Lost Love

18. The Blame Game

‘It’s all just getting too much here,’ I tell him, my voice hoarse and my eyes still stinging from salty tears.

‘What is?’

‘My relationship,’ I tell him, my eyes filling with tears again. Anxiously, I brush them away and whisper, ‘I never expected a relationship to be this hard, especially right at the beginning where I saw how much Ozzy loved me and still loves me, but it’s just, I just don’t know what to do. I’m at a loss. I don’t like drama, Leon, and what Emma said-’ I bite my lip to stop the words coming back. I can’t even say them, they make me feel so ashamed.

He rubs my back, soothing me slightly, before asking, ‘Would you like me to help you?’

I laugh bitterly at the suggestion. ‘How can you help someone who doesn’t know how to help themselves?’

‘With determination,’ he grins, his hair flopping slightly over his brow bone. ‘Now, what’s troubling you the most?’

‘Ozzy,’ I sigh, my heart crippling as I admit this. ‘It’s become so hard and tense these past few weeks and Emma. She lives with Ozzy and is determined to stir and I don’t know why she dislikes me so much. What she said was so rude to me, Leon. She’s making this harder for us. She just, she doesn’t care at all.’

 My phone buzzes and I absently open the message, seeing it’s from Ozzy.

What happened with you and Emma? She’s come back in tears and says you tried to hit her! What the hell, Immy? (Sent 11.11am)

I grumble and show the message to Leon before sighing. ‘Why can’t we just be left alone? It’s hard enough as it is without so much...pressure. There’s so much pressure, Leon and it kills me we’re struggling so much.’

He doesn’t say anything, but simply looks at me, waiting for me to continue. ‘Why has it suddenly got tougher?’ He questions.

I look up at him unintentionally and his mouth parts, realising that he’s the reason. ‘Oh.’

‘Don’t worry about it though, it’s not your fault; Ozzy is just very insecure about everything. He thinks you fancy me and he’s become so protective and worried these past few weeks. It’s okay though, it’s not true so Ozzy doesn’t need to worry.’

He doesn’t say anything, but glances across at me and says quietly, ‘Imogen, I never meant to make your relationship harder.’

‘Oh no, you haven’t. It’s not true,’ I reassure him, giving him a positive smile. 'I like spending time with you.'

He clenches his hands, before sighing and saying, ‘I really am sorry I’ve made it harder for you though. I honestly didn’t mean to. I kept my distance and stuck as your friend purposefully because you’re with Oscar and I don’t want my presence to come between you and-’

‘But he has nothing to worry about! I love that I’ve made a new friend in you, and then Sonny and Rex, I like it a lot.’

He gives me a pained expression before beginning, ‘Imogen, I-‘

But the door opens and in bursts Sonny and Rex. ‘Imogen! Babe it’s been ages, come here!’

Smiling, I stand up, giving them a hug each, but Rex noticing my eyes are red. ‘Has this boy been making you cry? Unlike you, Leon.’

Leon rolls his eyes, before sending me a smile. ‘Come on, I’ll walk you back. I think you should talk to Oscar now.’

‘Mate, let her stay. We’ve missed her,’ Sonny complains.

I give Leon a reluctant look to leave, but he nods his head towards the door and opens it, expecting me to follow. I send the boys a wave, before walking with Leon back to my flat. I’m not going straight to Ozzy’s, that’s too much confrontation for my liking right now. Leon lets me walk in silence for the walk back to my flat, and relief floods over me when I see Blake standing at the bottom of our block of flats. She turns around as I approach and her eyes widen as she sees me.