forget-me-not

Chapter 3

It's been a week since he spent the night. I've been ignoring his phone calls and texts. He calls at least once an hour and texts triple that. I should block his number at this point but a part of me knows that doesn't get rid of him. I know I should have slammed the door in his face but I've never done it before because I'm scared of his reaction. I've kept that night to myself. I'm too embarrassed to let anyone know I gave in again. He hasn't tried coming in since and I'm so grateful. I know that just means he's busy with another girl. I wonder what it is about me that makes him treat me that way?

Jane offers to take me to lunch and then mentions we should get our nails done for graduation tomorrow. Thankfully my face isn't nearly as bad as it was but the bruises are here to stay for a bit longer on my arms. I think I'll still have to do a really good makeup job for graduation like I've been doing. In the midst of ignoring Danny's phone calls I've answered a few of Jake's. He told me he wouldn't be able to talk to me for a couple of days which always sucks.

I received flowers from Jake a day after our video call. He sent me lilies, my favorite. Danny dropped off a smaller bouquet of roses on my doorstep two days ago, my least favorite. I ignored him while he was here, pleading his case at the front door again. I immediately put the lilies on my kitchen table and threw out the roses. He must have been outside for at least two hours before stomping away when I wouldn't give in again.

"How are you doing?" Jane asks when we meet for lunch.

"I've been much better. Are you excited to finally graduate?"

"Oh, more than you know." She says in a funny tone. "So, tell me you're ignoring Danny."

"As best I can even though he's shown up at my doorstep with roses and has called and texted repeatedly like a stalker."

"I think something's wrong with him. He hasn't stopped by any more than that?" I take a deep breath and she hits my arm.
"I can't lie to you. He did the thing he always does. He screamed on my porch the night after the party and wouldn't go away." I begin to tell her what happened, against my earlier decision not to. She gives me a long hug. She's never known that part either.

"I'm so sorry. I wish he got drunk enough to show up on my porch, then he'd never walk down our street." She makes me laugh. After a few moments of silence she asks, "How's Jake?"

"Like you don't know, he said he's coming home soon. For good." I blush.

"Oh, very interesting."

"I don't know how it'll work." I sigh.

"It will work if you guys want it to work, you know that."

"But Danny—"

"Danny nothing! Jake won't let him within 20 feet of you, are you kidding me?" She reassures me.

"We'll see."

"Yes, yes we will." She says. She's been staring at my eye this entire time but won't ask how it feels.

It's finally graduation day. My hopes for today are that Danny isn't there and if he is, he doesn't start any drama or come near me. I know he has to know that what he did was wrong. Unfortunately, I don't think that means he's learned his lesson. I would know, having given him a million second chances. I finally heard from Jake this morning. He congratulated me and said I should expect another delivery soon. I'm sure it's more flowers which is good because I'm due for new ones that I don't feel like replacing. My parents offered to drop me and Jane off.

"They grow up so fast!" I hear my Dad say as he bursts through my front door.

"Do they?" I joke. I hug him and then my Mom. I grab my cap along with my purse because I already had my gown on.