Shattered Tears mxb

Chapter 5

Riley's POV

My parents were gone again. The morning after my little episode I received another text from my mother saying that she would call the dean to see if I chose to go to Harvard. If I didn't they were going to freeze my card and I would not be allowed back at their house. The choice would be easy for most people, obviously I should go to harvard.

I would be going to the best university in the USA and I would still have a place to live. I would still have my parents financial support, which was the only kind of support they would ever give me. They would still be in my life in a way and maybe one day if I became a doctor or lawyer they would give me a hug.

In the small town though, I could finally be free. I wouldn't have to worry about not meeting my parents standards, or helplessly hoping they'll one day love me. That they would treat me as a person worth loving, worth giving attention to. I could begin healing from their neglect. Plus I could forget about Mason in peace.

Since I left the hotel I haven't been able to get him out of my mind. No matter how hard I try to forget, images of him thrusting into me plague my mind. He weasled himself into my brain and built a home to ensure I never spend another moment not remembering him. It would be sweet if I wasn't so delusional to think he would want me for more.

Plus the small town I was moving to was gorgeous. It was the kind of place you saw in those aesthetic videos of mountains and forest towns. There are enormous trees for endless miles, rocky beaches, scenic hiking trails, and most of all seclusion. Apparently the town had a reputation for having dangerous wolves in the area that resulted in many tourists dying in the woods. Most steer clear of the town all together, but I don't really like exercising much anyways so I should be fine.

I knew it would be hard considering I won't have any money to live on, but I still had access to my cards so I can take out money discreetly until I'm cut off. I have clothes, a car, and enough money to last me a while so I can do this. I'll just have to look for a cheap apartment or someone looking for a roommate. I can go to school and eventually have my dream job. I can do this. I have to otherwise all of this would have been for nothing. All the pain, misery, and tears have to be worth something because life has to have some meaning. It has to be for something. Right?

Over the next couple of weeks I began preparing to move out of my parents lives permanently. I still had hope that one day they would come to the realization that they loved their son, but deep down I knew that would not be the case. All that I had left to do was actually leave. I found this sweet old lady, Ruthie, in the small town that was renting out the spare room in her house for only 400 dollars. She said that as long as I didn't increase the utilities too high that they would be included.

I was able to get quite a bit of money from parents that would last me maybe 2 years, and if I keep getting scholarships I won't have to worry about tuition. Everything was looking up except for the fact that Mason keeps invading my mind. I spend so much of my time yearning for him as if we had been in a 20 year relationship. As irrational as it may seem I miss him. There's just something about him that I can't forget, and I'm not just talking about the great sex.

Hopefully when I left I could start over, maybe even start seeing a therapist and get treated for my depression. There were so many possibilities that I couldn't help, but feel excited for the future for once.

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Today was the day. The day that I would finally leave my parents, and absurd as it may be I can leave the memory of Mason behind. I came to terms with the fact that I would never see him again, never touch him again, never smell him gain. But maybe I could find a new special someone, and they won't want just a one night stand. Something that I am never in my life doing again as I am not cut out for that lifestyle. My feelings are way too entwined with sex.

The 18 hour long drive would be brutal considering I have never driven that long and it will be absolute hell. On the bright side I made an amazing playlist that should keep me up and entertain me at the same time. I packed the last of my boxes in my car before looking back at my childhood home waiting for the sadness to hit me, but it never did. I was ready to finally leave this place behind.

Never did I look back after pulling out of the driveway. The trip to Silver Ridge was uneventful as I had imagined. Besides a couple of close call accidents I was able to arrive here in one piece. Ruthie's house was certainly beautiful. It had that modern cabin feel to it with lots of surrounding forest and only a 15 minute drive into town.

As I walked up her porch I couldn't help but notice the wind chimes of different moon phases that decorated her roof. Even the window on her door was in the shape of a crescent moon. Before I could even knock the door opened revealing a short old lady with long white hair that had beads cascading down her head. She looked way younger than 80 like she had mentioned on the phone, in fact she looked no older than 60. There was something about her that was eerie.

"You must be Riley, welcome to Crescent Ridge. I've been expecting you for quite a while now."