The Normal Life

ch. 27

Selena's P.O.V

"Mom, did you pack my black jeans?"

"No honey I think they're still in your closet," she answers from the kitchen.

I sigh and open my closet, taking out my jeans and placing it in my suitcase. I finally close it and sit on my bed tiredly, rubbing my closed eyes.

Mom comes in the room soon after, a picture frame in her hand.

"I thought you'd want to take this with you," she says sadly.

I gulp and grab the frame, turning it around so I can see the picture. My shoulders slump down. It's a picture of Marilyn and I. She was holding me in her arms, facing the camera with a huge smile and I was asleep, cuddled up against her chest. I looked about four or five years old in that picture.

I fight back the tears, blinking them away and quickly putting the photograph in my handbag.

"We miss her too, Selena," mom says in a low voice.

"I know," I reply.

"But maybe it's better like this...all of her pain is over now."

I nod. "I know," I say once again.

...

The past week went so fast that I couldn't grasp anything. From the day I heard about Marilyn's death till today, I have spent all time I could with Justin. Not in a lovey-dovey way but I've kept him company as a friend because I felt like this was what he needed the most.

His mom's death has been a shock but the whole truth has been...terrible. He hasn't spoken to Aiden again and I thought he would've been mad at me, as well, but he wasn't and still isn't. He shuts everything and everyone out but not me and I'm grateful for that. When I wake up, I go to see him and sometimes he's still sleeping so I make breakfast for him and go away. But most of the time, he calls me over at night. In the middle of the night, out of the blue, he'd call me and ask me to come over.

The first time I went to his house past midnight was two days after Marilyn's death and he was on his bed, shaking vigorously. I only hugged him and he cried some more and eventually went back to sleep. Since that day, I've been doing this every night. Some nights would be worse than others – he'd have nightmares and wake up sweating heavily and I'd have to bring him sleeping pills to help him sleep again.

We never really spoke about us till then, I've no idea what we are exactly but that doesn't really matter. Not when I'm leaving to L.A tomorrow.

And that's what we need to talk about today because in less than 24 hours, I won't be here anymore and as much as we'd both like to ignore this, it remains an unchangeable fact.

I pull my hand out of my pocket and raise it to knock at the door but at the first knock, the door pushes slightly open. I frown. Why did he even leave his door open?

I walk in slowly, closing the door behind me. "Hey why did you leave the door partly op—"

When I turn around, I feel a pair of arms wrapping around my waist. I shriek in astonishment but then recognise Justin. I sigh in relief and open my mouth to speak again but I'm cut off by him pressing his lips against mine.

I gasp against his mouth. I don't know why he's kissing me but that's backed up far in my mind; all I can concentrate on is his lips moving quickly against my own. I finally kiss him back and he backs me against the door, his hands pulling my hips against his. I've missed his kisses so much that the rest doesn't even matter right now. My hands tangle up in his hair in an attempt to bring him closer to me.