In The Morning| 18+

TWENTY FOUR

A L E J A N D R O

"A new start"

I blink at Luka as Abdel nods his head then looks at me, "He's right. A new start on life and everything" I take my final sip of my coffee and place it on the table.

"Not really" I say, I run my fingers through my hair as they both stare at me. "It's not though. Three months away is not a new start, it's not even a full semester."

"Thank you Professor Romano. Thank you." Luka says and I smile at him, they do more sappy talk with me before I tell them I have to head over to the university.

My parents and friends have all framed me returning as a 'fresh start' which I do not understand why. There is nothing fresh about this at all, I am returning right back to my city. Her city. Our city.

I close my car door and cross my fingers together bringing them to my mouth, I blow heat into them before uncrossing them and starting up my car. I put on my seatbelt and turn on the heat.

For the first month I was in the Falkland Islands, I was surrounded by my family members and a very huge support system. I was so very ridiculously depressed but they tried their best to cheer me up.

Honestly, I was bed-ridden. Crying myself to sleep, no appetite, just absolutely sad and not doing fuck all. I was scrolling through our pictures and replaying all of our memories in my head.

They let me wallow in my guilt for three weeks before on the fourth week, I was physically picked up and forced to stop wallowing. I was taken on walks, I was forced to sit outside, I was slapped by Maritza, I was used for my brain for stimulation.

As much as I did not want to do it, it did help.

The second month, I was in Brasil. That was Gisele's wedding month and as much as I was sad, I had an obligation that she was more than willing to take off me but I was more than willing to stick to it.

That obligation was being her man of honour, Gisele my absolute best friend spent a week with me telling me it was not my fault and made sure to drag me around to different parties before the whole friendgroup flew down.

Gisele went on to inform everyone of what happened and they were all very supportive of me and treated me like glass which annoyed the shit out of me, two weeks being calm and caring with me then the last two weeks which Gisele's bachelorette and wedding fell on those weeks.

I blacked out.

I remember her wedding and fragments of other events over the course of those two weeks, it was good. It was a great distraction, I barely had time to think about my feelings and my shit show of a life.

Then the third and final month, I was in Sicily. I spent my last month with my twin brother and his family, it was a mix of saddness and happiness. Roman is really intelligent and made it his personal mission to make me feel better.

I am dubbed the smartest man alive, I have degrees in psychology and I am a certified psychologist and therapist with many specialities so I know all the proper techniques to move through this.

It still hurts nonetheless.

I know I could have stayed away longer but running away from my problems is not healthy, I tap my keycard allowing the admin building to open up.

I make my way inside and immediately get swarmed by my colleagues, being away for three months was already a guarnatee of the normal small talk then on top of that the holidays also passed during those months which means even more small talk.

After a very intriguing hour of talking with everyone, I finally get a chance to pull away and make my way upstairs. I walk out of the elevator as I look up from my phone just to stop in my tracks, I blink as I stand up straight and switch off my phone.