Amy's Dilemma. (Book 4 Of The Arlington Series) (complete )

Chapter 15

Chapter 15

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Jacob asked Amy out many times after that. At first she was excited and hopeful, that their relationship was finally moving in the direction she always yearned for. But it soon became apparent that Jacob was either reticent about showing his feelings or he had another reason for asking her out.

It finally became apparent one evening while they were out to supper. Stephen and Olivia came in not long after they were seated. Stephen asked if they could join them. Jacob was a little slow to answer but Amy smilingly said yes and proceeded to grill them about their wedding and honeymoon. It became apparent to Jacob that she was either a good actress or she never cared about Stephen after all. He decided that it was time to have a talk with Amy when he took her home.

Jacob began by saying; "Though I am glad to see that you can sit at the same table as Stephen and Olivia without any outward signs of the inner pain you must be feeling it clearly indicates that maybe your feelings for him weren't as deep as you thought they were."

"My feelings for Stephen; Do you think that I'm in love with Stephen?"

"Aren't you?"

With those words Amy came to realize that Jacob had been asking her out to console her and for no other reason. She stated; "No; for the thousandth time no! Why does everyone keep linking me with someone I'm just friends with?"

"You can't blame us for the mistake. I saw you out with him myself on numerous occasions."

"I did go out with him but never alone. Olivia was always there, why not her?"

"I saw you with him at the Putt Putt Golf course. She wasn't anywhere around."

"She was there. I don't know why you didn't see her but she was there. Unless it was when she got stuck at the hole where all the trees are. She kept hitting a tree and couldn't get off of the tee. We laughed about that. Besides when does a game of golf constitute an engagement? Suffice it to say that I am not heart broken, I have never loved either of the men this town has tried to saddle me with and I don't want to talk about it anymore if that's alright with you. And as far as I am concerned your duty as big brother has been unnecessary. I told you before I have three and they are enough!"

Feeling like the fool he was he tried to apologize but they had reached her apartment and she was out of the truck and in the door before he could say anything.

He followed her and pounded on her door pleading; "Amy, please open the door, we need to talk."

Amy just leaned against the door with tears running down her cheeks. Nothing would have made her open it because her misery and love for him was written all over her face and she didn't want to see the pity in his eyes when he realized it. She watched as he jiggled the knob and tried to force the door open but it held fast. Soon he gave up and left.

Over the next few days Jacob tried to call her. Amy would answer in case it was her parents or something important but when she heard Jacob's voice she would hang up without saying anything further.

Amy put in her notice at PJ's market. She had passed her finals and was preparing for graduation day. No body from home was going to be able to make it. Her parents couldn't make the long trip alone. Adam and Ruth's twins had arrived, they had a boy and a girl named Isaac Jacob and Isabelle Ruth. They and the two they already had were a handful and they needed help on the farm. Benjamin and Delilah had finally gotten pregnant but she was delicate and the Doctor ordered her to be on bed rest. Caleb and Jasmine wanted to come but were helping on the farm since the twins had arrived. Seth and Taylor had their hands full with their farm and their three children. Their newest was named Phillip Nathaniel.

Amy had informed Karishma that she would be leaving for home right after graduation was over so that she could get some tenants for the apartment. The hardest thing she did was to sit down and write a letter of thanks to the Worthington's. No matter what Jacob did his parents didn't deserve to be slighted. Even Jacob didn't deserve for her to just disappear because it wasn't his fault that he didn't love her.

Natalie knew something was wrong because Jacob had gone back to his tree house. When she received the letter from Amy she had it confirmed. Tears speckled the paper and some of the words had run where the tear drops had fallen on them. She and Joshua discussed it and finally came to the conclusion that Jacob and Amy would never get together. They went to her graduation hoping to have a few last words before she left for home. They didn't know that she had everything packed and ready to go and left as soon as it was over.

It was easy for Amy to slip away unnoticed in the milling crowd. Her friends had already given her a going away party. The Worthington's had been left out because she had explained to Karishma and Olivia what had happened. She never looked back as the town disappeared in her rear view mirror.

All the way home, Amy fought off the tiredness that engulfed her. Her surprised mother answered her knock in the early morning hours. She was never happier to feel her arms around her as at that moment. Never again would she resent being the baby of the family.

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Author's Note: Will Amy find happiness in a single state?

Don't forget to vote and comment on your favorite chapters. Happy Reading, Tigger