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41

I take a few moments to gather myself before walking into the party.

Leaning against Noah's truck for support, I attempt to piece together what just happened, but all my mind can focus on are Blake's angry words echoing throughout it.

Waves of sadness continue to crash over me, each one a painful reminder of what our relationship has turned into; what we have both lost from each other. It feels like an uphill battle every time I tell myself to stop thinking about him, but I know it has to happen.

I've given myself the space to mourn and to grow, but the hole in my heart will never fill if I don't accept that the Blake I knew is gone and isn't coming back.

Just like he said, I need to forget about him.

I need to forget about all the happy memories that I once told myself I'd forever cherish. Because if I don't, I'm never going to be able to get past this.

Taking a few deep breaths in an attempt to slow down my racing heart, I wipe under my teary eyes on the walk over to the front door.

Once I open the door, it only takes me a second to make eye contact with a smiling Lily. She quickly drops the Babries in her hands and runs up to me, colliding with my legs and stomach to give them a tight hug.

After wishing her a happy birthday, our small talk only lasts another few seconds before Noah and Olivia walk into the living room, sipping on what appears to be pink lemonade.

"What took you so long to come in?" Noah questions me.

"Lily, would you go get your parents for me? I want to say hello to them," I ask her gently. She nods hastily and zooms out of the living room.

Without knowing if Lily even saw Blake today, I wait until her blonde curls are out of sight before responding to Noah. I don't want to risk upsetting her by mentioning his absence.

"Blake was outside.. we sorta got into another fight," I murmur to Noah and Olivia.

Both of their faces drop, telling me that they didn't see him at all when entering the house. It wouldn't surprise me if Blake hid in the backyard or something to avoid them.

It's possible that Blake arrived with the intention of joining the party but changed his mind after seeing Noah's truck in the driveway. It doesn't make sense for him to be here just to leave right before the party actually starts.

Olivia shakes her head. "Why would he even show up then?"

I simply shrug, the numb feeling in me returning.

Before either of them can ask any more questions, Justin walks over to the group of us.

"So glad you could make it Elena!" he smiles, giving me a small hug.

I hug him back, trying to figure out what to say. "Of course. I'm sorry Blake couldn't come."

A look of confusion flashes across Justin's features. "What do you mean? He told me all about some interview he had to run to, so that's why he came early instead. He was here for the last two hours, he dropped off a present for Lily and played with her until you guys arrived, didn't he tell you?"

The three of us look at each other in shock, doing our best to keep our expressions neutral so Justin doesn't catch on. My throat suddenly feels painfully tight and I am glad when Noah takes the lead to respond.

"Oh right, Blake did mention that. He always has a lot of interviews, so they can be hard to keep track of," Noah tells him convincingly, and we all nod.

"Well I'm glad he was still able to come by for a little while, you should've seen Lily's face when he brought in her gift." Justin motions us over to the kitchen where a massive square-shaped box wrapped in Barbie paper resides.