Falling in Love : I love you, Today and Forever

Seeing Noah's strange reaction, Aria followed his gaze only to find a woman dressed in a light blue floral dress approaching them with hurried footsteps. She was strikingly attractively, and her black hair moved with every step she took. However, her beauty did not faze Aria, for she saw something in her that told her to be wary of her. She screamed of trouble, absolute trouble. 

"Noah," Aria tugged on Noah's shirt to make him face her. Although he turned to look at her, he kept glancing at the woman, who was bolting towards them.

"Hmm?"

"Who is she?" 

Before Noah could answer her, Amber had reached the group, stunning the others, who were yet to notice her. Their shock was immediately replaced with annoyance, while Ivy looked at her in confusion. Everyone stood frozen for a few seconds as Amber gasped for breath.

"Amber, what are you doing here?" Martin was the first one to break the silence, and immediately after he glanced at Ivy, who was staring at the unannounced visitor wide-eyed. 

"Uncle, I am here...here to visit Joshua." She panted, holding her waist. "Why didn't anybody tell me Joshua was injured?"

"And, why should we even tell you?" Noah spat, his anger coursing through his veins. If Amber was not a girl, he was sure he would have punched her face. Just her presence was enough to send Ian and Noah berserk and lose their rationality. Only they knew how despondent their friend had become when she had left him. It had taken them a lot of time to get him over her, and finally, it had been Ivy who had made him revert to his old self.

Amber shivered, noticing the look of animosity on Noah and Ian's faces. She had barely interacted with them when she was with Joshua. Every time, she shuddered in their presence, for they were completely hostile to her even if they were not against their friend being with her. However, they now stared at her in resentment and fury.

"Noah, you cannot do that to me. I am Joshua's girlfriend." She argued, her shameless words stunning everyone, including Ivy, who was yet to come out of her thoughts.

"I am Mr. Carter to you. And let me make a small correction, which is quite necessary. You are not Joshua's girlfriend, you are Joshua's ex-girlfriend." Every word of his hit Amber hard, and she was rendered speechless for a long time.

"Go away from here, Amber. You are not needed here." Hazel glared at her, wishing to give her a brutal death for leaving her poor boy. 

"No. Mrs. Martin, I am not leaving here. I left once, and I regret doing so even now. I really want to reconcile with him. I can't leave him once again."

Now, even Ian was pissed hearing seeing her absurdity. "Don't you think it's a little too late to regret your decision? You are not needed here, nor are you needed in Joshua's life. He has moved on, and he is living well. Don't pester him anymore." Ian narrowed his eyes, his intimidating gaze making Amber cower in fear. However, she stood in her place, not moving an inch.

"No. Joshua loves me. I know, he does. And I am not going to leave ever. My baby is hurt. How can I leave when he is injured to such an extent?" Ivy had the sudden urge to puke when she heard Amber address her man with such endearment. 

Ivy was done staying silent. She had not spoken a word, for she did not want to deal with the girl who had come here out of nowhere. Moreover, it was the first time she was meeting her. So, she chose to stay silent while the people who were familiar with her dealt with her. However, Amber was crossing her limits. 'If I don't step in now, she will just ruin everyone's mood. Only now, we were able to have some relief. I don't want everyone to lose their minds again.'

"Excuse Miss," She stepped forward, her chin held up high. Her confident stance and her domineering height made Amber take few steps back, panicking the way the girl she did not know was staring at her. "I suggest you leave the place before someone here loses their cool first. I assure you if that happens, it will not be a sight to behold. I am not telling you this for your good. It's just that we do not want to spoil our moods seeing your face."

"Excuse me." Amber's shrill voice fell on Ivy, and she closed her eyes in disgust. "Who do you think you are to ask me to leave from here? You have no right to do so."

"Trust me, Miss. I have all the right to do so, for I am Joshua's girlfriend." Ivy's revelation made Amber's jaw drop. 

"No, it's impossible." 

"And, why do you think so?" Ivy queried, folding her hand, her face stoic and cold. Other than Aria, nobody else had seen such an expression on her, and they were floored by her immediately. They stood silently, admiring the way Ivy was dealing with the obnoxious girl, who seemed to have sold her brains in the market.

"Joshua will never love anybody else. He only loves me." Amber was in denial, and she shook her vigorously.

"Wel, news flash, and things change. Joshua is with me now, and we will not be breaking up, not now, not ever." Ivy did not conceal the hatred she felt for the woman in front of her. She remembered the time when Joshua had lashed out at her for no fault of hers, and her anger grew all the more. "Don't try to butt into our lives ever again. Nobody here wants to see your repulsive face. So, get lost before we throw you out of here ourselves." 

Ivy's every word was like a slap to Amber's face and heart. She turned to face Joshua's parents to clarify the matter, only to find them looking at the girl, whose name she did not know yet, with admiration and gratitude. She clenched her fists in anger. 'Why weren't they this welcoming towards me? Why did they not look at me with such an expression? What has the girl done to them for them to behave this way?' She recalled how they had examined her thoroughly before they accepted her.

"Mr. and Mrs. Martin, please ask this ridiculous girl to leave from here. I am getting a headache hearing her speak. She must have lost her mind to think that Joshua loves her." Amber still tried to catch onto the last straw of hope. However, Hazel's next action shattered all her hopes.

Instead of replying to her, Hazel held Ivy's arms and made her face her. "Dear, you must be thirsty after speaking for long. Let me get you some water to soothe your throat." She then turned to her husband, who nodded at her happily. Seeing the old man ready to retrieve a glass of water, Noah stopped him.

"Mr. Martin, allow me." He smiled at him and walked towards the water dispenser, keeping an eye on the girl who was creating a ruckus in the hospital, spoiling everyone's mood.

Though Ivy was not thirsty at all, and neither was her throat aching, she still took the glass. Ivy realized what Joshua's mother was trying to do, and she cooperated with her thoroughly. Hazel wanted to clear everything to Amber, and who was Ivy to go against her future mother-in-law when the older woman was favoring her in front of her man's ex-girlfriend?

"Mrs. Martin, you cannot do this to me, to Joshua. What will happen to him once he finds out that you are siding with someone else other than me?" Amber gasped, tears filling her not at all innocent eyes. 

"Listen Amber, and listen clearly." Hazel gently pushed Ivy behind her, protecting her from the girl who was becoming more and more delusional as time passed. She did not want the crazy woman to hurt her, nor did she want Ivy to stay in her presence any longer. Amber was just polluting the air around them, and Hazel was done entertaining her.

"Joshua is over you, and get this in your head. My son is done with you forever. He is now with Ivy, and he is more than happy with her. Even though I am furious with you, I should thank you. If you had not left him, my son would not have met such an amazing girl." Hazel's words were like a blanket to Ivy, warming her heart and filling it with sweetness. Unknowingly a smile made its way on her lips, even though the situation did not call for it.

"Even if you return, nothing will change. My son has moved on, and he will not bat an eyelid seeing you. It's best that you save yourself the trouble and leave from here yourself." Hazel huffed, and Martin hugged her shoulder, running his hand on her arm to calm her down.

Amber lost all her words seeing the two women gang up against her. However, she was still not convinced. 'Joshua only loves me and me alone. He cannot move on. I am the only one for him. I will not allow someone else to snatch him from me.' Amber glared at the two women, wishing to burn them to death before she walked away from them, much to everyone's relief.

The moment she did so, everyone sighed lightly, happy that the girl was gone. However, everyone also knew that this was not the end. "Ivy, you need to be careful from no, dear," Hazel warned her, her voice filled with concern.

"What do you mean, Mrs. Martin?" Ivy frowned slightly in confusion.

"Amber is not the one to accept defeat this soon. She might come back soon to create chaos between you and Joshua. I hope..." Hazel stopped not knowing how to continue.

"Don't worry, Mrs. Martin. If she wants a drama, I will give her a drama. If she wants a punch, I will punch her. She will not be able to do anything. She will only be asking for it if she tries to bother either Joshua or me."