Diary of a Love Struck Fool [Completed]

C H A P T E R T W E N T Y - S I X

C H A P T E R T W E N T Y - S I X: 3 weeks later

“I still don’t get why.”

I pause, my hand on my suitcase. It’s been the most painful thing yet, packing up what little I can of my room to take with me. Not that I want to take any of it. I want to stay here; with my dad, and Damon, and Riley, and Jason. But I can’t. If I don’t their lives are on the line even more. And I just can’t risk that happening. I love them all more than anything, but when you love someone so much, you have to do the right thing.

I turn around to face my father who’s stood in the doorway, just watching me. “I love him, dad. And we decided on this an age ago.”

“So why do you tell me now?”

I turn back to the suitcase, and a top I’ve had to refold about a thousand times already, “Because it’s the last day of school tomorrow, dad. And we’re leaving at the weekend.”

“Do you have to go so soon? Can’t you go at the end of the holiday?”

“We want to check out the apartment." And I want to get Tyler as far as I can away from you. “Get to know some people before we have to start there.”

And then he says something that completely shocks me. “I don’t trust that boy, Alice.”

“I thought you liked him.” My voice breaks. “You like him, dad.”

There’s a very long pause. “I like Damon. I thought I liked Tyler. Until you two went on that break of yours, and now he’s suddenly back on the scene and taking you away from me. What does Damon have to say about this? A while ago I caught you kissing on my porch.”

If my voice was breaking then, now I can hardly breathe. Because I’m a rubbish liar, and right now, I’m lying more than I’ve ever had to before.

“I don’t love him though, dad. I love Tyler.”

And I know he doesn’t believe me when he replies, “Okay.”

 -------

“What’s the plan?”

I look to Riley. “I don’t have a plan.”

“River and I are going to the university here, you know, where we always planned to go. Jason’s going too, and I think Damon is as well. You could stay here. Damon will keep you safe. He’s an absolute wreck, has been these last three weeks, hardly even turning up to school. I was surprised to see him here today. But he probably just wanted to see you from afar before you left. He really loves you, Alice.”

“And I really love him,” I look to the end of the hallway, and spot Jason heading towards us. “But I can’t stay, and you know that. I have no plan but to go with him, and stay there. Damon will move on, I’m sure of it.”

Riley looks at me, “He won-“

But she hardly even gets two words out, before Jason’s storming towards us, a finger pointed towards me accusingly. “I heard you were leaving. What the hell is this about, Alice?”

“University.” Riley answers for me, resting her back on the lockers we were stood by. “With Tyler.”

“That douche. I thought you weren’t together anymore.”

And I don’t have an answer for that except, “We are.”

“When do you leave?” He grimaces. “Let me guess, as soon as he wants you to. Don’t think I haven’t seen how controlling he is over you, Alice. I don’t like him in the slightest.”