One Way Ticket | a love story

Chapter Eighteen

The day began peacefully as I woke up way too early for a Saturday morning. It has been a while since I saw my mysterious girl and yesterday I heard her voice, saw her face up close, her body, posture and the way she slapped Mona was so attractive that it left me frozen on the spot. The thought made me smile to myself and get up from the bed, and going to the bathroom. Once my eyes were on my naked torso, moments rushed through my head of that day. 

The agony and pain were rushing through my veins and now I was the boy again, laying on the bathroom floor with my view blurry and hands hugging my bleeding stomach. I was yelling and screaming for help but nobody came. The house was empty, everyone had already left for the party. While my body was giving up, they were having fun at my best friend's wedding. I heard the door unlock and looked outside the bathroom with a gulp and pulled my shirt on.

Liam came inside and looked at me, blinking in slight shock as it washed over his face. - What happened? Why are you crying? - He asked but nothing came out of my mouth. Only a wave of sobs and cries. The next thing that I did was run into the bathroom and lock the door. He kept knocking on the door and calling my name but my body didn't let me move, my head telling me he was going to hurt me even though a big part of me knew he would never do that. He was only worried about me. But it is too late now, I didn't need friends anymore and I was moving away. 

Maybe forgetting them and the girl was always the best option... Just to restart myself, my life and everything I am doing. I need that really bad right now. I should probably drop out of college too, just work at the hotel, get closer to Sam, focus on myself and do things that make me happy. My biggest wish was to forget my past and start a new life, new story and stop worrying about everything.

-Noah, please open the door... - Liam was sitting in front of the bathroom door, talking to me for a while but I was too zoned out to hear or listen to him. My head was somewhere far away, in my little bubble which I really rarely exit. 

- Get out Liam... - I weakly spoke, more tears flowing down my cheek. 

The urge to go out and push him out of the apartment was growing but I kept pushing it away. He deserved an explanation, an apology, a hug, maybe even more than that. But I wasn't the person who would be able to give it to him. But my mouth was desperate to speak about everything that has happened. The need was choked by the pain and I couldn't speak.

- W-What? - Liam's voice cracked and I felt the guilt building up. 

- Please, leave me alone... You can't be here anymore. - The words didn't make sense but at the moment I don't really care if they do or don't. 

His body was lifted up from the floor slowly and footsteps went away from the bathroom. Soon it was silent and I heard the front door close seconds later. 

I lost him. Forever. 

Not that I wasn't prepared for it, I expected it after I told him about my three-year-old crush on him but after this, I was pretty sure he won't be coming back. Soon enough, I was feeling my butt start to freeze from the cold tiles so I lift my shaky body up, still under the adrenaline of the situation. The pain still hasn't kicked in but it was going to. And before it does, I need to leave for the hotel. Class schedule for today only had an evening class so I hoped that Sam would have the same class so we could go together and have moments like yesterday.

I texted the flat owner that I would be leaving the apartment by tomorrow morning so all of my things needed to be at the hotel by this afternoon. Therefore, I got to work on packing and putting it all by the front door. When I got tired and was almost done, I grabbed my phone, looking for a rent a car that wasn't too expensive. There was one nearby and they offered to drive the car here and help me load it with my stuff so I accepted and sent the money over PayPal. Then I proceeded with packing my things and placing them all by the door. 

It was almost noon when they arrived so I started taking the stuff in and dumping it inside the car. As I took the last bag out, I pushed the key in the lock and turned it, locking the door. Along with all the furniture that I didn't buy, I locked memories, good and bad moments, happiness, sadness, loneliness and every other emotion. It feels like I'm leaving my old self in there and going into a new part of my life where Sam was waiting for me to come along. The world of the hotel and us. One part of me was happy to leave everyone behind and the other was really sad and didn't want to leave them all alone.

But I wasn't leaving them, only my apartment, so why am I making this such a dramatic moment. The car was parked up front and they gave me the keys. The drive was short and soon I started carrying my stuff into the hotel through the back exit, making my way into the bedroom. Sam wasn't in the room but I didn't really need help with moving everything. My phone soon rang and I answered without looking, too bothered with finding space for everything I had brought inside so far. 

- Hello? - I said a bit louder, heading out to get my next bag. 

- Hey Noah. - Mona's voice was heard from the other end.  - Where are you? Why did you get out of the apartment so quickly? Did something happen? - Her tone was loud as usual, her voice poking into my eardrums. I didn't allow myself to reveal too much. 

- I moved away. - Yes, not too much. It was all she needed to know. All everyone needed to know.

After that I hung up the line without saying anything else. While I was standing in the middle of the room and looking at my things spread out on the bed, a pair of arms found their way around my waist and a head was placed on my shoulder.

- Good morning. - Sam spoke in my ear which sent shivers down my spine. Their breath was landing on my neck and their hands caressed my stomach. I stood there still, frozen but my body melted in the moment. But of course, it was interrupted by what other than my phone. I sighed and tried to pull away from them but they stayed still so I just looked at the phone, seeing 'Mona' written on the caller ID.

- Who is that? - Sam asked over my shoulder, clearly seeing who was calling.

- A girl who is obsessed with me... - I mutter through grit teeth.

They snatched the phone from me and answered instead. I quickly reached for the phone, but after a few attempts I gave up. My heart skipped and sunk as I heard their words.