Chapter 9 Amelia's pov

I pulled away from Liam, feeling a mix of emotions. Seeing him with Cassie earlier had left me wondering if there was something between them. I didn't want to admit it, but it stung.

"I need some space," I said, trying to sound casual.

Liam's eyes narrowed. "What's wrong?"

I shrugged. "I just need to visit my friend. That's all."

Liam nodded, but his expression turned stern. "You'll take a bodyguard."

I rolled my eyes. "No, I don't need one."

Liam's face didn't budge. "Amelia, it's not up for debate."

I huffed, frustrated, but eventually gave in.

As we walked back to the mansion, I noticed the bustling activity. Everyone seemed to be in a hurry.

"What's going on?" I asked Liam.

"The scouting party returned," he replied. "Everyone's busy catching up."

I nodded, still feeling a bit dazed.

When we reached my room, Liam turned to me, his eyes serious. "Amelia, nothing is going on between me and Cassandra."

I looked away, trying to appear nonchalant while closing the door "Yeah, I guess. Thanks for explaining."

Liam's eyes searched mine, but I just shook my head and locked my door.

For the rest of the day, I kept to myself, my mind whirling with thoughts and emotions. I needed space, and Liam seemed to sense it.

He even calls her Cassie, why Didn't I ask him about his flings or past, everything is going so fast.

But as night began to fall, I couldn't shake the feeling that Liam was watching me, waiting for me to come to him. But I needed to leave here for a while

I pulled out my phone and dialed Eva's number, needing a friendly ear to talk to

"Girl, what's up?!" Eva's loud voice boomed through the phone.

"I've been trying to reach you for days! What's going on?"

"I need to see you," I said, feeling a lump form in my throat.

"What's wrong? Spill the tea!" Eva's tone turned dramatic.

"I just need to get out of here for a bit," I replied, trying to keep my emotions in check.

"Oh, honey, you're running from something... or someone," Eva said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Tell me everything."

I hesitated, unsure how much to reveal. "I'll meet you at the coffee shop at 2 pm tomorrow."

"You better be there, honey," Eva said, her voice firm.

I glance down and see emails from Jeremy,

I had blocked all his numbers, but he must have created new accounts to reach me.

The emails were a mix of loving and threatening messages,

"Baby, I miss you so much. Please come back to me."

"I know you're with someone else now, but you'll never be happy without me."

"If you don't respond, I'll show up at your doorstep."

I shook my head, feeling a shiver run down my spine. How could someone be so bipolar? I blocked his emails for the hundredth time, hoping it would finally stick.

Just as I was about to take a shower, my phone rang. It was Arlo, an old friend I hadn't spoken to in a while. We chatted for a bit, and he asked to meet up tomorrow. I agreed, thinking it would be a good distraction from the drama with Liam and Jeremy.

The next morning, I met Eva at a diner. I brought the bodyguard Liam assigned to me, but I told him to wait in the car.

"I don't need you following me around," I said firmly.

"If you don't stay in the car, I'll scream."

The bodyguard looked uncertain but eventually nodded. I walked into the diner, spotting Eva already seated at a booth.

She was rambling on about her latest dating disaster, barely pausing for breath.

"...and then he had the nerve to tell me I was being too clingy! Can you believe it?" Eva exclaimed.

I smiled, feeling a sense of calm wash over me. "Eva, I'm glad you're doing okay. That's all I wanted to know."

Eva's expression turned concerned. "Oh, sweetie, I'm so sorry. I've been going on and on about myself. How are you doing?"

I waved my hand dismissively. "I'll figure it out eventually. Don't worry about me."

After finishing our coffee, I said goodbye to Eva. As I was about to call Arlo to ask for directions, my phone buzzed with a text from him.

"Hey, I'm already here. Meet me at the corner of 5th and Main."

I raised an eyebrow. What a coincidence. How did he know I was about to call him for directions?

I shook off the feeling and told the bodyguard to take me to the new location.

"Sorry, miss, but I was only given orders to escort you to one location," the bodyguard said hesitantly.

I gave him my best "don't mess with me" stare.

"Take me to the new location, or I will show you how crazy I can be, I don't care about the orders you were given "

The bodyguard looked taken aback but eventually nodded and changed course. I didn't even care to ask his name, well whatever.

As we arrived at the new location, I could see Arlo waiting for me on the corner. He smiled as I got out of the car, and I felt a sense of relief wash over me.

"Hey, thanks for meeting me," Arlo said, as we hugged briefly.

"No problem, I needed to get out of the house anyway," I replied, smiling.

We walked to a nearby cafe, chatting about our lives and catching up. Arlo was easy to talk to, and I found myself opening up to him in ways I hadn't expected.

As we sipped our coffee, Arlo asked me about my love life. I hesitated, unsure how much to reveal.

"It's complicated," I said finally.

Arlo raised an eyebrow. "Complicated? That's a good one. Tell me more."

I smiled, feeling a sense of trust with Arlo. "Let's just say I'm trying to figure some things out."

Arlo nodded, his expression understanding. "I get it. Sometimes you just need to take a step back and re-evaluate things."

I nodded, feeling a sense of gratitude towards Arlo. He was easy to talk to, and he seemed to understand me in ways that others didn't.

As we finished our coffee, Arlo walked me back to the car. "Thanks for meeting me, Amelia," he said, smiling. "I had a great time."

I smiled back, feeling a sense of connection and calmness with Arlo

"I had a great time too. Let's do it again soon."

Arlo nodded, and we hugged briefly before I got back into the car. As we drove away, I couldn't help but feel a sense of calmness of the night.