TWO + TWO = FIVE

(4) After - Dana Williams

Chapter Four
AFTER
Dana Williams

"Finally!", my best friend Chloe cheered when we carried the last box inside our new apartment.

A huge two-story apartment in which you could use the stairs or even an elevator to reach our private rooms located in the upper story. Five rooms, one kitchen, three bathrooms and a wide entrance were everything written down in this apartment's description. An expensive dream which I was finally living.

My parents hadn't been too excited, but since I've just turned 20 years a few months ago, they couldn't really stop me from leaving.

His words had imprinted themselves into my mind: "You are so stuck up their as'ses, Dana!"

I had been. I had been too obedient, but since he has disappeared out of my life without returning once, I had finally noticed how childish I have always been. Believing everything they have told me. Being the blind, good daughter they always wanted me to be.

"So tell me, Miss Williams, what do you want to do on your first day of ultimate freedom?", Chloe asked me and I couldn't suppress the smile stretching over my lips. A black-haired beauty with deep chocolate brown eyes who has been my lifebelt when I was about to drown.

Chloe Peters had picked me up days after Nathan Miller had disappeared out of my life. It's true that it had been me who rejected the broken boy in front of my house, begging me to take him back, but, somehow, it felt like I was the only one suffering. The only one who wanted to see those cobalt-blue eyes staring at me intensively. The way they had always stared at me whenever he was watching me.

How could he leave me behind without showing his face once? I have forgiven him the second he had turned around, waving at me for the last time before being swallowed by the crowd in which I haven't been able to find him anymore.

Girls are complicated human beings. The second I realized what I had done, I missed him being a part of my life. To be honest, I wanted him back when realization smacked me in my face, making it clear that he had left. And Jesus, it had been my idea to sent him away.

"Dana?", her sweet voice ripped me out of my daily thoughts and I shook my head, clearing my mind.

"What was your question again?"

"Geez, spacing out on your first day of freedom", she mumbled with a smile on her face.

"Sorry. Maybe we could go grocery shopping?", I asked and she nodded with her fabulous smile still on her face.

"Great! Awesome! Maybe this will take your thoughts off of Nathan Miller", she winked and heat gathered in my cheeks immediately. It was obvious that she knew me better than anyone else on this planet. God forgive me if I would lose her. Chloe wasn't only sweet and friendly, she was an honest person who would've gone through fire in order to rescue her friends.

Blessed to say that Chloe Peters has been my best friend for the past three years!

"I swear that I've moved on! It's just that I'm finally free which draws a connection to what he had said on that day. You know that I'm usually not really thinking about him anymore", my excuse more than simply lame, but she nodded even though she probably knew that Nathan Miller crossed my mind more than just once a week.

Of course, I was sure that my heart was still slowly healing, but how could I forget the one person, pulling me out of my lonely darkness and showing me how warm sunbeams could be.

"How about we take 7th street and drive to Whole Foods'?", she asked, intentionally changing the subject.

"Sounds good to me."

"You know, I have never understood how you could easily forgive him for stealing your money", her voice filled the silence in her car and my head turned to my left. Observing her beautiful black, wavy hair falling over her shoulders gently.

"I loved him."

"And then you suddenly stopped loving him?"

"No, of course not. What are you talking about?", irritation was written down all over my face before she turned her head to the right, looking at me for a few seconds until her glance was directed forward again.

"I mean if you don't love him anymore, then why aren't you angry at him for destroying what you two had? It's obvious to everyone that it was his fault that you broke up, so why aren't you screaming and cursing him for being an as'shole?"

"Because he apologized and he looked hurt", I sighed and she shook her head from one side to the other before exhaling deeply.

"If he would have cheated on you, would you have forgiven him too if he would have begged for forgiveness while looking hurt?", her sweet voice was filled with judgment as my eyes grew bigger with each word leaving her peach-colored lips.

"No!"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes! God damnit Chloe! I have forgiven him because he only did it in order to help his parents with their debts. I know that Nathan is a good guy and that he made one stupid mistake", I began and before she was able to answer, I continued: "You should have seen him in person Chloe. He was so charming, sweet and clumsy."

"Then why aren't you trying to get him back?", the second her question left her lips, my mouth dropped open and I stared at her surprised and shocked at the same time.

"First, I don't know where he is and whether he moved on or not. Second, I'm still trying to move on and third, I don't want to face him, yet!"

"But I can see, feel and even sense that you are still harboring feelings for this Miller guy and I would love to meet him in order to tell him one or two sentences myself", she answered before we took a left turn, aiming for the huge building with the green label "Whole Foods" written above the entrance.

"Wait. Are you trying to convince me to get back together or are you trying to bring us further apart?"

"I want you to find happiness, Dana. That's all."