for better or for worse // mitchel cave (completed)

part XXXV

*laralyn's pov, 2 weeks later*

my nimble fingers worked my hair into a bun and i sighed, fluffing my hair to make sure it didn't look bad, and leaned back into the familiar porch swing of my childhood. it only had been 2 weeks or so since i had been in here, but i was already feeling remarkably better.

i was feeling like maybe, just maybe, i could actually get over this. my parents were never home anymore, always working or plainly ignoring me but i had missed my wonderful aunt and cousins terribly, and my grandparents also. texas seemed to remind me me that not everything was as bad as i thought it was.

did i break a guy's heart? yep. did he deserve it? no way in hell. did he decide to be a dick and fuck random girls and post all about it on his social media? yep. did i kinda deserve to see that though? maybe.

i had tried to just forget him truthfully. and sometimes i thought i did. when i was eating at my old favorite restaurant with my favorite part of my family, laughing and remembering innumerable childhood birthdays, i almost remembered what happiness felt like. almost remembered what freedom felt like.

i breathed out, smelling the fresh air and looking at the large pond in front of my house. i ached for this. i missed everything about this place, besides the people of course. i didn't miss being abandoned emotionally by my parents, or the kids in town that bullied me severely.

but now that i was older, graduated, experienced a little bit more in life, i felt like i could really make a life out here. buy a house, meet a guy, spend time with people.

my fantasy was swiftly interrupted when a flash of dark auburn hair came across my vision and i heard my aunt's voice say, "all packed up for tomorrow?"

tomorrow. right. tomorrow was my flight back to los angeles. my flight back to a constant reminder of heartbreak. my heart felt deflated just thinking about it.

i sighed and nodded. "yeah, i am. i almost want to cancel my flight and just stay here, you know?"

my aunt melissa nodded her head slowly, sitting beside me on the cushioned porch bench. "i get that. but you can't make snap decisions. go back to los angeles and reevaluate your feelings. figure out if staying here would really be best for you. i know your entire life you fantasized about being in los angeles, and just cause a couple things went wrong doesn't mean you need to give up on that," she replied, her eyes surveying my face.

"your boy was really special. he was really special to you, i know for a fact. and you need this time to heal. don't give up darling, i know it seems like a hopeless dead end right now, but if things are meant to be, they will be. can't say i had ever heard of you being happier then when you were around mitchel. he brought something good out in you, and you did the same for him. if you guys are really meant to be, you'll find your way back to each other. and that certainly can't happen with you hiding out in the lone star state."

she gave me a loving smile, and pressed her lips to my forehead, giving me a characteristic red-lipsticked aunt melissa kiss. i giggled and looked at her. "you are really good at this advice stuff. i don't think you get enough credit for this."

she waved my words off. "i'm wise, what can i say? now get up, let's go inside and get something to eat. i don't think your parents will be in until late tonight."

i rolled my eyes at her last statement. doesn't surprise me. they had barely hung out with me since i was here, they simply just weren't interested in me, not that they ever had been.

sometimes it was surreal to me how a person like aunt melissa could be related to the asshole known as my dad. she gave me a look when she noticed the roll of my eyes. "hey! don't do that. they work hard to provide for you."

i attempted to stifle a laugh as we walked back inside the large air-conditioned house. "i think they had me out of boredom, melissa, and then practically packed me up to los angeles and shoved me out of the state themselves."

she didn't say anything as i told her this, because she knew in her heart it was right. all the money in the world doesn't mean anything if your heart isn't in the right place. i approached the kitchen, swinging open the pantry and attempting to busy myself with a snack.

i heard the tv turn on in the other room, and i knew melissa was back to her real housewives binge watching session and i was now alone again. with my thoughts.

i knew i couldn't run away from my complications. i knew if i permanently stayed in texas, i would have always pondered what could have been with me and mitchel. i had to come back to my familiar apartment, annoying neighbors and perpetually busy city to see if perhaps i could make this work.

maybe i could get him back, i wasn't sure. i didn't have a plan and i didn't have even an idea of where to start really, but i knew that sometimes you had to take a leap of faith.

so that's why i pulled out my phone and decided to text christian. we hadn't talked much since the breakup, really only one text to see if i was okay and when i told him i was managing alright and spending some time in texas, he just left me on read.

i walked out of the pantry and swung my body to sit on a stool, trying to think of what i could say to the best friend of the boy whose heart i broke.

because i was going to get mitchel back, one way or another.

_________

laralyn is determined y'all, maybe it will work?? or maybe it won't. anywhooo, please please vote, and comments are awesome!! love you guys 🖤