Chapter 34 Part II Tasin-15

all wrong Suddenly, I didn't feel hungry at all.I don't want any fish cakes and arugula.I don't even want to be here anymore.My blissful ecstasy faded, and I just felt cold and terribly stupid inside.Luke Brandon already has a girlfriend.Of course he should have a girlfriend.A bright and beautiful girl named Sassie, with manicured nails and an expensive suitcase that travels everywhere.I'm a fool, aren't I? I should have known there was a girl named Sassie.I mean, it's obvious. Except...except that's not obvious.In fact, it's not obvious at all.Luke hadn't mentioned his girlfriend all morning.Why didn't he mention it? Why didn't he start by saying that the case was bought for her? Why did he ask me to sit with him on the floor of Harrods? And he was going to laugh when I lugged the case around to check the rollers How could I have acted like that if I knew we were buying cases for his girlfriend? He must already know this, he must!

A chill hit the whole body.All wrong! "Are you okay?" Luke turned to me and asked. "No," I heard myself say, "no, not at all. You didn't tell me that you bought the case for your girlfriend. You didn't even tell me that you already had a girlfriend." oh god.What did I say? I couldn't calm down at all.But somehow I don't care! "I see." Luke was silent for a moment.He picked up a loaf, broke it open with his fingers, and looked up. "Sassie and I have been dating for a while," he said gently, "I apologize if I made you... misunderstand."

He was taking pity on me, and it was unbearable. "That's not the point." I felt my cheeks flush even more. "It's just...wrong, all wrong!" "Wrong?" He seemed a little amused. "You should have told me we were buying cases for your girlfriend," I said stubbornly, eyes down on the dining table. "That would make things... different." There was a silence.I looked up and saw Luke staring at me like I was crazy. "Rebecca," he said, "you're going off topic. I just want you to help me choose boxes, that's all."

"Are you going to tell your girlfriend, have you asked my advice?" "Of course I would!" Luke smiled slightly. "I think she'd find it very funny." I stared at him silently, a sense of humiliation spreading through my body.My throat was dry and I felt a pain in my chest.Interesting? Sassy will find it interesting to hear about me? Of course she will.Who wouldn't find it funny to hear a girl spend a whole morning walking up and down Harrods just to pick out boxes for another girl? The girl was dead wrong; the girl was so stupid she thought Luke Brandon liked her.

I'm trying to hold myself back, sick with shame.For the first time I realized how Luke Brandon saw me, how they saw me.I'm just a funny character, aren't I? I'm a retarded girl who always messes things up and makes people laugh.A girl who doesn't know that SBG and Rutland Bank have merged, a girl that no one will take seriously! Luke doesn't tell me that the case was bought for his girlfriend because I don't matter; he buys me lunch is Because he has nothing else to do for a while - or maybe because he thinks I'm going to do something funny like drop my fork;

"Sorry," I said in a trembling voice, standing up, "I don't have time for lunch at all." "Rebecca, don't be stupid!" Luke said, "Look, I'm sorry you didn't know I had a girlfriend." He raised his eyebrows teasingly, and I almost wanted to punch him. "But we can still be friends, right?" "No!" I answered bluntly, feeling my voice was low and my eyes aching. "No, we can't be friends anymore. Friends should be honest with each other. But you don't respect me, Luke. You think I'm nothing but a laughing stock. But..." I tried to restrain myself, "But, I'm not."

Before he could say anything, I turned around and walked out of the restaurant quickly, tears of disappointment welling up in my eyes, gradually blurring my vision. PGNI First Bank Credit Card 7 Camel Square, Liverpool LI 5NP To: Ms. Rebecca Bloomwood Unit 2, 4 Burnie Road, London SW6 8FD Dear Ms. Bloomwood: PGNI First Bank credit card number: 1475839204847586 Thank you for the remittance of £10, which arrived today. But as I have pointed out to you several times, the minimum amount you have to pay is £10,540. The current amount that must be paid to maintain the account balance is £9,540.I look forward to receiving your payment as soon as possible.

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