wrote about, was our college romance. Amanda drew you in as well; a magnetic personality that was hard not to notice and even harder to forget. She possessed this way of gaining attention very effortlessly, her intelligence Which she never flaunts, but still towers over everyone. Everyone gravitated towards her, including me.So, it seemed like fate when we crossed paths. Amanda had believed in me like no one else ever did. I was nothing more than a typical college kid with unrealistic aspirations, but Amanda made me feel as if those aspirations were not just possible they were a guarantee. We were best friends - going together like peaches and cream - pulling all-nighters, taking road trips on a whim.You can picture a future with her. We discussed it so frequently — what

Rosa's POVThere were things about Amanda and her sudden re-appearance in my life that made me uncomfortable, but I couldn't really identify why. Not boisterous, aggressive; shouting or forceful. No her heft came by just walking in the door with all grey eyes on you, an atmospheric cloud sure to linger heavily above us all of our days in Topeka. The distant rumble of James's past that I never quite heard became vibrant and clear in mind. Her words echoed in my brain, an endless loop—Jamesi will always be mine—but that was not all it was. The way she looked at him, as if she still owned a little piece of him, that her heart was still somehow tied to his by an invisible thread that the constant turning of the world could not break.Perhaps it was the imagination of a sick mind, but the apartment seemed colder than usual. I could sit at the edge of that couch with my hands integrated into each other, knuckles bleached from exertion. James wandered around the room, leafing through papers

James povOne could never shake that feeling of unease. It was like a second skin, always just this much away from me, a palpable reminder of Amanda’s relentless penetration into our lives. But the truth, I learned quickly, is that part of her — let alone all of her — can never be locked inside a dark corner of your mind. Having her in my life was like a storm—wild, crazy and terrible, turning both my life —and Rosa's upside down.The time was late at night, in the dim light of the living room, shadow filled on walls. Rosa sat opposite me, with her own arms wrapped around her torso as if to keep warm, but I had always found place in Rosa's bosom. It killed me to see her like this, Amanda had stripped the confidence right out of her.I took a deep breath and ran a hand through my hair. I finally spoke after a long silence, “Amanda is toxic. The words were heavy and felt like an admission of defeat. "She won't stop until we are all dead.Rosa gazed up at me then, blue eyes fiercely dete

Rosa’s povI paused for a second to inhale and I chose the example of forgiving James. His history was far from simple, with a flawed past littered with missteps and deep regrets that had shaped the man he was today. Nobody was perfect — least of all me — and I could no longer harness the burden of past lineages to stall my travel. We had held each other mustered some wounds but then again imparting even poison is sought to die first on the side of the one who administers it.I forgave you, James. I repeated the words smoothly but with a heart slightly lighter. "But understand, my business is where I am so focused right now. My focus on it is something I have come too far for to allow anything to distract me from it.His expression softened, the tension in his body visibly released. The tightness in his body released, and for the first time in forever I saw the man whose heart I'd once held—defenseless, but hopeful.Because of that moment, he could barely choke out the words,Thank you

James’s povAn epiphany hit as I watched Rosa in action one evening at her boutique with one of her clients. And then her eyes, bright and tekcing at the sound of me saying I loved what I'd seen , were full of life again as she explained some of her designs, her hands moving as if they knew how to spell out in motion the colors behind which small stories had happened. I was in awe of her.Every dream she held had come to life, and every ounce of her being had gone into this boutique that was paying off. Still, as successful and incredible as she was, I could see the weight of it all—long hours, sleepless nights and sacrifices for keeping everything afloat. I wanted her to know that she was not alone, and that her strength encouraged me every single day; and I was right here to enjoy it with her, rather than endure.That night, at home with Rosa, I said, “Rosa, let me do something special for us tomorrow.She glanced up from her teacup, curiosity dancing across her features. “Special?