Buried secrets, two girls with the same face, and a boy who loved too much.
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When Travis and Nicole meet on a bus for the first time, he thinks she's his ex, Rachel, who broke his heart two years ago. But he doesn't understand why she's pretendin...
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The familiar feeling of being home crept over me comfortingly, like visiting an old but favorite hoodie or the relief of slipping an old glove on to find out it still fit perfectly.
It'd been a whole year since I last slept in this room.
After I went to university, I refused to come home and had my parents get me my own apartment near campus. I didn't enjoy the memories that being home brought me. They were far too painful.
Memories of Rachel and me.
Pushing through my senior year of high school while dealing with a shitty breakup was hell. Sometimes, I didn't know what actually hurt me most—the breakup or her loving someone else who wasn't me.
I did everything Rachel ever asked of me. I threw her the best birthday parties when her parents never even knew it was her birthday.
I booked a flight for both of us one summer and spent the holidays in Malibu as per her request.
It's difficult not to think she was using me, but the thoughts couldn't help themselves sometimes. They cut deep into my heart, and for that reason, I refused to let my thoughts stray as much. In my dreams, we were perfectly in love with each other.
Whenever I remembered her face, I felt like I'd been punched in the stomach. I wanted to look at that face for the rest of my existence. The first time I saw Rachel, I knew she'd be the one for me for life.
Heaving a sigh, I gave up my depressing thoughts and sat up in bed as I heard footsteps approaching my door.
The warm sunlight streaming through the floor-to-ceiling windows bathed my face immediately I did so. I stretched, feeling the subtle ache in my muscles from yesterday's workout.
My room was still the same, though it had been cared for. The faint scent of fresh laundry, the presence of my worked puzzles in the corner, and the plushies that Nellie loved. They all warmed my heart.
My eyes settled on the photo of Cornelia Connor and me on my nightstand. A soft smile crept onto my face as I remembered our conversation the night before.
"I've missed you so much, Travis."
"Missed you too, kiddo."
She would be glad to see me until I started preventing her from going out, I thought with a chuckle.
I tossed off the covers and stood up, stretching, and padded over to the window. I pushed aside the curtains, letting the sunlight flood the room, and gazed out at the lush gardens below. My mom still loved her flowers so much. The morning dew sparkled like diamonds on the grass, and the sound of birds chirping filled the air.
Everything was all too familiar. Beautifully familiar. The pain I'd been afraid of reminiscing about once I came home was actually gone, and I didn't know if time had healed me or I was just stupid to assume I couldn't stand the memories.
