***SPARKED IS AVAILABLE ON AMAZON***
This is the sequel to Sparked. Make sure to check that one out before reading this one!
After graduating high school, Nate told Brooke to take a year and figure out what she wanted before they became an item. The...
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I was zoning out on the walk from history class and Will was by my side chatting with his friends. I hadn't gotten much sleep the past few days. First, because I was trying to finish a paper for one of my classes and second, because of my nightmares.
I only had nightmares on two occasions: On the day when Oliver attacked Nate and the day of what would have been my anniversary with Oliver. We weren't even together long but he made a show of the one month anniversary, two months, six months, and so on. If I forgot, it was like the world was ending for him. That date was seared onto my brain.
This time specifically, it was the anniversary keeping me awake.
It was getting better. I was getting better. Slowly, but it wasn't a race.
Will nudged my arm and I tuned back in.
"What do you say?" he asked.
Ever since the party, Will and I hung out now and then. Sometimes it was on campus, sometimes it was at his place with his friends. We went to dinner once. On a different day, we went to a movie but it was during the day so I didn't think it was a date. Mason argued that it was.
"Yeah," I said, even though I had been so wrapped up in my own head I didn't have a clue what he was talking about.
He looked at me skeptically. "Were you listening?"
"Yes, I was," I forced out passionately to try to cover up the truth. I didn't want him to think I was bored. I was just distracted.
"Okay, cool. Dinner at your place tomorrow," he repeated.
I nodded because despite not knowing what I was agreeing to in the first place, it was fine. All I could think about was whether or not the apartment was clean and where Matthew would be.
"We have hockey practice today. Want to come watch and we could hang out later?"
I scrunched up my face. "I'll pass. Text me after."
His friends laughed and he tried not to look embarrassed. Had this conversation occurred back in high school, I would've felt bad and agreed to go. But after everything that happened, I started doing things I wanted to do. I didn't want to agree to plans or tiptoe around something just because I was worried it would upset them.
My therapist told me I had to live for myself and that was something I tried to think about every day.
Oliver had pushed me into a new school, into being afraid to sleep, into hardly speaking to one of my close friends because I was worried.
I wouldn't let others run my life.
"Are you coming to the game this weekend?" Will asked.
This time, I did hear what he said and was honest when I said, "Yes. I wouldn't miss it."
His friends scoffed and walked ahead of us. I held in a laugh.
"And when you're at this game, are you going to be sitting on State's side or the traitorous Central's side?" he asked, but it sounded like he already knew the answer.
