Season Of Love (gxg) | ✍︎︎

8. Give Thanks.

"Oh, uhm," Dwayne hummed as he drove with one hand on the steering wheel and the other messing with the patch of hair on his chin. "My mom called me while I was getting ready earlier."

"Mmhm," Noelle hummed. She was only slightly paying attention to what he was saying as she scrolled through a few of the 'Happy Thanksgiving' messages she'd received from family and friends already, making sure to give each person their own individualized thank you.

"And she told me something that I think you might wanna know."

He figured that was the perfect time to tell her the news. He figured it would be better coming from him than from a crowd of his family. Plus, Riley was in the backseat with his headphones on and not listening to a word they were saying so it was as if they were alone.

"Dwayne, please, just get to the point. You know I hate when you beat around the bush like that."

"Fine," he let out a deep breath before continuing. "Hope. She's coming home."

"Home?" Noelle dropped her phone in her lap and fully turned her attention to Dwayne. "As in here, home? Riverlin?"

"Yeah. Apparently, she's staying the whole month of December."

"Oh shit," Noelle mumbled. "When was the last time she came home?"

"A long time ago. Five years, I think."

"Right," Noelle nodded her head because she did remember everyone talking about it.

Hope coming home had been the talk of the town at the time. And it was only that for Noelle, talk. She was still away at undergrad when Hope came to visit. And to that day, Noelle feels like she did it to avoid her. She feels as if Hope only came home when she knew Noelle wouldn't be there so she could avoid the awkwardness of seeing her in person for the first time since they were both eighteen.

"You know it's gonna be impossible to avoid her. Y'all are bound to run into each other. The town isn't that big."

"Okay." Noelle wasn't sure what else to say. She needed a second to process everything.

"This the first time you gonna see her since... yuh know."

"I see her all the time," Noelle corrected him. "It's hard not to see Hope. Her name and face are every fucking where."

"Don't get smart with me, Elle. You know what I mean. This the first time y'all will be around each other. You not nervous about her coming, are you?"

"Not really."

A lie. A bald-faced lie. She was extremely nervous.

"You're lying."

"How can you tell?"

"I've known you a long time," he reminded her. "I know you better than I know anyone else at this point."

"Fine. I am nervous. I knew it would eventually happen; I just wasn't expecting it to be this year."

"Well, I figured I'd give you a heads-up. I'm just as shocked as you to hear that she's coming home for Christmas. I didn't think she'd ever leave California again."

"Thanks for the heads-up. I'm definitely thankful for that."

"You think you're gonna talk to her while she's here?"

"I doubt she wants anything to do with me. I highly doubt she wants to talk to me."

"You don't know that. It's been so long. And she doesn't hate you, you know. That's all in your head. She forgave you a long time ago."

"I know she doesn't hate me, that's not it."

"Then what is it? Why are you so nervous to see her again?"

"Because... because our relationship will never be what it used to be. Because I ruined the best thing that ever happened to me and I can't forgive myself for it."

"Elle," Dwayne whispered as he reached for her hand and held it in her lap. "You gotta stop being so hard on yourself. Everyone makes mistakes."

"What I did to Hope wasn't a mistake and you know it."

"If she can forgive you, then you can forgive yourself. You're too hard on yourself, always have been. Noelle, I wish you could see you how I see you. I wish you could see the amazing person you are and always have been."

"Don't say that—"

"But it's true," he rebutted. "And everyone sees it but you."

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|  SEASON OF LOVE  |
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