CHAPTER 9:AMELIA PULLS AWAY
628 Words
CHAPTER 9:AMELIA PULLS AWAY
After that day, Amelia stopped trying.
Not loudly. Not dramatically. Not in a way that would draw attention.
She simply… stepped back.
At first, Williams didn’t notice it clearly. Campus life was still moving fast, lectures were still happening, people were still talking.
But Amelia was no longer where she used to be.
She no longer waited around after class.
No longer lingered in familiar spots.
No longer looked for him the way she used to.
And most importantly…
She stopped reacting to him.
Williams noticed it properly on a Tuesday morning.
He saw her across the walkway near the faculty entrance. She was standing with a few classmates, laughing lightly at something someone said.
He took a step forward instinctively.
“Amelia,” he called.
She heard him.
He could tell she did.
But she didn’t turn immediately.
Not right away like before.
When she finally did, her expression was calm. Neutral. Controlled.
Like nothing had happened between them at all.
“Hey,” she said politely.
Just that.
No warmth. No hesitation. No lingering emotion.
Williams felt it instantly.
The distance wasn’t physical anymore.
It was intentional.
“I’ve been trying to reach you,” he said.
Amelia adjusted her bag slightly. “I’ve been busy.”
Simple words.
But they didn’t feel simple.
They felt final.
He frowned slightly. “Busy or avoiding me?”
That made her pause.
Not because she was shocked…
But because she had expected the question eventually.
Amelia looked at him properly now.
“Does it matter?” she asked softly.
That question hit harder than any argument.
Because it removed emotion from the conversation entirely.
It made everything sound… irrelevant.
Williams stepped closer.
“I didn’t mean for things to become like this,” he said.
Amelia nodded slightly. “I know.”
Too calm.
Too controlled.
That was what scared him.
Because anger would have been easier.
Sadness would have been easier.
But this quiet distance?
This was choice.
“I just need time,” Williams said again, almost helplessly.
Amelia gave a faint, almost tired smile.
“You already had time,” she replied.
Silence followed.
People walked past them, unaware that something between two people was quietly breaking without sound.
Williams lowered his voice.
“So that’s it?” he asked. “You’re just… done talking to me?”
Amelia looked away for a moment, then back at him.
“I didn’t say that,” she said.
A pause.
Then she added:
“I just stopped waiting for you to decide what I am in your life.”
That line landed deeply.
Williams didn’t respond immediately.
Because she was right again.
And this time, he couldn’t deny it.
Amelia stepped back slightly, preparing to leave.
“I’m not angry at you,” she said quietly. “I’m just tired.”
That was worse than anger.
Because anger still meant she cared enough to feel something strongly.
Tired meant she was letting go of the effort entirely.
Williams watched her carefully.
“Amelia…” he called softly.
She stopped—but didn’t turn fully.
Not like before.
Not waiting like before.
Just paused.
“I’m not someone you can keep coming back to when it suits you,” she said gently, without bitterness. “I need consistency… not confusion.”
That was the closest thing to a boundary she had ever drawn.
And she meant it.
Then she walked away.
No hesitation.
No second glance.
No emotional c***k in her expression.
Just distance.
Deliberate. Controlled. Real.
Williams stood there alone, watching her leave again.
But this time, something felt different.
Because for the first time…
he didn’t feel like she was waiting somewhere ahead.
He felt like she had already started moving on.
- Writer
