Temptation 2: Forgiving You ✔️

39: This is home

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LEAHS POV:
Since I've been back, my entire head has been clouded, and overwhelmed with incoming memories and thoughts..decisions I had to put upon myself to make. These last few days haven't exactly been the easiest. Nate however has been trying to make it easy on me. There's a fireplace in his room, it's where I tend to find myself every night. I sleep through the day, and awake in the night, sitting in front of fire as the warmth comforts me. Right now, this is where I feel safe. This is where I feel at home.

For a while I resented my thoughts. It's all I've done since I woke up, multiple thoughts running through my head, some angry, some sad, others were pretty tolerable. From the days before I started college, to the days that led up to now. Where did the time go?

My eyes remain on the dancing flames, watching as it moves around as the wood crackles, going perfectly well with the timing of the bedroom door opening. My eyes don't peel away from it because I know who it is, it's him. Usually Nate comes in, checks to see if I'm hungry, or grabs a few things before leaving the bedroom. Crazy thing is this time no, he doesn't do that. He sits next to me as I'm wrapped within the blanket at ten thirty at night.

He doesn't say anything to me in the beginning, he just sits there in the silence with me. I remain just as quiet as he is, but I don't think I can handle such an awkward encounter anyway.

"You dont have to—" I begin, "I want you to come with me somewhere." He budges in. I let out a sigh, not exactly in the mood to go out anywhere. It's been like this for the past three days, so yeah I didn't exactly sense a change coming.

"You think sitting in here all day drowning yourself in your pain is gonna make it any better, but I promise you Leah it'll do the exact opposite. I've spent so much time alone with my head, angry impulsive thoughts, honestly they're quite the devil, the little voices that roam in your head as you sit there trying to piece your life together. You know I love you, but if I'm going to sit here and speak from experience I can tell you that it doesn't help."

...

"Now all I'm asking from you," His face meets mine as I look at him, unintentionally though I he speaks. "Just one thing tonight, is to come with me somewhere, that's it, and I know you might fight it and say no, but you know there's nothing in the world that I want right now, except your trust."

His hand extends out, and I glance between him and his palm. He wouldn't hurt me, that's one thing that I'm pretty aware of. He's been nothing but cooperative with me, and kind. So if the only thing he's asking right now is for my trust, then I can give that to him. I place my hand into his, and he gently grips it, in a more comforting way at that before helping me up.

I trust him..yeah I do.

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We arrived at a park. It was pretty dark out, and the only thing giving it light was the glow of the moon. It was nice out, the smell of the fresh air, the feeling of being out felt refreshing. Maybe Nate was right, maybe I needed to get out in order to figure out what I really needed to do.

"Why are we here?" I ask him, my hands tucked away in my pocket as the two of us walk down the pathway, only lit by the stars.

He shrugs, "Maybe because I just wanted you out of the house, soaking in your pain all day and night."

"Not much of a straight forward answer for me," My head tilts up at the tall boy, "What are you hiding?"

As he stops in his footsteps so do I, "You trust me?" His words hold me in a clutch, "Come on Nate you know I do."

He lightly smiles and places both his hands onto my shoulders, silently guiding me down the path. This time I don't try to overthink what he plans to do because I know his intentions with me are pure, at least now they are.

As we meet the end of this pebbled path, the only thing I can feel right now is happiness. This instant heaven-like feeling hits me in my core like fireworks.

"Despite all that we've been through, you don't think we'd just let you go through all this alone right?" Mari says.

They were all here. Just like any other time I've felt like I was going through hell, they were here.

"I don't think I could even if I wanted to." I tell her, a smile on my face as the waterworks begin to flood my eyes.

"You know what I realized lately? Love is what keeps us going," Sam starts off, "Love is what holds us right when we're at our lowest...hell, love brought us this family...this messy chaotic family. We go through our own shit, but in the end no matter what we go through it together, and through this messy chapter right now Leah, we aren't going anywhere, not anytime soon.

I bite the inside of my jaw as I look at all of them in one place. Christian, Damon..Mari, Alex, Jason, Sam, Tyler..and now Nate. All of them in one place, no arguing, just friends coming together to support someone they love.

I lower my head, letting my tears flow, "You know when I first started here things were crazy..much crazier than they were before, but one thing that I can say about everything that's happened is that I know I lived. I found my forever family. I fell in love, not once but a few times.." My eyes move to all of them. Not just Nate, or Christian, or Damon..all of them, "I fell in love with all of you, and we became inseparable. You stayed when shit when down the hole and I love you guys for that. I fell in love with your support, your compassion..your personalities, and I can't imagine a world where you guys aren't there."

Yeah..this was the right thing, the thing I needed.

"When I got into that accident, I died, We all did. We grew up as new people with different lives, new perspectives. I don't want this to just be a new beginning, but a funeral to put our old selves to rest." I tell them. The moment I walked through that door we were completely different people than who we are now. And this is a good thing, I know it is.

"Here lies...us." Tyler says, taking a step next to me, turning as he faces forward towards everyone. One by one, we move closer together. Not just in distance, but within ourselves as well.

"Here lies us." I repeat softly, all of us resting in silence as we cling to each other.

This was a good thing. This was always meant to be a good thing, a new beginning for all of us.

That essay I had to write my freshman year, it made me realize how important it was in my life.

In the beginning I said love was stupid, but in reality it's not. Love is an adventure, an adventure that comes with all the bad and the good. It'll hurt like hell, but in the end it either makes you stronger or destroys you.

It saved me. Now I know that this kind of love is good for me, and I don't think I want to let it go anytime soon, because that's how my story goes, I had to die a little in the beginning in order to live in the end, we all do, and that's what we'll continue to do.

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Until Next Time.

AUTHORS NOTES
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Almost four years ago I wouldn't have realized that I'd be a senior finishing up something that was a big part of my life. Despite the many spelling errors, the confusing points in this story, I enjoyed writing every bit of it. To everyone who's stuck by since the first book, I really appreciate it. I wouldn't have expected such numbers, and many messages to give out updates lol. Leah might be getting ready to start a new chapter in her life, but so am I, and as I prepare myself to really plan out this third book, I just wanted to say thank you guys for the journey, and the support. Don't worry I won't be going anywhere anytime soon. I might ghost you guys a little ahaha but I'm not leaving! Xoxo, Layah.

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THE FINAL BOOK OF THE TEMPTATION IS HAPPENING.