You only knew violence. Could Jake undo the evil that the men before him had done? You didn't trust him. You just wanted to play with him. What begins as a stupid, drunken game soon turns into a battle for each others love and the consequences of ch...
Staring at the ornately decorated piece of paper in your hand, you couldn't believe what you were seeing. There, in beautifully hand painted calligraphy were the words you never thought you'd ever see printed.
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You stood there in the hallway of your newly bought house, smiling at memories of that old barn. Some of them were so vivid, just stupid games you used to play and drunken pranks that would always result in somebody getting hurt.
But mostly it reminded you of Sam. That perfect year of loving him. How he had been so intent on keeping you safe, in the way only a young boy could. If your first was going to be anyone, you were always so glad it had been him.
"Honey, I can't make that date. You know it's the conference in Sweden?"
You were running your finger down the calendar on the wall, trying to count how many months away the wedding was. You were well into March 2022. There was more than a year and your heart immediately sank.
"Can't somebody else go?" You reasoned, turning to watch your distracted boyfriend paint the new cabinets.
You'd met Nathan in college. And he had won you over with his dedication and ruthless determination to succeed. There was something about him that let you know you could depend on him and that you'd never need to sweat the small stuff whilst ever he was around.
But it came at a cost. His business was taking off, the money was rolling in. But the sacrifice was waving him off to conferences all over the world. Sometimes it felt as if you were just a trophy girlfriend, without even a ring on your finger, waiting for the day he might put one on there.
"Come on, sweetie. You know I'm the face of the company I can't send anyone else. And besides, if it's back home you'll be talking to all your old friends. You won't need me there."
You hadn't been back since leaving for college. There had never seemed a reason, keeping in touch with a few of your old friends on facebook and instagram over the intervening years. It was enough. You never seemed ready to step back into that time in your life.
Until now.
"Ok." You sighed, "Maybe I could convince Swan to come with me as my plus one?"
You leaned on the counter, paint in your hair and a hopeful glint in your eye. Nathan pointed his paintbrush at you.
"You'd have more luck getting me to go, after I've landed in Sweden." He jested.
He was absent sometimes. But when he wasn't he was completely present. And had accepted your tenacity to turn to your head strong sister in all your major life decisions. Including the one that resulted in you both moving in together and buying this incredible house in Chicago.
"You're probably right, but its worth a shot." You sighed, pulling out your cellphone in paint covered hands.
You were strangely nervous. Afraid that if she said no you'd have to go back alone. But afraid that if she said yes you'd have to relive that difficult past.
