Song of the chapter: Bed of Roses - Bon Jovi

We landed in the Windy City when the sun was taking its final bow to the city, painting peach and coral streaks across the clear sky.

Our flight had been delayed a few hours and since there was a steady flow of traffic to and from the airport, we arrived at our hotel a few minutes after ten. This allowed me to collect myself, summon the courage to face Mitchell and show him how sorry I was about breaking his heart.

Our rooms were on the same floor as them, which was very convenient to Rae who wanted easy manoeuvrability between hers and Cameron's rooms.

I ran myself a bath when I got settled in my room, making myself some more coffee and blasting one of his many playlists. He was only a few doors down from me but it felt like he was very far away, a million miles away from me. 

I slipped out of my clothes and sank into the scalding water, immersing my head below the water's surface.

More melancholy music echoed throughout the room when I began to cry, my eyes shut to prevent more tears and more heartache. My heart was heavy in my chest. I felt so numb.

I was shivering in the hot water, my body shuddering as every thought that crossed my mind was of him. Mitchell. The love of my life. I needed him to love me again. I wanted him to love me again.

I decided I was going to show him that I meant it when I professed my love for him. He wasn't the typical Prince Charming. He was my unconventional knight with a shiny guitar on a motorcycle; I didn't care because that made me love him more.

I got up, took a quick shower and threw on my jammies. I walked out into the deserted hallway striding as confidently as I could manage towards his room. I took a deep breath and gave myself a quick pep talk before knocking softly on his door.

"Zoe."

"Mitchell."

He opened his door, running his fingers through his hair and looking as horrible as I did - my eyes were red and sunken, my cheeks puffy with tear stains.

There were dark rims under his eyes and a sullen look on his face. His eyes, which had lost all their glimmer, now conveyed no emotion whatsoever.

His lips were drawn into a thin line, perhaps to avoid a deluge of tears. I fought the urge to pull him close to me and tell him that everything was going to be okay.

"Why are you here?" he inquired, staring deep into my eyes, his eyes not giving away anything.

"I need to talk to you. Please let me in?" I pleaded, reaching over to touch his hand. He quickly pushed it away and I felt a sharp pain jabbing me in my chest.

"You should go. Now. Please leave, Zoe." He closed the door in my face, shutting me out of his life. I reluctantly turned around, feeling the prick of more sobs in my eyes.

Rejection hurt like a bitch - my heart felt like it had been torn up and tossed out of my chest, leaving me a weightless soul just drifting aimlessly in the world. A loveless, hapless ghost wandering among the living, breathing and foolishly in love.

I practically ran back to my room in embarrassment and slammed the door. I slid onto the floor and curled up into a foetal position, rocking myself back and forth to control the torrential tears falling down my face.

Short, jagged breaths were escaping out of me, my throat closing up and my eyes swelling from the amount of tears I'd shed in the space of two hours.

I'd seen the look of hurt and disappointment in his eyes, the look that was now haunting me and making me want to kick myself in the neck. I had finally found my happily ever after which my stupidity turned into my happy never after. I would never forgive myself.