Miss Daring ✔️

Chapter Twenty Two

Six months later.

I sat in the fancy hotel with my mother and sisters as we celebrated me having graduated with honors earlier that day . My body may have been there with my family but my thoughts were elsewhere entirely. My mind wandered back to earlier that day.

The ceremony was over and everybody was roaming around congratulating each other and taking photographs. I didn't have time for all that or better yet friends to do all that with so I was trying to find a way through the crowd and back to my family. They had excused themselves saying they would give me time to do all this with my friends. I didn't have the heart to tell them I had no one do do this with so I had just smiled and nodded. Twenty minutes was enough right? Well it had to be because I swear to God if someone else asked me to take a photo of them and their friends I would run away with their phone or stomp on it.

I was so lost in thought that I didn't hear someone sneak up behind me until they wrapped their hands around my waist and hoisted me up in the air making me shriek. I was about to scream and kick but they spoke before I had a chance and I sighed in relief.

"Niaaa we did it, congratulations." Vincent said or more like shouted before he put me down, turned me around and squished me against him in a hug making me smile.

"Congratulations Vin."I said when we pulled away and kissed his cheek making him blush.

"Oh my God it's been so long. Come, let's join the rest of the guys am sure they are going to want to see you. You've been MIA for far too long." He said grabbing my hand and and started pulling me with him but I stood my ground.

I hadn't talked to the gang much ever since I ran out that day. Sure they reached out when I finally turned my phone back on but I kept the conversation minimal because I didn't feel okay talking to his friends behind his back. Sure they became my friends too but they were his friends first. The only person I talked to was Ava because we were always friends even before Gabriel and she wouldn't leave me alone. She was one persistent little lady.

"I can't." I said when Vincent looked back at me wondering why I wasn't moving.

Two reasons why I couldn't. First I didn't want to face Gabriel and two I was ashamed of how I had treated the guys. I hadn't seen or heard from Gabriel ever since that day at the staircase six months ago. It's like we had both totally vanished from each others lives. I had even considered not coming today to avoid running into him. It was already hard enough moving on from him. It would dig up old wounds if I saw him again.

"Come on please. Everyone will be so happy to see you." He begged.

"I don't think I can face him Vin." I said my voice going soft.

His facials got soft too when he realized who I was talking about.

"It's okay he's not here. He went missing too just like you did after you guys broke up." He replied his voice getting sad.

It's all my fault. I had broken up the gang with my stupid immature behavior. I had pushed Gabriel away from the guys.

"I'm sorry." I apologized feeling really guilty and looking down.

"Hey its not your fault." Vincent said pulling my chin up with his fingers to make me look at him.

"But it is." I insisted.

"Really believe me it's not." He argued.

"How come?" I asked feeling as if there was a deeper reason to his absence then.