Chapter 25

“He what?!” Brianna exclaimed when I told her about Corey and the engagement ring.

“Yeah, he was going to propose,” I told her again.

“I can’t believe that. You’re a real dumbass.”

“Hey!” I yelled in protest.

“Well, come on, Amelia. How could you have no idea that was coming?” she asked. I thought about it for a minute. After going through it all in my head I still couldn’t think of anything that would imply that Corey was ready to propose.

“I didn’t think we were at that point. I was only 21!” I exclaimed.

“Would you have turned him down?”

“Of course not. I loved him.”

“Well, I’m glad that things seem to be working out. He’s ending things with Ileana?” she asked.

“That’s what he said. Somehow I don’t think he’d show me the ring and tell me all that if he wasn’t going to go through with it this time.”

Brianna agreed and we went over everything one more time. By the end of the conversation I was grinning and Brianna was excited at the prospect of all the double dates and hanging out we could do. We hung up a while later and I debated calling my sister to tell her. In the end I decided to wait until things were definite and under control in case of anything else going wrong.

I had a lot of pent up energy with nothing to do, so I decided to go for a run. As I ran I went over everything from the start. My life had been complicated from the minute Corey walked into grade 11 history class. I hadn’t been able to take my eyes off of the new kid. I wondered what had brought him to my school, but knew the answer as I watched him walk down the hall after class. He played hockey.

It was obvious in the way he walked and carried himself. Also by the hockey butt that all hockey players are famous for. I wasn’t the most outgoing girl ever, and there were plenty of girls throwing themselves at the London Knights, so I kept my crush on Corey secret. That was until my friend Lindsey started dating one of the goalies on the team.

She brought me to one of their parties one night. I hadn’t wanted to go, and found myself sitting alone in the corner sipping on a soda instead of the beer everyone else seemed to be consuming. I watched as girls in slutty outfits monopolized the time of every guy on the team giggling at everything they said. Then I nearly jumped out of my own skin when someone tapped me on the shoulder.

“Hey, aren’t you in my history class?”

I turned and saw Corey standing there with a goofy grin on his face. I’d barely managed to choke out a response. Corey didn’t seem to mind, and sat down on the couch next to me. He started talking about our teacher and our upcoming project. Most of what he said hardly registered as I continually thought that this could not actually be happening. Hockey players in London didn’t hang out with the quiet theater geeks. At some point I managed to find my voice and participate in the conversation. We were inseparable from then on.

As I ran I smiled, thinking back on my last two years of high school. Corey had changed my life. Now after too long, we were finally going to be able to continue what we’d started that night. I finished up my run and took a shower. Feeling much more relaxed I sat down to watch a movie and have some dinner.










Corey drove back to his house to see if Ileana was still there. After a thorough inspection of his house he found that she was gone. She’d even cleaned up a little, although there was still stuff scattered all over his house. He got back into his car and headed over to her place. She opened the door just seconds after he knocked.

“Corey?” she asked surprised.

“We have to talk about today,” he told her. She nodded and let him walk past her into the apartment.

“I told you I was sorry about going through your stuff,” she started.

He put a hand up to signal that she should be quiet. He took the ring box out of his pocket so she could see it. Her eyes opened wide and a smile began to form. He felt bad that she obviously thought he was going to propose right now when he was doing the exact opposite.

“This ring was not bought for you.” Ileana’s expression drastically changed. She looked like she’d been shot. She shook her head and looked like she wanted to say something, but couldn’t find the words. “I bought this ring for Amelia years ago before we broke up.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Ileana whispered angrily.

“I’m sorry that you found it and thought it was for you, but it’s not.” He didn’t try to sugar coat it. That just wasn’t his style.

“Then why the hell do you still have it?” she spat at him.

“Because I never wanted to let go of Amelia.” Ileana sat down on the chair behind her.

“I’m going to be sick,” she stated. Corey decided to just come out with it and get it over with right now.

“I still love her, Ileana. I never stopped. I can’t string you along anymore. It’s Amelia I want to be with, not you.” It was harsh, but he figured it would make it easier for Ileana to get over him if he wasn’t nice about it.

“You’re an asshole,” she said. He put the ring back in his pocket and turned to walk out the door.

“I’m sorry if I’ve hurt you. It was never my intention,” he said over his shoulder.

“It doesn’t matter. You couldn’t have afforded me in the long run anyway,” she returned.

He felt the anger start to course through him. Apparently he'd overestimated Ileana's feelings about him. He wanted to turn around and respond to her, to tell her off, but he didn’t. Instead he walked out her front door. He sat in his car for a minute before starting it. He’d pack up anything of Ileana’s he found at his place and send it over to her so he wouldn’t have to see her again.

He drove back home and put the ring back in its place. Then he cleaned his house putting everything back, and shoving Ileana’s things into a box. When he was done he closed the box and drove to the post office where he shipped it off. He didn’t even enclose a note. It wasn’t necessary.

When he took care of all of that he drove over to Amelia’s. She answered the door in shorts and a t-shirt, with wet hair. The minute she saw him she smiled. This time he was able to smile back at her.

“It’s done,” he said.

He couldn’t say anything else. As soon as those two words were out she was in his arms, her mouth on his. He walked her backwards into her house, closing the door behind them. Then he carried her upstairs to her bedroom where he was able to make love to her without feeling guilty for the first time in a long time.