I put my palm against my chest and frowned lightly. The pain wasn’t strong, but it was there. My parents had arrived at the hospital soon after I’d called them. Alex told them everything he knew, as I overheard while they were talking outside the room.471Please respect copyright.PENANAWUzayhzrii
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Apparently I needed to stay in the hospital so they could monitor me; make sure that this wouldn’t end up with me having a heart attack or at least until my new doctor came back from her vacation. She was going to have the last call on when I would be going home.471Please respect copyright.PENANAgZqrzncFrz
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A knock on the door made my parents and me turn towards the door. I managed to send Alex home to get some sleep just two hours ago so I didn’t expect anyone else.471Please respect copyright.PENANAQPusoDG3Ru
I didn’t want to call Max because I felt embarrassed therefore I didn’t expect him to show up at the hospital.471Please respect copyright.PENANA54kyJqoCjy
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I couldn’t see who it was but I saw my mom smiling and getting up from her seat. That’s when Max and Cleo came into view. I sighed and leaned back against my pillow. I would have to explain why all these was happening.471Please respect copyright.PENANAvTvriOojGL
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“We’re going to the cafeteria. Want me to bring you something?” my mom asked and pulled my oblivious looking dad from his hand.471Please respect copyright.PENANAedyIUsMrqg
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“A juice,” I smiled “And a cake,” I said with a smug smile “Can I eat cake?” I frowned suddenly.471Please respect copyright.PENANAQRSFrGyxlf
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“I’ll ask,” she smiled and left. The twins smiled at my parents as they walked past them.471Please respect copyright.PENANAaXvSqFpukq
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“So?” Max looked at me and sat down at the foot of the bed. Cleo didn’t move.471Please respect copyright.PENANAYFt0zhtX2Y
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“What?” I asked, frowning; avoiding the subject.471Please respect copyright.PENANAMs1lGxyuIE
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“What’s going on? My mom didn’t say much,” he explained.471Please respect copyright.PENANAgi92KuSIFw
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“Well, I had chest pains and they thought it would be better for me to stay in,” I smiled uneasily. Max blinked and tried to speak again but failed.471Please respect copyright.PENANAH7BhJO1Gw6
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“Why?” Cleo spoke for the first time; her voice kind of startled me. I haven’t talked to her for so long and I missed her so bad. I stared at my hands, my sight blurring, and the machine started to pace up. I noticed the twins turning towards it.471Please respect copyright.PENANAhsjPfQ96f4
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“I don’t wanna talk about it,” I mumbled “Not yet at least.”471Please respect copyright.PENANAumzEoxjW9U
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“When are you checking out?” Max asked another question.471Please respect copyright.PENANAjSgmBTJ2hA
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“When my doctor comes back from her vacation,” I replied “Tomorrow I think,” I winced and Max frowned “Yeah, I know bad timing,” I chuckled. Cleo looked more relaxed after my small joke and a small smile formed on her lips.471Please respect copyright.PENANA48jlqGrCbN
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“I got you these,” she said and opened her bag, taking out three magazines. She moved closer and gave them to me.471Please respect copyright.PENANATXTFFgNL3O
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“Music too huh?” I grinned as I saw my favorite music magazine among the fashion magazines she preferred.471Please respect copyright.PENANAAMbr4LYg1N
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“Well, it’s not the time to be a bully,” she chuckled. I noticed Max gazing at the magazines, as if looking for something and then winced when it didn’t found it. I guess he was looking either for a car, a football player or a semi-naked woman. I smiled lightly and turned towards Cleo again.471Please respect copyright.PENANAOK5c1fvdQU
471Please respect copyright.PENANAhL8VQUxrOB
“So,” I took a deep breath after a moment of silence “Tell me about the project,” I smiled at Cleo “What is it about?”471Please respect copyright.PENANApMAaz7iyAF
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“Um,” she breathed “Need to have a portfolio of ten summer outfits and sew one of them,” she explained.471Please respect copyright.PENANAys1B87GdE0
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“Random summer outfits?” I asked while she sat down on the chair where my mom was seating earlier.471Please respect copyright.PENANAkZ5RbON82x
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“Sort of, I need to show a work outfit, a party outfit, a brunch blah blah, you get the picture,” she chuckled lightly.471Please respect copyright.PENANAAeAk41713H
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“How close to the end are you?” I made an effort to smirk.471Please respect copyright.PENANAR8SOYbJc4f
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“Surprising, she’s almost done,” Max mocked. I grinned at him and turned to Cleo again as she spoke.471Please respect copyright.PENANAp6DvcY9Hr1
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“I’m actually drawing the last one but I can’t stop thinking about the previous I’ve done, so I’m gonna sew that one,” she said.471Please respect copyright.PENANAtLrrWfa8tV
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“Cool,” I smiled.471Please respect copyright.PENANAACZmgqTtQt
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I tried my best to ignore the fact that although she knew that Damien left, she only contacted me the first day. But as I couldn’t afford anymore drama these days, I turned to Max for a while, asking about Lexie. I understood that he didn’t want to say much maybe because he didn’t want to remind me Damien’s departure. Not that I have forgot about it at all.471Please respect copyright.PENANAaeyGbj68EF
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Max had to go outside to answer his phone a little while later and that’s when Cleo came and sat at his spot.471Please respect copyright.PENANANYWpoHMBUO
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“Um,” she begun and exhaled deeply “I’m really sorry that I haven’t contacted you since you came back or since you left actually,” she frowned. “I was mad at first because I didn’t want you to get hurt and then…” I swallowed hard figuring out for where this was going and I felt being dragged down under by a black hole. As my sight blurred I averted my eyes from her.471Please respect copyright.PENANASKWeoa5r48
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“Please don’t,” I interrupted “I’m not ready to talk about that yet,” I mumbled; my hands curling up into fists.471Please respect copyright.PENANAjwxyQEpxz0
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“Damn,” she breathed out as she studied me.471Please respect copyright.PENANA9RClTRE232
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“Yeah, I know.”471Please respect copyright.PENANAhzA4Le7o8D
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Thankfully, the very next day the new doctor came by my room; a young woman of medium height and slim figure with curly blonde hair. I was suspicious that Alex had something to do with the fact that I was her first patient; especially since she was stunning. But then she informed me that she was a psychologist; she couldn’t have many patients actually staying in the hospital.471Please respect copyright.PENANAjcPUy8lFi1
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“Can you please leave us for a moment?” she asked my parents. As soon as we heard the door closing, the doctor sat on the foot of my bed. Popural spot.471Please respect copyright.PENANAuxSw3fv9cL
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“As your pathologist may have told you, right now there’s nothing wrong with your body, it’ s just reacting to emotional pain,” she explained “So, we need to work on that,” she smiled.471Please respect copyright.PENANAlWotPc2LWJ
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“Okay,” I nodded. “So, when I’m getting out of here?” I grinned. Mrs. Abbott chuckled.471Please respect copyright.PENANAHaaI6z9l3z
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“I’ll come by in two hours, for a session and we’ll see,” she smiled.471Please respect copyright.PENANAGiCJ7TONGa
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“But I’m fine,” I winced.471Please respect copyright.PENANA9ge6vdIISc
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“We’ll talk about it later,” she smiled and nodded me for a goodbye.471Please respect copyright.PENANADSlGArTc6T
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She must have informed my parents herself because they didn’t ask me anything when they returned to the room. They left soon afterwards, leaving me to read a book I asked from my mom. I would probably have to study for my exams but I didn’t felt ready and just the thought of it made me anxious.471Please respect copyright.PENANAcpZkZUCmIN
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Samantha Abbott, my psychologist, was sitting on the chair across from me; a notebook on her lap. I was getting impatient. I wanted to go home and hide under the covers of my own bed. I felt oppressed in the hospital as I had to suppress every feeling I had; unless I wanted everyone to witness my weakness.471Please respect copyright.PENANAkzWG4ThX4z
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“Is this really necessary?” I mumbled.471Please respect copyright.PENANAYyry02YYGi
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“How are you feeling today?” the blonde doctor asked me; ignoring my question.471Please respect copyright.PENANATHlxmitPBS
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“Fine.”471Please respect copyright.PENANAwIFV1GZ3br
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“Fine is not a feeling Erica,” she noted.471Please respect copyright.PENANAlDBjoyf00v
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I breathed through my nose. I wasn’t anywhere near fine. I couldn’t understand why Damien left. It killed me even more that I knew it was a matter of time that he’d do it. I just hoped he would prove me wrong.471Please respect copyright.PENANAlhYJiPFCem
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“Okay then,” I exhaled “I feel ridiculous about this,” I motioned around me “People get dumped all the time,” I said and my eyes stared on my lap “So I don’t get it why I have to do this.”471Please respect copyright.PENANAEy2j32P4F1
471Please respect copyright.PENANACcaKSKzM9k
“Because we want to make sure that you’re healthy enough to go home,” she smiled. I looked at her. I guess this could be done two ways; the easy way or the hard way.471Please respect copyright.PENANAChsdll8Wuf
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“Yeah, still… I mean, people get dumped all the time but I ended up in the hospital. Always full of drama,” I rolled my eyes.471Please respect copyright.PENANAr2V0hVcrJ0
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“It’s not your fault you’re here,” she said “When things bottle up inside they’re bound to overflow at some point.”471Please respect copyright.PENANAZ6UdrrcLM0
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“I know,” I nodded. A deep sigh escaped my lungs as I curled my knees in front of me. “I feel it’s beyond me,” I confessed.471Please respect copyright.PENANAS41ryMSaT5
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“What is?”471Please respect copyright.PENANAzdCL1Si3dD
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“How much I love him. I can’t handle it,” I paused “And obviously he couldn’t either,” I raised my eyebrows “I knew it was a matter of time before he’d leave me,” I confessed.471Please respect copyright.PENANAnfiYDTkj7d
471Please respect copyright.PENANAQpkMHvWRTz
“Why do you believe he would leave you?” she asked. The tone surprised me. I always thought that psychologists ask blank questions, just to get into your head. I blinked and then scoffed.471Please respect copyright.PENANAbEO7xytnxC
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“Why wouldn’t he?” I smiled a bitter, small smile.471Please respect copyright.PENANA5xPadYJlLt
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“You should answer to that,” Samantha told me and saw her hand moving her pen on the notebook she was holding.471Please respect copyright.PENANA5dfdmFqpDE
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“Okay,” I exhaled. “I always loved him. That will never change. For the most part I was alone in this since he never knew and will never know how much I loved and will love him. I’ll just deal with being alone again,” I shrugged my shoulders “It’s not a big deal,” I smiled.471Please respect copyright.PENANAcek60B8LcY
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“Erica, I don’t think you realize how much of a big deal this is,” she looked at me “You’re body reacted to the emotional pain you pushed away. You need to deal with this before you’re body looses this battle. I’m not going to lie to you. You can give you’re self a heart attack,” she kept talking and the only think I could think of was “Fuck, he’ll actually be the death of me”.471Please respect copyright.PENANAEYAQtHm2fN
471Please respect copyright.PENANAeUQpO38Vve
“Other people get headaches from stress and emotional pain, others get nausea, others all the above, others get heart attacks. Every organism deals with emotional pain differently. Yours is on the verge of giving you a heart attack. You’ve pushed yourself to the limits,” she said and I began fuming.471Please respect copyright.PENANA2F4Pb0n5nw
471Please respect copyright.PENANAbAKn7LlpjN
“So what the hell am I suppose to do? Make him love me so I’ll stop the pain?” I asked, my tone rising and my hands cutting the air in front of me. “You can’t make people love you! Hecan’t love me! I’m not…I don’t think…” I stopped to think the best way to say this “He’s too good for me anyway,” I whispered.471Please respect copyright.PENANAB07Mcpka6B
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“You need to build up your confidence. You’re a beautiful, smart, young woman, Erica,” she said and I wanted to laugh.471Please respect copyright.PENANA9WZMIbcf61
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“Well, I still didn’t worth his time,” I mumbled.471Please respect copyright.PENANAReKpHykMdi
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“Have you talked to your friends about it?”471Please respect copyright.PENANABu39qaMmKr
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“Not completely,” I replied and rushed to explain “I think you run into them earlier; my friends. They are twins. It’s their older brother,” I sighed “So, it’s complicated,”471Please respect copyright.PENANAl4ZZf7vpQK
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“Why is that?” she asked again. Her questions were starting to annoy me.471Please respect copyright.PENANAUVhw5s9ykH
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I explained all the reasons that made this so complicated for me. I figured that if I couldn’t get away from this, I might as well take advantage of the situation. Since I thought my best friends weren’t keen on listening what was going on inside my weird head, she was the only option.471Please respect copyright.PENANAofgydcG4b8
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She discharged me from the hospital the very next day. I went home with four different pills to take each day and an appointment every two days for the next ten days.471Please respect copyright.PENANAvA1kTUS2yF
471Please respect copyright.PENANAxBvvDt4lOO
I had asked Cleo to wait for me until I was ready and felt comfortable to talk to her. She was supportive through those two weeks that it took me to actually feel human again and I was glad to have my best friend back. I could see, however, that she didn’t feel as comfortable, maybe because she was scared that something she would say or do would trigger me.471Please respect copyright.PENANACBtFbsfGQQ
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I didn’t even bother studying for my examinations using the hospital and the whole situation as an excuse. My parents of course were supportive about that, reminding me that what mattered what for me to be okay; an extra semester at the university wasn’t going to harm anyone.471Please respect copyright.PENANAAd0cdc061r
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The first month passed quietly and I managed to actually control my outbursts about Damien whenever I thought about him. Now, I would only cry during my sessions with Samantha, when I had to talk about him, or not even there. When Cleo couldn’t keep me company, Max would or when he wasn’t available Alex was there to keep me occupied.471Please respect copyright.PENANA1IxYOewppG
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“Are you okay so far?” I turned towards him from my seat as he stopped the car.471Please respect copyright.PENANAEZWF4Y7x1n
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“Yes,” Alex sighed. I smiled and got out of the car, the bouquet of flowers in my hands. We met at the front of the car and I gave him the bouquet. “Okay,” he straightened up and sighed.471Please respect copyright.PENANAZ8YfaU4lH6
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I check his black tie with my fingers to see if it was straight and put my hands against his shoulders.471Please respect copyright.PENANAm7bHLElhxY
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“Ready?” I smiled.471Please respect copyright.PENANAra5o5JJrks
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“Yes,” he smiled back and led the way.471Please respect copyright.PENANARhXZTHZMUM
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We walked quietly for a while before he stopped in front of a beautiful white stone. I noticed the name “Elizabeth White” curved carefully against the stone and knew we were there.471Please respect copyright.PENANAqWz5ia8bOU
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“It’s been two years,” he sighed.471Please respect copyright.PENANAMcadbo4wXG
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“That’s okay,” I told him “You’re here now. She knows you’re trying your best,” I smiled.471Please respect copyright.PENANAqAW89NxWTq
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He turned towards me and smiled too before he walked away from me and crouched down in front of the stone. He left the bouquet in front of the grave and stayed there for a minute.471Please respect copyright.PENANAJZWLTINJkI
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“Do you want some privacy?” I asked quietly.471Please respect copyright.PENANACFWb2hOt3Q
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“No, I’m okay,” he replied as he stared at his mother photograph; his fingers brushing her face.471Please respect copyright.PENANAyErBoRBxXq
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Sometimes Alex confused me so much. Sometimes I wish he was like that before we broke up. Why did he have to show his soft side to me after all of this? If he did it before maybe we would still be together and maybe I wouldn’t be that hurt right now. But I treasured those forty days with Damien so much. They were some of the best days of my life and I felt guilty for even thinking that I would be better off.471Please respect copyright.PENANAJfS2wJG7C0
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Alex got up and stood beside me again; bringing me back to the present. He took my hand in his and held it.471Please respect copyright.PENANAvrBCFPDQVl
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“Thank you,” he whispered and lightly squished my hand. I turned towards him and as our eyes met I smiled at him.471Please respect copyright.PENANApsTtqspLTR
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I turned my eyes forward again and sighed.471Please respect copyright.PENANAaQIAplfq8s
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The same week, Samantha informed me that she will cut down our sessions to once a week and I figured it was time to finally talk to Cleo. As far as I knew she had no idea how things with me and Damien were before he left.471Please respect copyright.PENANAMxW3rtjEhb
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I invited Cleo over for dinner and left the option to invite Max up to her. I tried to keep it light, do what we did before everything happened; just order dinner and watch television next to the fireplace.471Please respect copyright.PENANAGAEZXmDBSs
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She arrived alone so I figured she would like for us to talk like this. We sat down and decided what to order at first. When the food arrived and I returned into the living room with plates and as my mind was already spinning I couldn’t help myself anymore.471Please respect copyright.PENANAKSkFqNr2RN
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“I just wanted you to be okay with it,” I winced. Cleo sighed and left everything at the coffee table.471Please respect copyright.PENANADeVqIIod9h
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“I’m sorry,” she mumbled “I just didn’t want you to get hurt Erica,” she frowned as she looked at me.471Please respect copyright.PENANAWwfwn2fD9P
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“I know,” I mumbled and sat down on the chair. “I left because I didn’t want to get between you two. I would never make him choose, even if he’s the love of my life,” I confessed, not realizing what I said.471Please respect copyright.PENANAunCzeB8Nxl
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“You really love him?” she asked and a deep sigh escaped my lungs.471Please respect copyright.PENANAnJfw6eFU7s
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“Why do you think I’m in this mess?” I asked softly “Though he’ll never know,” a bitter small smile appeared on my lips.471Please respect copyright.PENANA6KAToe75Ci
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“I had no idea,” she replied. Of course she didn’t, because she wouldn’t listen to me. “Were you okay before you left for the City?” she asked after a moment of silence.471Please respect copyright.PENANAakeKHx6Wb7
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“Yes. I actually made several attempts to talk to him, to tell him how I feel but the only thing I’ve managed to say was that I was scared,” I scoffed.471Please respect copyright.PENANApvP99yVVwO
471Please respect copyright.PENANA41bFkSZctB
I explained how he wanted to visit and talk to me, while I was away just to let her know that it wasn’t entirely into my head. Told her that he kept saying that he wasn’t going anywhere and that he wouldn’t leave me and that’s why it hurt so bad. Because he knew I didn’t want him to promise me things but he did it anyway. And then he broke those promises; and broke me into a million pieces.471Please respect copyright.PENANAKgL1Y9cJqg
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Cleo wasn’t talking by this point. She would only make small questions to get the whole picture of the relationship I once had. Then I had to do the unavoidable; tell her the impact her words had. I tried to phrase it better though. I told her that I knew he was between relationships and that he never stayed with one girl for too long. I also knew right from the start that I’m not enough for him, that he wasn’t for me and I’ll never be enough for him.471Please respect copyright.PENANADjR7T9nuZo
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“I’m sorry for saying or implying those things,” she sighed deeply.471Please respect copyright.PENANAPA8EQpHZvR
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“I know you are. But it’s the facts,” I bit my lip. Before she said anything else I started talking again. “Before I even started getting back to normal, he told me he was going to Italy,” I said “So, I never really had the chance to talk to him again.” I explained.471Please respect copyright.PENANA67mZG38iT4
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“If I knew it was serious, I wouldn’t be like this,” she frowned.471Please respect copyright.PENANAtMJLHXjDDq
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“Don’t torment yourself. Obviously, you were right. I was right. It was only a matter of time before he left.”471Please respect copyright.PENANABdrCjgK6ec
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“But, I don’t get it,” she mumbled “If you guys were fine when he left the City, why he left for Italy earlier than planned and didn’t even say a word?”471Please respect copyright.PENANARE86fEq67v
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“If you find out, I would love to know,” I told her and now that I got all of that out of my chest I decided to grab a bite from my food that was waiting on the coffee table in front of me.471Please respect copyright.PENANAYcZoxioMYy
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“I’m gonna call him,” she said; sounding determine.471Please respect copyright.PENANAYEjaHg5asI
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“Don’t,” I rapidly shook my head.471Please respect copyright.PENANAIF2Yn6cjdj
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“Why not?”471Please respect copyright.PENANA3FKgssts4G
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“If he wanted to say something, he would. He’s the kind of guy that stays quiet and you know that. So, I don’t wanna ambush him like that.”471Please respect copyright.PENANAmUVtPlnt0D
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“Okay,” she nodded. “Do you want to tell me how it started? I hate it that I wasn’t near you when it all happened,” she smiled a shy smile.471Please respect copyright.PENANAAVYg8r3Q3j
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“Remember that night at the summerhouse when Mike visited?” I asked and she nodded. “Since he had nowhere to sleep and I was drunk, we slept together,” I said and her eyebrows rose.471Please respect copyright.PENANAsSPWfNGZpV
471Please respect copyright.PENANAbKNxCD65uG
“Not like that dude! Slept for real,” I explained and she chuckled “Anyway, the next day we stayed back at the house and Alex pissed me off, I had to calm down and I got into the swimming pool. That’s when he kissed me for the first time,” a smug expression on my face as I remembered my heart bouncing, butterflies attacking my body and his lips tasting like chlorine. I shook my head to push away the memory.471Please respect copyright.PENANA22vs5EcAYV
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“He kissed me again after the renovation. We spent a lot of time together in the garage,” I said softly looking at the floor as the memories consumed me.471Please respect copyright.PENANAebm16Vqmwe
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“Eat, your food is getting colder,” Cleo said out of the blue. I sighed and nodded.471Please respect copyright.PENANAbgFo2Jbd3n
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“When Alex left the first time, that’s when the chest pains begun,” I told her after a while.471Please respect copyright.PENANAUSioBjCOZX
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“You never said anything,” she frowned, when she swallowed her food.471Please respect copyright.PENANAj25jHyFGOk
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“It only happened twice I think and once after he came back and he wanted to take me to the doctor but I convinced him I was okay,” I explained.471Please respect copyright.PENANAOjL9qBfIZm
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“Is that why he was at the hospital?” she asked.471Please respect copyright.PENANA7dRS9c43zo
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“I hope not,” I chuckled thinking she meant that he felt guilty for not taking me to the doctor back then “I run onto him my last night in the city actually and he was a mess,” I said and she looked bored; Bored of the over-dramatic Alex. “Seriously, from his half words I understood he almost killed himself or started doing drugs. He had no one else, so I made him talk to me,” I shrugged my shoulders.471Please respect copyright.PENANAwdIc0nq2Zo
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“Good thing you run onto him, then”471Please respect copyright.PENANAUlIgDlgxCp
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“It was,” I nodded “Anyway, when Damien left, he contacted me to see how I was, I lied at first. But you cannot lie to the master of lies,” I explained and she scoffed; agreeing with me. “He got me to tell him everything and as I talked the chest pain was there and he noticed. Only this time he dragged me to the hospital for a check-up. The next time it happened, two days later, I called him and the rest you know,” I explained.471Please respect copyright.PENANAAP23xoBPt7
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“Oh, that’s why he’s there,” she mumbled.471Please respect copyright.PENANAuhTl2DsN9Q
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“Yeah, I got him to go to the cemetery the other day, after two years,” I said; feeling proud of myself.471Please respect copyright.PENANA4DZlXMUHb5
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“Are you…” she trailed “Are you feeling anything for him?” she asked finally her voice small. I shook my head.471Please respect copyright.PENANA3Ba2mhaeaJ
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“He’s only a friend now. He keeps my mind occupied and plus, I don’t want to be in a middle of a romance anytime soon,” I mumbled looking at my food before taking another bite. As that night came back to my mind, the second time Alex took to me the hospital, the reason came to my mind and a deep sigh escaped my lungs. I left my food on the table and leaned forward, touching my elbows on my knees.471Please respect copyright.PENANAjztES40Otb
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“What?” Cleo asked softly.471Please respect copyright.PENANAt5iqJpiUFW
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“The second time I went to the hospital, I had called Damien and he answered. For the first time he left, he had answered his phone,” my voice trembled.471Please respect copyright.PENANA0G9TZsYahF
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“What, what did he say?”471Please respect copyright.PENANAVDmTkqsL8i
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“I told him that I just needed to hear his voice and he replied with a «So what?» I hang up the phone then, because I didn’t want him to hear me crying,” I explained but tears filled my eyes and I sobbed hard. Cleo put down her food and came to sit beside me. She put her arms around me and hugged me.471Please respect copyright.PENANA8n5ZKPYLiF
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“You’re gonna be okay. I’m here now,” she mumbled. That gave me strength and calmed me down a bit. I sighed as the sobs stopped and I hugged her back.471Please respect copyright.PENANAS1EmEQVNG5
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“Thank you,” I mumbled as she brushed my hair and kept me into her arms. I had missed my best friend so much. Now that she was here, everything seemed easier.471Please respect copyright.PENANAoBbH8tLx1K
♠ ♠
Title Credit:471Please respect copyright.PENANA4enujVx3LQ
One Last Goodbye by Anathema471Please respect copyright.PENANA5iDDZbTNpa