home.

Chapter 37

Days passed. My birthday passed. Spring passed. And I was sitting alone in the very same garden all alone on a sunny May afternoon. I felt hands on my eyes.

Who is here to surprise me? I thought.

I knew it wasn't Ryan, I could still remember his touch, but not really remembered it as well. Whoever was covering my eyes felt familiar. I touched the hands and I knew exactly who it was.

My heart literally was going to explode out of happiness. "Monty?" I said hopefully. And I turned around and saw him standing in front of me with his usual shy smile. He looked exactly like I had seen him last. His dark wavy hair captured in a cap.

His brown intense eyes which looks like he's been smoking weed. But I know they are naturally so expressive. His stubble which is quite heavy to his utter happiness. He looks great.

I hugged him so tightly and he hugged me back. Before I knew I started crying. I had always felt at ease around him about my emotions, I always knew I could cry freely in front him. He didn't say anything just kept his grip firm on my shoulders.

After about ten minutes of me crying I looked at his face which was sad now. "are you okay?" I asked him. "you're the one crying your heart out and you ask me 'am I okay?' you're still stupid." He said in his voice which could literally belong to a dubbing artist.

I laughed lightly. "why didn't you tell me anything? You promised me." He said hurt now. "I just...just didn't want you to be worried about me." I said trying to justify myself. He shook his head. "it was always like 'you keep messing around, I'll keep handling it.' It's still the same. Nothing's changed between you and me. Okay?" he said in a caring tone. It was like our statement.

You keep messing around, I'll keep handling it.

As I said moon, my only companion. But it would have been best if I was home, warm and fuzzy and staring at moon. It would have been best if I was laughing with Monty while sitting close to...someone who cheated on me.

I dismissed the thought.

I was happy to finally feel a little happiness. We walked towards my dorm. I introduced Monty to everyone. The moment Ryan saw me he rushed back to his room. He was doing this from the past one month.

He was avoiding me which was fortunate and unfortunate at the same time.

Maybe he's grateful for me breaking up with him... I thought and a sudden sadness engulfed me.

I shook my head. "hey! Show me your room." Monty said knowing I wanted to be alone. We entered my room and sat on the bed. He patted the space in front of him and I sat there. "now tell me everything. I want details." He said in a serious voice.

I started telling him everything. "I was having this amazing time with him and it was all going so well and there were days when Rosie was trying to break us but I didn't trust her..." my voice crack and I was holding tears.

"you can cry, you know." He said with sadness. And at the sound of his voice my tears flowed so furiously down my face. "...and then one day I went to watch movie with his brother's girlfriend. I had a great time with her and when I came back and what I saw... I saw him laying there on the sofa with Rosie on him. Her one hand in his shirt." I said and the image burned in my mind.

He hugged me and I cried again. He didn't say a word for which I was grateful. After I was done with all the crying we went to take pizza from a drive through.

We were silent in the car most of the time. "What are you doing here by the way?" I asked curiously. "it's been a long time I've seen you so I decided to visit you." He said focussing on the road. "how long are you gonna stay?" I asked him.

"Two days." he replied smiling a little knowing what was going to come out of my mouth. "just two days? No!!" I whined. He laughed proudly. After getting pizza we went back to campus.

We ate pizza still sitting in the car. I took a sip of my freezing drink and my hands were frozen in mere seconds. "Look how cold my hands are." I said placing my hand on his cheek and after a second we both started laughing.

"you remember when sir Aaron saw us while you were doing this exact same thing and he thought that we were having a moment or something?" he asked me while laughing.

"oh! How can I forget that? I was so awkward and scared after that, he literally thought that we were a couple." I said in between my laughing.

He had stopped laughing and I couldn't control mine. He started imitating my laughter and that made me laugh so much that my eyes were wet and it gave me headache.

"Stop!!" I shouted while laughing. "everyone thought we were a couple, probably shipped us too, even though we weren't like those people who have crush on each other and they are just too scared to confess so they tag their bond with 'best friends'" Monty said a matter of fact.

"so true. We were like literal best friends. And one of the reasons we had that bond is because we can't have feelings for each other. Because that's what always happens. Every girl ended up crushing on you-" he smoothed his hair pretending to be cocky. I ignored him. "-and me being awkward with every other guy." I finished speaking.

He pondered a little. "why did you use past tense?" he asked me. "did I? Come on. We are still the same. You'll always be my best friend so don't worry, you can still be one of my bridesmaids." I said to him.

He squealed in happiness, amking me laugh again. We left the car and walked to our dorms. We sat and remembered our old times. "how's Ben doing?" I asked him. "he's doing amazing. Still the same funny guy. Still trying to impress Grace."

He said smiling. Ben had a crush on Grace since we were in middle school. "and what about Grace and Alex?" I asked him, wanting to know because he must have met him.

He smiled. "Alexandra is very happy with Hunter, but I think there are some ups and downs again with her brother. Grace is doing good as far as I know." He said and I nodded.

"and what's up with...with-" I didn't wanted to take that jerk's name who was once my so called best friend. "he's okay." Monty simply said. They were still best friends for which I was happy. "I'll leave now. Will come tomorrow morning." He said and I hugged him and he left. He was staying with his uncle.