Evermore

By exclusivepearls

674K 14.3K 28.3K

The sequel to my other story 'nothing lasts forever'. This is based two years later :) More

𝑶𝒏𝒆
𝑻𝒘𝒐
𝑻𝒉𝒓𝒆𝒆
𝑭𝒐𝒖𝒓
𝐟𝐢𝐯𝐞
𝑺𝒊𝒙
𝑺𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏
𝑬𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕
𝑵𝒊𝒏𝒆
𝑻𝒆𝒏
𝐄𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧
𝐓𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐯𝐞
𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧
𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧
𝐅𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧
𝐒𝐢𝐱𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧
𝐒𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧
𝐄𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧
𝑵𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒆𝒏
𝑻𝒘𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒚
𝑻𝒘𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒚 𝒐𝒏𝒆
𝑻𝒘𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒚 𝒕𝒘𝒐
𝑻𝒘𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒆𝒆
𝑻𝒘𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒚 𝒇𝒐𝒖𝒓
𝐓𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐢𝐯𝐞
𝐓𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐲 𝐬𝐢𝐱
𝐓𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐲 𝐬𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧
𝐓𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐲 𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭
𝐓𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐲 𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐞
𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒓𝒕𝒚
𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒓𝒕𝒚 𝒐𝒏𝒆
𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒓𝒕𝒚 𝒕𝒘𝒐
𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒓𝒕𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒆𝒆
𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒓𝒕𝒚 𝒇𝒐𝒖𝒓
𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒓𝒕𝒚 𝒇𝒊𝒗𝒆
𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒓𝒕𝒚 𝒔𝒊𝒙
𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒓𝒕𝒚 𝒔𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏
𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒓𝒕𝒚 𝒆𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕
𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒓𝒚 𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒆
𝑭𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒚
𝑭𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒚 𝒐𝒏𝒆
𝑭𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒚 𝒕𝒘𝒐
𝑭𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒆𝒆
𝑭𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒚 𝒇𝒐𝒖𝒓
𝑭𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒚 𝒇𝒊𝒗𝒆
𝑭𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒚 𝒔𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏
𝑭𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒚 𝒆𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕
𝑭𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒚 𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒆
𝑭𝒊𝒇𝒕𝒚
𝑭𝒊𝒇𝒕𝒚 𝒐𝒏𝒆
𝑭𝒊𝒇𝒕𝒚 𝒕𝒘𝒐
𝑭𝒊𝒇𝒕𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒆𝒆
𝑭𝒊𝒇𝒕𝒚 𝒇𝒐𝒖𝒓
𝑭𝒊𝒇𝒕𝒚 𝒇𝒊𝒗𝒆 (wedding pt.1)
𝑭𝒊𝒇𝒕𝒚 𝒔𝒊𝒙 (wedding pt. 2)
𝑭𝒊𝒇𝒕𝒚 𝒔𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏
Authors message

𝑭𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒚 𝒔𝒊𝒙

11K 218 446
By exclusivepearls

-Diana's POV-

I stand at the stove, I decided to wake up extra early to make Natalie breakfast in bed. I had to get up around five thirty because she wakes up before the sun is even up which is irritating. Mostly because I don't get morning cuddles...I wake up most of the time and she's already up and making me breakfast.

I'm making her some avocados on toast with some egg, I did get a bit carried away and began playing music...not too loud because I don't want her waking up. I want to bring her breakfast in bed with a nice warm cup of coffee.

The last few days have been okay, work has been good. Lili and Victoria are not on good terms right now so there's tension there...Arabella's even noticed it.

Lili said Victoria is being a bitch to her again...this time Lili is not sending pictures to move past it, she's just treating Victoria the same and now they're just arguing and ignoring each other....even though Lili is Victorias assistant.

Lili did get victoria the wrong coffee the other day to annoy victoria more. I saw it first hand and Victoria was not happy...

Then again...supposedly Victoria was flirting with someone in the company and that's just a whole thing. I told Lili just talk to victoria but she said she's sick of her...she's definitely not because I see the way she looks at Victoria and I also hear what she says about her.

About the wedding, we're looking at venues tomorrow and hopefully picking one. Natalie has tried to not work as much at home but she also wants to write so it's just difficult right now.

I'm trying to learn to become less clingy to her but most of the time during work, I'm counting down the hours until I get to go home to her. Dorothea's clingy to her too so I'm not the only one.

The toaster pops as the toast rises, I jump looking to it before walking over. I reach for the bread before hissing, jumping back at how hot it is.

"You bitch!" I give out, looking at my thumb which feels like it just got burnt off by lava.

"There's my shirt." I hear Natalie's voice making me jump again. I look to her before dropping my shoulders.

"Why aren't you in bed?" I raise my voice and she looks at me confused, I look over her—she's dressed already, but she has no shirt—she's wearing a bra obviously but...

"Why did you steal my shirt?" She questions back and I glance down to her button up that I stole...oh.

"I was cold."

"I need it." She steps closer and I push her hand away huffing.

"I'm trying to make you breakfast, go back to bed." I look at her and she sighs searching my eyes.

"You're cute but I'm not hungry." She kisses my head and I drop my shoulders.

"Seriously?"

"I don't eat breakfast, only sometimes but I'll take the coffee." She grabs her mug and I grab the hot toast from the toaster, dropping it down on the plate.

Natalie glances to me and I look away from her, walking to the frying pan, taking up the most likely burnt egg. I drop it on the toast before setting the frying pan back down at the stove. I turn off the stove so the house doesn't burn down.

I had this planned since last night and she doesn't even want my burnt toast and egg...I put the sliced up avocado on the toast.

I could have slept in.

"Why are you suddenly being quiet?" She questions and I shrug.

I leave the plate, I go to walk past her but her hand wraps around me, pulling me against her.

"What's wrong?" She begins kissing the side of my head and I huff pulling away from her. I dumped away two eggs because I burnt them completely. I'm not a bad cook, honestly, I'm just tired. This was a completely waste of my time.

"Nothing." I mumble grabbing my own mug, taking a sip, I burn my tongue, dropping the mug which shatters and hot coffee hits my legs.

I want to go back to bed.

"Don't move, you're not even wearing socks, you idiot." She pushes me back away from the shattered mug. I huff as she bends down picking up the big pieces of the mug.

She goes to the trash, dumping them before leaving the kitchen. I drop my head closing my eyes. I really should have slept in.

Natalie comes back with the broom, brushing the smaller pieces away from the coffee spilled on the floor.

"Sorry." I mumble and she looks to me as she grabs the kitchen towel from the counter before bending down.

"There's nothing to be sorry about, don't be silly, beautiful." She speaks and I shrug my shoulders again as she dries the wet floor.

She finishes cleaning up, leaving to put the wet towel into the laundry basket.

She sighs stepping back into the kitchen, I unbutton her shirt, pulling it down my arms before holding it out to her.

"I'm going to go for a shower." I say and she pulls me closer to her.

I look away from her.

"What's wrong, beautiful?" She wraps the shirt back around my now cold body.

"Nothing."

"Diana, come on, darling. You know you can talk to me." She rubs my cheek and I close one of my eyes as my nose scrunches. She laughs a little and I pull away from her hand.

"I don't want you to feel bad."

"About what?"

"I got up early today, baby. To make you breakfast and it's just upsetting that you don't want to try it—but it's okay, I understand you don't eat breakfast and I should have thought about that." I shrug, she moves past me, taking my hand. She walks over picking up the plate.

"Eat with me, put back on the shirt, it's cold." She walks me around to the stools at the island.

"Natalie, if you don't want to eat breakfast then don't. I don't want you to feel like you—"

"Diana, I should have realised this was a nice gesture and accepted it. It's Friday, it's been a long week so both of us are a bit off. It's alright." She picks up one slice of toast as I sit up next to her.

She pulls back chewing and nodding as she looks to me. She holds it out to me and I take a small bite.

I cringe immediately as the taste of it.

"Is the avocado out of date?" I put my hand over my mouth as I quickly stand.

"Okay. Baby." I call Natalie from Janes kitchen table since she's outside having a cigarette with Beck.

"Natalie." I call her tapping the pen in my hand against the paper, Jane leans on the table while Sadie sits beside my chair.

"Am I being summoned?" I hear her and I sit up.

"Yeah you are, we came here to work out the guest list, where's your Mom? She said she knows exact numbers." I say looking up at Natalie as she gets closer.

"She should be here soon, but you need to remember we're giving plus ones so it's basically double numbers except for family invites like Floyd and his family." She takes the pen from my hand as she leans down over my shoulder writing stuff down.

"Ugh." I groan dropping my head back.

"When are we going dress shopping, Di?" Jane asks and I sink into the chair.

"Never mind, I don't want to get married I'm stressed now." I huff and Natalie laughs, Beck walks over to the table pulling out a chair.

"You're getting stressed out about nothing, it's alright." Natalie says and I look up at her.

"Yeah, this is your second wedding, you're basically a pro at this." I say and she smiles, writing on the paper.

"That's harsh." Beck says and I shrug.

"Her fault for not waiting around for me." I sit up in my chair, Natalie's hair touching my face, I reach up moving her dark hair behind her ear.

"To what? Become legal?" Jane says and I look to her quickly as Natalie sighs.

"That was a joke, I made a—never mind." Jane stands up and I chew my lip.

"How are you two balancing work with this?" Beck changes the subject as Natalie sets the pen down on the paper.

"Our evenings and weekends, going to sleep consists of wedding talk. It's a month till our anniversary and two months until my birthday." I smile and Natalie hums.

Natalie's phone rings and she pulls away quickly. She leaves the kitchen...almost running, my eyebrows knot watching her go in such a hurry.

"That wasn't suspicious at all." Beck crosses her arms and I stare at the kitchen door, hearing the front door shutting meaning Natalie's taking this mysterious call outside.

She's been so secretive the last few weeks...I'm not overreacting but I haven't said anything, she's been texting at her phone and when I move closer she turns it off immediately. I asked to see her phone once but immediately regretted it because of how...weird it sounded—I didn't want to invade her privacy like that. Still—she has gotten calls almost every other day and she leaves the room I'm in to take them, usually she stays right beside me while taking a call.

She's not cheating—at least I don't think because I'd like to think she loves me too much for that but she's been going out during the night....I woke up Saturday night and she wasn't beside me, I searched the whole house and I was going to call but she came home so I went back to bed and pretended to be asleep. Also...she's been so late coming home from work, usually she's home before me.

Maybe she's hiring a hitman to kill me, if it continues I'm going to follow her because it's weird and very worrying.

Anyway...We picked out our venue and it's perfect. It's a beautiful hotel, there's a wedding suite with the package we chose. There's a huge tub by the window and it's up a hill, there's lots of trees around and the most gorgeous view from the window.

The venue hall itself is big...bigger than we intended to get but there's lots of natural light, there's a chandelier—the ceiling is high and detailed as well as the walls that have white pillars between each window.

Right across from the entrance door is those imperial staircases, curving up to another door which leads out to a balcony, again a beautiful view.

It's perfect for everything we want.

"Anyway...So from my side I have Danielle and her husband, the kids. Do they need plus ones?" I ask and Beck shakes her head.

"Danielle has no friends, only ones that need those plus ones are me and Jane." Beck speaks and I nod adding everyone up.

"Do we invite kids?" I ask and Jane sits down at the table again with a glass of water.

"That's up to you." Jane says.

"They're family. I mean it's just kind of up to their parents to take care of them..." I chew my lip, thinking about my own parents.

"The only really young ones are Paige's two, Laya and Blair. Blair's quiet though but most likely everyone is going to end up drunk." Beck says and I nod.

"Well Paige's husband isn't much of a drinker and he's a night owl so he would definitely volunteer to bring them to their hotel room." Jane says.

I tap my pen quickly against the table.

"Where's my Mom?" I ask and Jane meets my eye.

"She...has her own apartment in town, do you want me to call her?" Jane questions and I shake my head.

"I'm inviting her and my Dad, just give me my Moms address I'll figure out my Dads." I say writing down on the paper.

I'm also inviting Arabella, Floyd and Theo...Then Lili, and someone else who I must speak to first.

Natalie walks in to the kitchen followed by her Mom.

"Hi, Isabelle." I smile and she walks around the table.

"Hello, Diana. How are you?" She smiles at me, pulling out the chair beside me.

"I'm good, how are you?" I ask.

"I'm great. Show me the paper so I can figure out the list." She says and I give it to her along with the pen.

"There's twenty five from my side, Nat." I tell her and she nods, she goes to pull out the other chair beside me but notices Sadie laying down beneath making her jump back.

She's afraid of dogs and she won't admit it. She will never admit being afraid of anything but it's very obvious.

"I'll sit elsewhere." She walks around, sitting down beside her Mom and I keep laughing.

"Are you inviting Zack?" Isabelle asks Natalie and she hums.

"Yes, I suppose. Show me, I'll figure it out." Natalie says, her mom hands her the pen and I watch as Natalie starts writing.

"Alright, so..." She mumbles a little and I sit back waiting as my phone buzzes on the table. I pick it up to see Jane sent an address, I glance up at her and she smiles at me.

"Should be about thirty two. All together fifty seven, will we just go with sixty incase?" Natalie asks, I stare at my phone for a moment. I need to go see her today, we want to contact the hotel tomorrow for a price.

"Darling." Natalie says and I glance to her turning my phone off, she furrows her eyebrows and I nod.

"Yeah, that's fine. Can I talk to you please—now?" I stand and she stands too, I walk out of the kitchen and over to the front door, Natalie's hand finds my lower back immediately.

"What's wrong?" She shuts the front door and I look at her.

"Come with me, I need to go see my Mom and ask her about the wedding—hopefully she knows where my Dad is—we also need to stop—"

"Take a moment, shush." She cups my face looking at me, I stop rushing through what I was saying, I take a breath and she kisses ny forehead.

"Stop freaking out, it's alright. I'll go with you and it's all going to go well, alright?" She asks and I nod closing my eyes for a moment.

"I wish Charlie was here, he would make a stupid joke that would calm me down." I say and she hums pulling me into her arms.

"He's probably glad he's not dealing with your stressed ass right now." She laughs kissing my cheek.

I step inside a familiar store, Natalie following. I spot Lyla immediately at the counter, reading a book.

I smile walking closer as Natalie wonders off down an aisle, another person enters the store also wondering off down an aisle of books.

"Sorry to disturb you, bookworm." I knock on the counter, Lyla looks up from her book, her eyes brighten up and she smiles as she sees me.

"Diana, my favourite customer, you're back." She nods at me and I smile putting my hands on the counter.

"You're always too sweet to me, Lyla." I tell her and she does a double take of my hand.

"Is that an engagement ring?" She gasps and I nod quickly smiling widely.

"Yeah—that's actually what I came here to talk about." I tell her, she looks to me nodding.

"Go on." She smiles.

"Remember that book that I really really wanted by that author Beth Winters?"

"Oh yes, the one you were desperate for, the same one you refused to purchase online because you wanted to stay loyal to my store." She laughs and I do too nodding.

"Yeah...Remember that woman who took it?"

"How could I forget, you put up quite the fight. I should have taken it back from her."

"It was my book—anyway...We may or may not have met afterwards and she may or may not be my fiancée—we also are getting married in December and I have an invite for you." I say and she laughs.

"After all those years of you buying book after book from my store, you've found yourself wrapped in a book like love." She puts her hand on her hip and I start laughing.

"I just wanted to come by and tell you, I will have a proper invitation for you in the next couple of weeks, I just wanted to ask if you could make it." I say and she nods.

"I will be there, I'm very grateful for an invite, Diana."

"It's no problem, without you and your store I would have been bored my teenage years and I never would have met her." I say.

"Get a book, on me." She smiles nodding to the aisles of books and I smile widely back.

"Thank you, Lyla." I step away from the counter.

I walk across the store, looking down the aisles, noticing a woman scanning through the books. I keep walking.

I spot Natalie looking at the back of a book, I walk down the aisle quickly and she looks to me. I snatch the book out of her hand before grabbing her face and kissing her.

She stumbles back laughing against my lips.

I pull back smiling as I look at the book in my hand, flipping it over. I don't even know if she wants it but I'm taking it anyway.

"This is mine." I hold it up before walking back down the aisle of books and up to the counter, proud of myself for finally getting the revenge I wanted.

"It's the third floor, I just hope she's home." I say, shaking Natalie's hand in mine nervously. She stops her hand making me stop and look down before to her.

"It's alright, you've got this. I'm right by your side." She leans over kissing my head as I press the third floor button.

"I got this." I take a breath and Natalie hums.

"That's my girl." She speaks and I glance to her smiling even though my heart is racing for a million different reasons. My hands are also really sweaty which is just making me more nervous—Natalie doesn't seem to care though, she's just being a good fiancée like always.

It's okay.

The elevator dings before the doors open, I step out with Natalie letting going of her hand as I look down the grey hallway.

I begin walking and Natalie walks beside me. Not saying a word, it's silent but I can hear my heart thrumming in my ears.

I look at each door before stopping at the last door on the right side, eighty six.

I take a breath before lifting my closed hand, gently knocking three times at the black wooden door.

I swallow nervously. It's okay. I have Natalie beside me.

I hear the click of a lock before the door is pulled open, revealing my Mom. Tall, blonde hair just going past her shoulders, just a little less pale than me, blue eyes just like mine.

"Diana." She says my name but it seems to take her whole breath away to say.

"Hi." I say and she studies me, she didn't get to do so on Christmas since I spilled wine on her and had a panic attack—cut my hand open and cried until Natalie came and proposed to me—besides the point.

"Oh my—would you like to come inside?" She opens the door wider, stepping to the side. I nod, stepping inside, into her new home.

Her apartment seems small, the kitchen to the right, white cabinets with brown handles, a marble countertop with three stools beneath the left side...just enough for her, me and Dad.

I drag my eyes to her living room to the left, a grey cotton L shaped couch with some cushions and a wool blanket laying on top. There's a black coffee table in front of it, I study it...there's no white powder. No empty bottles scattered along the wooden floor. I look straight ahead to a white door, to the right there's another white door. Probably her bathroom and bedroom. No second bedroom for me. Not that I was expecting there to be one it's just...weird.

I look to her tv, in front of the coffee table and in front of a large window, the white curtains drew open.

"Would you like a cup of coffee, tea maybe?" She questions, her voice the exact same as it used to be. The same way it was at Christmas, the same way it was two years ago, the same way it was when I was twelve. Not as sweet as when I was ten and she was putting my headphones on me while my Dad was shouting—she used to try to convince me everything was okay even if she was crying while doing so.

"A glass of water would be great, thank you." I look to her and my eyes linger, I want to hug her. I hate how much I want to do it even though I'm afraid, I want her her to wrap me in her arms and tell me she's sorry. I want to hear her saying she loves me, just to see if I believe it.

I look away and I'm guessing she looks to Natalie.

"I'll have the same." Natalie says, dryly before I hear the door shutting.

"Make yourself at home." She says, I walk over to the couch slowly, realising I could kick off my shoes and lay down because it's my Moms house. My Mom.

"Can I take my shoes off?" I ask.

"Of course you can." She says, I hear a cupboard shutting. I hate how I want to make myself at home. I hate that I'm going to take my shoes off because I don't want to leave.

I sit down on the couch, Natalie sits beside me and I take off my shoes before bringing my legs up onto the couch, hugging them like I used to in my bedroom.

"Here we go." She walks around the couch, setting the two clear glasses of water down on the coffee table. She sits down at the end of the L shaped couch, a bit away from me.

I look to her and she looks back at me.

"I should have been a better mother." She says and my arms loosen around my legs, I keep looking at her, remembering how she used to hold my face, her eyes filled with tears while she smiles and said Dads just having a bad night. Remembering how she never looked me in the eyes while she shouted at me, she always looked elsewhere which was odd—it never felt like she was shouting directly at me but it felt weird, like every part of the room was shouting at me too. It felt suffocating—being thirteen, it was my awkward stage and I didn't have a stable mother teaching me things that I needed to be taught.

I wasn't expecting this conversation this fast. I thought she was going to avoid it, ask me how I'm doing first maybe. If she cares.

"Yeah, you should have been...I don't forgive you, I just—I'm tired. I lost a piece of myself when Dad began hitting us, I felt like I didn't know who I was or what to do when you began hitting me. Charlie helped me, he helped me to find myself again and find happiness. Then I lost him, I think he took a part of me with him. And since I lost that part I've grown more and more tired of being angry at everything. I think it's stupid, I think I'm being stupid even coming here but...I want to believe you have changed. I want a relationship with my mother because I've realised you don't know when someone is going to be gone until they are. I have my reasons—enough to not build any sort of relationship with you but I want my mother, I need to stop feeling fear at the thought of being within five feet of you." I say and she keeps looking at me. I take a breath—the words slipped out.

I'm afraid to say more with what's been held up inside of me for these last years. It's all so much. My shoulders slump as a tear falls from her eyes. I thought I would be the first one to cry.

This is happening fast, the conversation and now the tears.

"Some people grow up without a mother to begin with, it should never be that way—I'm lucky to have good memories with you, I'm grateful for you protecting me, for taking the bruises that were meant for me. I'm just disappointed you fell down the same path as him, I can never forgive him, not just for tearing our family apart. But also for leaving. For trying to rebuild a relationship with me two years ago—for a reason I think being..because he was seeing Jane. I don't know if I can forgive you, I don't. But I want to at least get rid of the anxiety around you, I need to heal." I say and she looks away, wiping her eyes.

"I think you would do better so without me." She speaks and I shake my head.

"You may be right but I'm proud of you." I say and she looks back to me again, a slightly surprised look on her face as she wipes the tears.

"What?" She says and I shrug.

"You got clean, you went to rehab willingly. I just hope you're staying clean."

"I am—three years, nine months and five days." She says and I smile, just a little.

"That's good—really good...I'm getting married. December sixth, I want you to be there. I want you to come dress shopping probably in two months or so. I probably will see you once before that—or maybe I won't, because I need to take this slow. I cant rush it. I need you to be patient with me...I might see you then and then maybe not till the wedding. I just need to take this slow." I say, she looks to me again as her eyes brighten up, she smiles at me.

"You're getting married?" She questions and I nod glancing to Natalie who gives me the smallest smile.

"This is Natalie, my fiancée. I told you about her when I saw you after my graduation. I never really got the chance to come out to you, so that day was a lot." I say and my Mom sits forward holding her hand out to Natalie.

"I'm Lola, it's nice to finally meet you...I wouldn't like to think as our first meeting being last Christmas." My Mom laughs, I glance to Natalie who looks at me, I nod at her and she takes my Moms hand shaking it.

"Nice to meet you too, Lola." Natalie speaks before pulling her hand back. On my Moms birth certificate it's Dolores, but nobody has ever called her that, it's always been Lola.

"I...I have a box of things in my bedroom, from the old house. From your childhood, I think you would like to have them." She stands and I don't speak as she walks around the couch and over to one of the white doors, pushing it open.

"Are you alright?" Natalie whispers and I nod.

"Yeah—I'm okay—or at least I think I am. My heart isn't running a marathon right now which is a good sign, right?" I look at her and she smiles nodding.

"I love you, you're so brave. You never fail to surprise me or make me proud of you." She presses a kiss to my temple and I smile back.

"I love you." I respond before she pulls back.

"I was wrong, there is two boxes." My Mom walks back in, she sets an opened brown box down on the coffee table, I let go of my legs lowering them to the floor as I sit forward.

"I kept Bunny." She pulls out an old brown bunny stuffed toy, my heart skips a beat as I recognise it. She looks worn out.

"Oh my god, Bunny." I hold out my hand and she hands her to me, I look over the bunny a little shocked.

"This was my favourite teddy when I was younger, I loved her so much—she went almost everywhere with me. I drop her in a puddle one time and cried for hours—remember?" I look to my Mom, hoping she remembers it. Dad bought my ice cream afterwards even though it was cold out, I shared with my Mom because the ice cream was so big. I got extra sprinkles, I'm not sure why I remember that day but I do. Mom even let me help her clean bunny when we got home.

"Of course I do. Then when we got Sadie, she tried to steal her from you." My Mom says and I laugh. I set the bunny down on the couch.

"It's mostly toys in here, there's a few of your old diaries. Your childhood picture book." She pulls out three of my old diaries before a bigger book.

"I want to see that." Natalie says, referring to the picture book.

"No." I glance to her and my Mom sits down opening it, I don't even think, I move over beside her immediately as Natalie stands, walking around the couch to sit on the other side of her.

"You were the most adorable baby, your eyes were bright blue and you had the most beautiful blonde hair." My Mom smiles and I look at the photos of me, in a baby chair looking off somewhere. There's one of my Dad holding me against his chest while he smiles. My heart sinks a little but I ignore it, just admiring how happy he looks around little me.

She flips the page and my eyes go to a photo, me in a pink walker and a baby boy in a grey one.

"Is that Charlie?" Natalie laughs and my Mom nods.

"Oh my god, he looks so mad." I say and Natalie laughs.

"I think there's a photo in here somewhere of you both in his play room. You are mad too, both of you with your arms crossed looking away from each other. Cindy snapped a photo of it." My Mom says flipping through some of the pages before landing on it.

We look about three, me with pigtails in my hair, Charlie's hair all messy. I have my arms crossed and a little frown on my face, my cheeks were so chubby, I look adorable. Charlie also has a frown looking away with his arms also crossed. There's some chocolate around his mouth.

I begin laughing as my Mom and Natalie do too.

"Oh god, I wish he could see this." I say, putting my finger to the photo before pulling it away.

"There's a lot of you two in here, from when you both joined soccer and everything. Have it." My Mom closes the book holding it out to me. I look at her for a moment—it's painful to look her in the eye even though it's so similar to looking at my own through the mirror.

I search her eyes before taking the book, opening to another page. I land on the soccer photo—we're both older, probably six or seven. One of my front teeth is missing, Charlie's a little taller. He has a closed mouth smile but it's wide as he's squinting his brown eyes and his cheeks are all red probably from us running around since mine are red too.

My hairs in a little messy braid, his arm is wrapped around my shoulder. We're on the field, in our blue jerseys which were too big for us.

I smile at the photo before slowly closing the book.

"Me and Cindy used to think you two would get married...We figured out you wouldn't when I caught you putting makeup on Charlie and talking about your crushes from school." Mom smiles looking at me.

"Did I say I liked a girl?" I ask her and she smiles.

"No, but you were obsessed with Miss Thomas, your first grade teacher. You ditched Charlie at recess to go hold her hand and walk around with her. At pick up too, you would not stop talking about her all day everyday." My Mom smiles and I feel my face heating up—I completely forgot about Miss Thomas. She was so pretty—brunette, brown eyes, tanned skin—maybe I was a little bit in love with her. I do remember leaving Charlie alone to play with some other people while I pretended to be lonely—just so I could walk around with miss Thomas and hold her hand.

I glance to Natalie who raises her eyebrows at me. I smile sitting back.

"She was pretty!" I shrug and my Mom laughs.

I look to her again before dropping my shoulders. I look away taking a breath.

"We should actually go—do you know where Dad is?" I ask her and she hums.

"Outside of the city, I've met up with him once and I don't think you would—"

"It's okay. That's fine, I actually might not go today—just because it might be overwhelming. I...Take my number so you can give me his address." I say and she picks up her phone from the coffee table in front of us.

She hands it to me and I quickly type in my number. I glance to Natalie who isn't paying attention, instead she's typing at her phone.

I bump her knee which leads to her hiding her phone quickly. She looks at me and I look away.

That's been happening so often...it's weird.

A/n

I am finally finished my exams so I promise to be more active with the updating.

I hope everybody has been doing well, I am doing okay besides this one girl breaking my heart just in time for valentines!

Also I've been slut shamed...in the comments on Mrs Levine 2...for writing about a foursome and cheating?? I mean I'm not upset but I'm also not Tatum, they also went to the lengths of commenting on my profile calling me a horny mf like it wasn't obvious already?? Mrs Levine 2 will deleted either way because I had no idea what I was doing and there will be a rewrite of Miss Levine at some point. But again, if you don't like something about my stories, just don't read it.🤦🏼‍♀️

Have an amazing rest of your weekend everybody!!!!

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