Nobela ni Amy

Chapter 68 – "What He Saw" Barbie’s POV Have you ever noticed that the world always feels quieter after something you didn’t want to happen… happens. Like it wants you to feel guilty for what you have done. That silence crept in slowly as I walked home from the boardwalk after my meeting with Jasper. My fingers still trembled from the way his lips had touched mine—soft, familiar, but completely wrong. It wasn’t the kiss that haunted me. It was the fact that I hadn’t stopped it fast enough. It made it look like I wanted it to happen, like I wanted to kiss him. I pulled away though. I had even said no. But for a second, just a second, I’d frozen. That second was all it had taken for guilt to seep in, like a crack forming in everything I’d been trying to hold together. I hate guilt. The wind tugged at my coat. The sky was a dull, heavy gray, like it, also knew that someone walking under it was breaking-me. When I got to the apartment, the lights were off. Liam wasn’t home yet. I

Chapter 67 – "Not Like This" Barbie’s POV It had been three days since Liam confirmed he was going to Paris. The news had settled in like a soft fog around our apartment. There was no fighting. No tension. Just this gentle, aching space between us where all the plans used to live. I didn’t blame him. Why would I, it's just life, some people would always leave. In fact, some small part of me admired his courage. But that didn’t make it easier to breathe when I watched him sketch silently across the room or when I reached for him in the middle of the night and felt the weight of everything we weren’t saying. I spent more time at the library, more time with Lucy and Dolly. I started avoiding the apartment for longer stretches, afraid I might break into pieces if I sat still long enough. That’s how I ended up with Jasper. Again. We hadn’t talked much since he got back from London, but he’d been trying. He texted often—soft, careful check-ins. Occasionally flirtatious, but mostly

Chapter 66 — “What If I’m Not Enough?” Barbie’s POV The days were blurring now. Liam had officially accepted the offer in Paris. His excitement was palpable, buzzing through our apartment like static electricity. He’d started learning basic French phrases, printing out articles about the artist he’d be shadowing, and talking about the art scene in Montmartre like it was already his second home. And I was happy for him. Truly, deeply happy. But something inside me was slipping. I was supposed to be thrilled for my boyfriend chasing his dream. I was supposed to be proud. Supportive. But instead, I was scared. Not of losing him, surprisingly. Of losing myself. Again. It started one rainy afternoon in the studio. I was alone, trying to work on my portfolio. My fingers hovered over the sketchpad, pencil poised. Nothing came. Not a single line felt right. I stared at the blank page for what felt like hours. I could still hear my mom’s voice echoing in my head from her last cal

Chapter 65 — “Stay True to You” Barbie’s POVI woke up to the sound of my phone vibrating against the nightstand. The screen glowed in the dim room—Mom.A knot formed in my stomach. It was too early for a casual chat and too late for good news. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes, sat up, and answered.“Hello?” I croaked.“Barbie,” my mom’s voice came through, calm but sharp. “You sound tired. Did I wake you?”“Kind of,” I mumbled, stretching. “Is everything okay?”“Yes, don’t worry. Your father and I just wanted to check in.”I glanced at the time. 6:57 a.m. Not even my alarm had gone off yet.“Check in?” I repeated, already feeling the conversation tightening around me.“You’ve been... distracted lately. Every time we talk, you’re either talking about Liam or you sound like you’re somewhere else entirely.”I bit the inside of my cheek. “I’ve just been busy, Mom. School’s a lot.”“And Liam,” she added.I swallowed hard. “Yes, and Liam.”There was a pause on the other end, long and point

Barbie’s POV The moment Liam said, “I’m going,” the world shifted. I knew it was coming. He’d hinted, danced around the idea for days, and I tried to pretend I didn’t notice. But now that he’d said the words out loud, the weight of them crushed the air from my lungs. “To Paris?” I asked, even though I already knew the answer. Liam sat across from me in our living room, his elbows resting on his knees, fingers clasped together tightly. He nodded. “Yeah. I called them back this morning. I told them I’m accepting the mentorship.” My hands trembled in my lap, hidden by the throw blanket draped over my legs. I kept my face composed—supportive. That was what love meant, right? Being happy for him, even when every part of me wanted to ask him to stay. I didn’t know it would hurt like this, it really did. “That’s amazing,” I said, managing a small smile. “You’re going to be working with Elias René. That’s everything you’ve wanted.” He ran a hand through his hair. “It’s only for three

Chapter 63 - Liam's POVI received a letter from my artist role model, I haven't opened it yet, I feel like I would like what was in it, and at the same time hate it.I opened it later and read it again an again, then placed it back on my table. The letter sat on the edge of my desk like a loaded weapon. I read it again for the fifth time, though the words hadn’t changed: You have been selected to join Master Renaud Laurent for a six-month artist residency in Paris, France. Paris. Six months. With my role model. My dream. So why did my stomach churn with something more than nerves? I glanced at the window. The sky outside our apartment was a dull gray, with streaks of early spring rain. The soft patter on the glass was normally calming, but today it felt like a ticking clock. Each drop was a second slipping by, a countdown. Barbie was at school. I knew she’d be home soon. I turned to the canvas I’d been working on—a portrait that had Barbie written all over it, even if I hadn’t