Chapter 40

                                    

                                              
   It was officially six months since Adam had last seen Amy, and over two months since Maroon 5's album "A" had been released. There was still no word from her. No call nor text thanking Adam for the album dedication. He had checked all her social media accounts, but they had all been turned to private, so he couldn't even check up on how she appeared to be doing. It was as if she had vanished from the world, completely. 
                          
   Adam was trying to stay positive through it all. He had let it be for a quite some time; He tried meeting new people and even went out on a couple of dates. But no matter how much he tried ignoring the fact that Amy was out there somewhere, he just couldn't let it go. 
                          
   One morning, after mulling over various thoughts and ideas, Adam decided to go to the mall.

                          
   It was largest one in Los Angeles, with thousands of people pouring through each day. With the right disguise, the chances of being spotted were relatively slim. All Adam had to do was pretend that he was just a normal every-day shopper. 
                          
   Fitted in a light grey hoodie with the hood up, some dark shades and a pair of black jeans, Adam got into his car and drove through the busy city streets to central Los Angeles. 
                          
   "I can do this," Adam said out loud to himself in the car. "It's time." 
                          
   Upon arriving in the mall parking lot, Adam stepped out of his car and shot out a few short breaths, psyching himself up. "Okay," Adam breathed. "I can do this. In, and then out."
                          
   He locked the doors to his car with the remote on his key, stuck the key in the pocket of his jeans and walked towards the front entrance of the mall. When he opened the doors, he immediately felt comfortable. Crowds of strangers were bustling in and out of stores and walking in large groups down the hallways with bags of clothes and other findings, all minding their own business. No one was going to notice him. If he kept his head down and hurried, it should all go smoothly.
                          
   He took the stairs to a higher level of the building, walked halfway across that floor, made a turn down the hallway and he was there. His heart accelerated and his hands became clammy. Was his hoodie too tight? He felt hot. He wanted to remove his hood. Why was he wearing a hoodie, anyway? It was the middle of May! 
                          
   Standing there, he caught the attention of a well dressed clerk. "Hello, there," She smiled. "Can I help you?"
                          
   "Yeah," Adam coughed, clearing his throat awkwardly. "Ca-can I look at that one, erm, please?" 
                          
   As he waited a moment, he looked around nervously and saw someone walking by whom he recognized. 
                          
   It was Behati.
                          
   His heart thumped dramatically within his chest. She glanced over in his direction. In a flash, Adam had turned his head away and down, and raised a hand to shield his face from being recognized. His face was hot. 
                          
   "Shit," Adam thought. "Did she see me? Oh, God. What if she saw me? Fuck..."
                          
   Adam had only contacted Behati once since the kissing incident at the party that past year, and that was while Amy was still in the hospital. He had told her that despite the flame that they had had, the kiss at the party meant nothing. She had apologized, then admitted that she still had feelings for him. He had told her that he still had some residual feelings for her, but he had moved on and found someone else. He had tried to say it gently, but with the fact that Amy could have been dying, it came out harsher than he had hoped. 
                          
   Adam really hoped that Behati had not just seen him like this. If she had, he knew it would crush her heart. 
                          


                          
A/N: Hey guys! Haven't written one of these notes in a long time! I'm just letting you know that "A Sweet Misery" is about to come to an end. I believe there will be one more chapter left, if I can't push it into two. I want to thank everyone who's read this story up until this point and has enjoyed it the whole time. If you haven't read any of the other chapters yet, make sure you do to catch up before the final finale! 
                          
Also, make sure you vote this chapter and tell me what your thoughts are!
                          
If you reeeallly like this story, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE promote it and share it with your followers on Wattpad, Twitter, etc. Also, if you know any of your friends who love Maroon 5, please recommend it to them!
                          
It's been a long 3 years in the making, and I want you to know that I am so thankful for all of you who have waited patiently for each chapter and have supported me the whole way.
                          
Stay tuned for the final chapter(s)!!
                          
~ Jesse