Connor's POV:
I don't think I can recall ever being quite so elated! Just being in her presence once again made me see an entire new outlook on life. I knew that she was euphoric too, even if she wasn't quite the same as before with how she expressed her emotions; I was able to see it. More aware of herself and less likely to let others (including myself) in on her life. As if during our time apart she had grown decades worth of experience rather than a mere few.
It was paradoxical to admit that this little girl had grown up without me getting to experience it but she probably thought the same about me too. I hoped that she did at least. It wasn't as if we weren't going to have the rest of our lives together from now on, but at the same time I wish it hadn't taken us so long to finally get together without there being a wedge dividing us. This wedge of course being the one with a print on his face.
Almost immediately, I moved in with her, this cleared her debt and meant that I didn't have to travel so far to get to work. So for the both of us it was beneficial.
The house was quite plain. On an off street of a barren main road in a highly deserted town not far from where we grew up as children. Built in the middle ages, the houses structure was like most of the others surrounding it: drab, bleak and mundane. There was a garden out back but the concrete slabs displayed the same cracks as the interior walls of the building.
Each room besides the bedroom was some primitive shade of cream or brown. The bleak walls made me question her past as she explained very little to me: I was too loved up to care all that much. There were some personal touches around the house though, although it was kept very bare, with most rooms being kept uncluttered and minimalistic the hallway had two photos hanging up. The first of her and another boy and then the second just of the boy who looked to be around about sixteen in the photo – covered in achene with freckles stretching from his cheeks up through his button nose.
I once found photos of Travis – many in broken frames – when I looked through the side cabinet of the dining room but I decided it was best not to question it.
Gwen did tell me a basic summary of what happened when we lost contact. This was a few days after having spontaneously bumped into one another at the shop, she wouldn't speak to me much about her past before then.
'After you left, Travis seemed to calm down a bit, as if he knew there was nothing that would make me leave him anymore; you were gone. He found some way to grow up even if he was still aggressive toward me on occasion. We were still a 'couple' even though I was shaken. I did after all love him. Somehow... I hate to admit that.
You are right when you asked about university. I didn't go. I wasn't able to. My parents were maniacal beyond belief at my exam results but they always tried to support me even if they despised Travis and the lack of a career I had.
Travis and I moved out from our childhood homes thanks to his families' wealth, this was around about the time he started to become decent. He stopped hitting me as much and controlling me all the time but I can guess the fact that he was tracking me helped. I think he finally saw that it was wrong but he still thought it was necessary.
I cared about him. Like Stockholm syndrome Rob would tell me. I loved him. Did, that's the past...
Anyway he broke up with me not long after us getting the house. It was weird. I was alone. He broke up with me from... From boredom. Yeah... he got bored of me... He wanted someone better. Someone without baggage. It left me in a really bad place especially since I thought you had moved on'.
I didn't pry further when she told me about the past. When she brought it up I would listen, otherwise I wouldn't mention it. I knew it would lead to repressed memories which she wanted to keep hidden.
We moved in together within the space of a month.
Not too long after that I remember one Saturday morning, I went into our room to fetch my phone which had been left on charge by the bedside table. Gwen was in the bath at the time. As I went to turn off the power to the charger, her phone went off. "Gwen," I called not realising that she wouldn't hear me over the running tap.
Taking it, I unlocked the phone. Matthew.
'One of my colleges at the time, Matthew, asked me out and we dated for a while. He and I had been close friends before then and he knew everything about me - about Travis. He made me feel human again – that's him in the picture by the stairs. But obviously, he actually went to university unlike me so we drifted apart. He fell in love with a boy named Rory who was actually really sweet. I got on well with him but that's mainly because Matthew accidently brought us together by being out later one night. They stayed in contact with me for a while, several months or so. But eventually I saw less of them. They ring me once a week, even then it's normally just Mat but I know that Rory cares too.'
I remembered when she told me that. Matthew wasn't someone I knew but I wanted to thank him for being there when I wasn't.
Knowing it was wrong to look at the texts, but feeling too noisy to avoid it - I skimmed through the latest messages. Sent today. His reply which had just come through.
Gwen: Yeah, and you were right. Gosh, Matthew you'd love him
Mat: Well trust me Gee, I need to check out this guy. But I trust him. From everything you ever told me about him at least.
Gwen: He's still the same goofball as when we were teens. And I still love him. Just as much, if not more.
Mat: seems like Rory and I were right when we told you to speak to him :P
She had been speaking to him about me. Wow, she even said 'I still love him. Just as much if not more.' Now that was incredible. It made me blush.
Leading on from this, I then wondered when I would (if I ever would) meet Matthew. I honestly wanted to get to know the one who was there for Gwen during her time of need. Recovering from Bullington's lies and deceitfulness mustn't have been easy. On her or Matthew especially if Bullington new of his existence.
Just then, I got a text from Raymond, he was acting like such a stereotypical girl. Gossiping more than the one at the front desk of our workplace. We had a brief conversation over the phone. It mirrored Gwen's and Matthew's slightly with the idea of telling your best friend that the one you want to be with is finally there. I didn't say it all over text, the rest I told him at work later in the day.
After meeting Guinevere sometime after this, Ray was genuinely shocked at how shy she seemed because the girl I described: the Gwen I had known wasn't like that at all. He approved though, even if she was jittery to meet his gaze or fully open up. I had to remind him that she'd probably open up eventually because she once did it instinctively. Until Bullington that is.
Gwen's POV:
As soon as I met Connor again, Mat was the first person I told.
Gwen: Hey Mat, you won't believe who just happened to say hi, whose back in my life. Connor! I wish had listened to you and Rory sooner! I finally have someone to fill your shoes
Mat: well I did tell you Gee! So happy for you.
I loved Connor once but to say I loved him again was false, I never stopped loving him.
I rung Rob but he had little to say on the matter... Our relationship wasn't quite the same since I told him the truth about why Travis really left. The full truth which I kept from Connor. Rob and I were no longer the unit we were before, I knew I had let him down.
I had seen him splenetic so many times before but he hadn't ever gotten into trouble with the police before that day. I felt disconsolate. Like a person who tried to save an animal only to find that they caused its death. It was such an incredible barrier of pain which I had inflicted on him without intention. I just knew that I wasn't able to tell my parents about the discussion I was forced to make.
He was my big brother and I guess he just felt that I needed to be protected. When he failed this mission he blamed only himself.
So when I told him about Connor and how he was in my life he wasn't rude or mean but he didn't say much. As if all his energy had been struck from him. I knew that Rob had liked Connor once before. Hopefully he would like him again?
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