You're My Sunset

Chapter 6 - The Past

Lily's p.o.v.

It's time to tell you about my past. I have experienced two things in life that I consider tragedies. Those events have scarred me for life. Never again will I be the naïve little girl who assumes Daddy's always coming home. Never again will I believe that true love always works out for the best. Never again will I trust someone with my heart until they prove themselves.

Two years ago, my Daddy didn't come home from work. I was fifteen at the time, and naturally concerned. So I went out to look while my mother was notifying the police. I was the one who found his body, curled up at the edge of the woods. 

After examining the evidence, the police concluded that his car had malfunctioned at work, he had been walking home, and was the victim of a drive-by shooting. 

Three years ago, something else happened. I had had a steady boyfriend since I was twelve. We were together for three years. He was the perfect boyfriend. Sweet and kind, cocky, but not too much. And of course, he adored me. Or so I thought. On December 7, 2013, (I'll never forget the date) he left me. For a girl named Rosella. She was popular, pretty, and rich. Three things I'll never be. He dumped me for that bitch, and for that I'll always be angry, but I'll always love him, too.

Ryder's p.o.v

It's time to tell you something about my past. It's an important part, because it's what attracted me to Lily in the first place. Then, because of our carnival date and game of 20 Questions, I liked her for many, many reasons other than she reminded me of Mandy. So I guess since I've been mentioning her a lot, I owe you an explanation of who she is and what she has to do with me. 

Mandy was my girlfriend. From when I was thirteen to when I was fifteen. She was the perfect girlfriend, so much like Lily in so many ways. She was distrusting, and it took her a while to accept me. But after she did, we'd never been happier. We were the perfect couple, all sweetness and love. I planned on marrying Mandy when we got out of high school. We had plans. Big plans. Dreams. Ambitions. And on a cold September night in 2013, all of those plans were crushed.

We had been to a party that night and we were driving home so Mandy could spend the night. We were struck by a hit-and-run driver. A complete accident that somebody forgot to take credit for. I walked out with a broken leg and a few cracked ribs. Mandy didn't walk out. Period. She died on impact. 

For years I blamed myself for what happened. My brain was filled with "what if I had..." But nothing changed the cold hard facts of life. She was gone and she was not coming back. And no matter how much I wished I could time travel and undo what happened, I couldn't.  I'd simply learned to live with the pain. Cupcake was making my life pretty awesome, and I was determined to win her over.