Broken

| 27 | Where it all began

There's that knock on my door and I'm running downstairs to get it. I missed going out with Tyler and just having fun like we used to do before everything happened.

I open the door and he stands there in jeans and a t-shirt. I'm feeling that strange sense of deja vu right now, but I love every second of it. We've been here before. We barely knew each other at the time. So many things have changed since then.

"You ready?"

"Yeah." I say as I close the door behind me and head towards the car.

"You look different." he says to me as he gets into the car. I look at him and raise an eyebrow.

"How so?"

"You look happy."

"I feel happy."

"Good."

~*~

Things go just like last time. We even get the same lane just for memory's sake.

"So, how are you and Emma?" I ask him as he goes up to start, but he stops dead in his tracks.

"I broke up with her."

"What? I thought you liked her, Tyler." I try to fight off the growing excitement in my chest. Finally, he dropped her.

"I just realized I liked someone else." he says as he shrugs and let's go of the ball.

Those simple words send my mind in a whirl of questions. Who could he possibly like now? I wish it was me. Why can't he ever just choose me?

"Grace," he says as he turns around and takes a seat next to me, "we left things on a weird note."

Suddenly I'm getting flashbacks. Terrible flashbacks. The last time I saw Tyler was when I swear he knew. Was when I could have sworn that he knew that I was in love with him.

I feel all of the color drain from my face. This is the first time I've started to seriously panic since I've gotten back.

"I-I don't know what your uh.. talking about." I say as I shake my head continuously. I thought I was ready to tell him, but I'm not. I'm just not ready for him to know.

I rush up to go take my turn and we don't speak for the rest of the game.

He takes me home in silence, and the most painful thing about all of this is the fact that both of us probably want to say a million things right now, but instead, we stay quiet. It all makes me sick. Why can't one of us just make the first move?

I'm not going to be the one to say I love you first. I can't be because then, he won't say it back at all.

~*~

That night was painfully awkward. I do think he knows. We've barely spoken since bowling, and that's not good. It's always the calm before the storm when it comes to us. I'm just thankful that it is the weekend and I don't have to worry about anything dealing with Tyler. He needs to be the least of my worries.

I make my way downstairs and I'm greeted by my mom, dad and little sister.

"Morning Grace!" exclaims Sadie and she runs over to give mea big hug. The therapist said I should reconnect with my family. Try to mend what was lost all of those years. This seems like a good way to start.

"So," says my mom, and I can already tell this is going to be uncomfortable for me, "did you talk to Tyler yet?"

My dad's head shoots up and looks right at me.

"No boys." he says and he gives me a stern look as he points his finger at me.

"Shut up Danny." says my mom and I can't help but laugh just a little.

"No, I haven't really talked to him." I say and she sighs and gives me a look.

"When are the two of you just going to realize that you both love each other?"

"When we're dead."

"You're ridiculous." she comments, but all I do is laugh as I sit at the table for breakfast.

"You should go out tonight. Hang out with your friends. You were away for two weeks, they probably miss you." says my dad as he takes a seat at the table with me.

"Yeah, I probably should. I'll call Lindsey after breakfast and make some plans."

~*~

I called Lindsey this morning and asked what we can do tonight, and she said she would pick me up at 6. Of course she didn't tell me where we would be going because Lindsey just loves surprises.

Finally I hear the knock at the door and I go downstairs to answer. She stands there with a dopey grin on her face. This can not be good.

"I'm taking you to my house. Haley, Parker, Aaron and Tyler are all waiting for you there."

"What are we doing?"

"Hanging out. We all need time together." she says to me like a child begging their mother for candy. She's a mess.

"Well, ok then. Let's go." I say as I head out the door following her close behind to her car.

Tyler is going to be there. Well that's just great. He's the last person I want to see right now. I want to see him, but I can't see him. Dang it, I don't even make sense to myself right now.

None of this changes the fact that despite all of the crap that I'm keeping to myself, I want to see him. I want to see him tonight. I want to see him because I love him.

No matter how much I wish I didn't, I will always love that guy.

~*~
Hope you liked this chapter!! Bigger things to come.

The next chapter is going to be big. I've written it and rewritten it a few times, but I think I finally got it right.👇👇👇