Butterflies ʲᵒˢʰᵘᵃ ʳⁱᶜʰᵃʳᵈˢ

ғᴏʀᴛʏ-ᴛʜʀᴇᴇ

January 9th, 2020

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SwayLa

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Narrative:

The party went really well, nothing went wrong and Hannah seemed to have an amazing time at the party. She really bonded with Anna and Vanessa at the party and it felt like old times with Gia. The day after the party though, Hannah didn't come out of her room at all. Vanessa thought it was because she was hungover but when she spent the majority of the following day in her bedroom and wasn't really coming out to eat or drink, Vanessa got concerned. Josh told her not to worry and he was sure everything was fine but Vanessa wasn't sure at all.

Today, Vanessa and Josh are spending the whole day together shopping and sight seeing in and around Malibu. Vanessa was excited, but still worried about Hannah.

Vanessa- Are you sure I shouldn't ask Griffin? Maybe something happened at the party that I didn't see or I don't know about.

I ask Josh while applying makeup in his bathroom.

Josh- I'm sure she's fine, babe. She'll come to you if she wants you to know if somethings up.

Josh says before coming into the bathroom.

Josh- But, I do think you should talk to Gia.

Vanessa- Hell no.

I say quickly, glancing at him in the mirror.

Josh- V, come on. Yes, what she did is absolutely wrong and kind of gross but she was your best friend and she's having a baby with your best friend. You should at least hear her out.

I sigh, setting down my make up and turning towards him.

Vanessa- Maybe you're right or maybe you're forgetting what he did to me.

I try to walk past him but he stops me by gently grabbing my arm. He pulls me back into the bathroom and closes the door.

Josh- I remember what he did to you V but I still think you should talk to her.

Vanessa- Josh, he broke up with me, found out I was dating you and then assaulted me in a bathroom, and then, on top of that, he full on fucking raped me. There is no explanation that would justify her dating someone that could do all those things to me.

Tears well in my eyes as I talk, remembering everything that happened with Chase. I turn my head to try and hide my sadness from Josh. He notices and pulls me into a hug.

Josh- I'm sorry, I just don't want you to regret not talking to her and hearing her out.

Vanessa- I know you're trying to protect me from getting hurt but you don't get it.

I whisper into his chest.

Vanessa- You don't get not sleeping because you're afraid he'll come through your window and rape you again, you don't get not being able to have sex with someone you love so much because of trauma around being sexually assaulted, you don't get it, Josh. And it's not your fault that you don't get it but I just- I need you to support me. I always appreciate your input and honesty but not in this situation.

Tears roll down my cheeks, definitely ruining my makeup.

Josh- I'm sorry, Love. I do support you in everything you do. You're right, I just don't want you to get hurt.

Josh rubs my back as I cry into his chest. I wasn't sure if I was crying because I was sad or if it was because I'm a traumatized, fucked up teenage girl.

I pull away from Joshes shirt and noticed tear stains on it.

Vanessa- I'm sorry. Your shirts kinda ruined.

I say, looking at my mascara stained on his white T-shirt.

Josh- It'll come out on the wash. Look, you're obviously not in the mood to go shopping. Let's stay in and watch movies downstairs, yeah?

Josh suggests. He was right, I wasn't in the mood to go to Malibu or go shopping. But I knew he was excited and I didn't want to dull his excitement.

Vanessa- Are you sure, Josh? I don't want to dull your excitement. I know you were excited about Malibu.

Josh- It's okay, V. There will be a million more chances for us to go to Malibu. Right now, I just want you to feel better.

I smile, planting a soft kiss on his lips.

Vanessa- I love you, Josh. So much.

Josh smiles down at me.

Josh- I love you too, V. Now, let's go watch a movie. What were you thinking? Disney?

Josh asks as we walk out of the bathroom together. We discuss what we wanted to watch the whole way downstairs to the living room. Before we entered the living, we had to go through the kitchen. When we walked through the kitchen, Bryce and Addison were there.

Bryce- Hey, V?

Bryce says, causing me to stop and back track to where the pair were standing.

Vanessa- Yeah?

Bryce hesitates before speaking.

Bryce- Did you know Gia was in LA?

I look at Josh as the sound of her name brought me back to ten minutes ago, when he suggested I talk to her. I didn't know she was in LA and I didn't want to know. Gia was dead to me. I didn't want to talk to her or see her or even hear her name. What she did and what she's doing is completely unforgivable.

Finally, I look back at Bryce.

Vanessa- Uh no, I didn't but I don't really care. I don't want to see her or talk to her so her being in LA is irrelevant.

Bryce- Okay, I hear you but in the long ruin, when Gia has this baby, Cooper will be it's father. If you're in Coops life, you're in Gias life. You're going to have to talk to her eventually. Maybe it'd be easier now with your whole support system here.

Vanessa- I'm just- I'm not ready to talk to her yet. I would never even date one of her ex's, let alone date someone who put her through what Chase but me through. She's wrong for dating him and right now, I can't see past that.

Bryce sighs, defeated.

Bryce- Alright. I was just letting you know.

I nod before Josh and I exit the kitchen and go to the living room. I grab a blanket and a couple pillows while Josh finds the remote and turns on a movie.

This is such a filler chapter 😭 it's whatever. say what you want about colleen hoover but verity is literally the love of my life and I will be marrying that book.