Was it bereavement, Emma thought? No, it wasn't, she decided.
Another wave in her heart had hit the shore, and was now ebbying away. 'Vincent!' other people said in surprise, 'seriously?!' Emma knew better, though. Not always did people fall for looks. She hadn't. The fact that he had been so free in his talks, the fact that she couldn't just stop wishing to talk even more, was what mattered. Though, as Emma silently agreed, his was one hell of a radiant smile! Even she smiled as she recalled it, that photo of his that she had been (she laughed) circulating around.
Leah had been very positive on this. She was the one who suggested Emma do a bit of digging on Vincent, when she told her about it. Emma had been intrigued by the statuses he used to display. Almost all of them, without fail, had something to do with his love life. Did he have a crush on someone? Emma couldn't help hoping it was herself...
It was the day Leah had told Emma about Neil. Something caught on her spirits. It felt as though even she had got what she wished. It was involuntary, but she let it all out to Vincent that evening. It was time to put Leah's plan into action, to find out whom he was talking about.
'Go and tell her, if you feel it that bad!' Emma told him.
'Whom are you talking about?' he asked.
Emma shook her head disbelievingly. He could be so naive at times...
'That girl in your status!' she told him.
'Oh! Her! She already knows...'
A little jerk, some unknown feeling. And as Emma told Beth, at whose place she had been then, she collapsed into a fit of laughter. She made no delay in telling Arthur, Leah, Donna, Jordan and Arabella about it. Arthur did not hesitate, and told Emma off for rushing so much. 'This is not the time,' he said, 'you've got lots of time for that. Stop worrying about it now...' And it seemed to go on and on...! Arabella (or Bella, as she was known) was a bit sympathising on the chat. Then it was time, and Emma headed home.
On the way, her limbs tingled in an odd way. Something felt empty. Emma didn't know what.
When she got home, Leah's message popped up. She was laughing ceaselessly. Emma even sent her screenshots of the conversations. And she continued to laugh. Even Emma smiled a little. Jordan was a totally different case, he himself was in a different mood and carried Emma off in deep talks...
But then she went for a bath. And she didn't know what happened, or what hit her, but the next moment she was crying. Hard. She didn't know the reason. But she recalled every bad decision and event in her life. Ten whole minutes her tears poured silently down her cheeks while her insides screamed in agony. Someone else had got there before. Someone else had achieved the fate she had wanted. She didn't have her wish yet again.
Bella, the next day, agreed to Arthur's reaction, and said Emma should actually have waited more. She should have known Vincent better. She couldn't like him so much all of a sudden! Emma agreed. She'd been stupid.
But the very next day, Vincent's contact displayed a different photo. 'That's my girlfriend,' he said, when Emma asked him. 'You look cute together,' Emma told him. He smiled. And thanked her. They talked normally.
But before closing the chat, Emma took a screenshot of his contact photo. And she stared at it. There she was, the lucky one, who had the destiny Emma wished for. Emma smiled to herself. It wasn't her, Verity's, fault that Emma didn't get her wish. It was Verity's, and also Vincent's, fortune that they'd found each other and were happy. Was it bereavement, Emma thought, that she felt when she saw the picture? No, she answered herself. She did not, could not, and would not feel it. Vincent was a friend, and she couldn't ruin his life by thinking only about herself...
Another wave in her heart had hit the shore, and was now ebbying away. 'Vincent!' other people said in surprise, 'seriously?!' Emma knew better, though. Not always did people fall for looks. She hadn't. The fact that he had been so free in his talks, the fact that she couldn't just stop wishing to talk even more, was what mattered. Though, as Emma silently agreed, his was one hell of a radiant smile! Even she smiled as she recalled it, that photo of his that she had been (she laughed) circulating around.
Leah had been very positive on this. She was the one who suggested Emma do a bit of digging on Vincent, when she told her about it. Emma had been intrigued by the statuses he used to display. Almost all of them, without fail, had something to do with his love life. Did he have a crush on someone? Emma couldn't help hoping it was herself...
It was the day Leah had told Emma about Neil. Something caught on her spirits. It felt as though even she had got what she wished. It was involuntary, but she let it all out to Vincent that evening. It was time to put Leah's plan into action, to find out whom he was talking about.
'Go and tell her, if you feel it that bad!' Emma told him.
'Whom are you talking about?' he asked.
Emma shook her head disbelievingly. He could be so naive at times...
'That girl in your status!' she told him.
'Oh! Her! She already knows...'
A little jerk, some unknown feeling. And as Emma told Beth, at whose place she had been then, she collapsed into a fit of laughter. She made no delay in telling Arthur, Leah, Donna, Jordan and Arabella about it. Arthur did not hesitate, and told Emma off for rushing so much. 'This is not the time,' he said, 'you've got lots of time for that. Stop worrying about it now...' And it seemed to go on and on...! Arabella (or Bella, as she was known) was a bit sympathising on the chat. Then it was time, and Emma headed home.
On the way, her limbs tingled in an odd way. Something felt empty. Emma didn't know what.
When she got home, Leah's message popped up. She was laughing ceaselessly. Emma even sent her screenshots of the conversations. And she continued to laugh. Even Emma smiled a little. Jordan was a totally different case, he himself was in a different mood and carried Emma off in deep talks...
But then she went for a bath. And she didn't know what happened, or what hit her, but the next moment she was crying. Hard. She didn't know the reason. But she recalled every bad decision and event in her life. Ten whole minutes her tears poured silently down her cheeks while her insides screamed in agony. Someone else had got there before. Someone else had achieved the fate she had wanted. She didn't have her wish yet again.
Bella, the next day, agreed to Arthur's reaction, and said Emma should actually have waited more. She should have known Vincent better. She couldn't like him so much all of a sudden! Emma agreed. She'd been stupid.
But the very next day, Vincent's contact displayed a different photo. 'That's my girlfriend,' he said, when Emma asked him. 'You look cute together,' Emma told him. He smiled. And thanked her. They talked normally.
But before closing the chat, Emma took a screenshot of his contact photo. And she stared at it. There she was, the lucky one, who had the destiny Emma wished for. Emma smiled to herself. It wasn't her, Verity's, fault that Emma didn't get her wish. It was Verity's, and also Vincent's, fortune that they'd found each other and were happy. Was it bereavement, Emma thought, that she felt when she saw the picture? No, she answered herself. She did not, could not, and would not feel it. Vincent was a friend, and she couldn't ruin his life by thinking only about herself...
