beside you :: cel {sequel to a+}

one | back in town

I dropped my black duffle bag on he ground. The big, yellow taxi that I had taken over here had been long gone. I stared up in bewilderment at the house. After all these years, Cole still hadn't decided to move out.

I definitely would've moved, given all the reminders there was of my mother, who he got his heart shattered by (not to mention mine as well).

The exterior of the house had been painted a cranberry color, and the door was changed to white, instead of black. Cole had finally taken the time to start the garden that he always wanted. Daisies and roses and a few herbs sat in front of the house.

I took a deep breath, and pressed the doorbell. The noise ring throughout the house. I heard Cole mutter a few words about him coming.

"Well," He smiled as he opened the door. "If it isn't my favorite little Lukasiak."

"You mean I beat out my mom? What an honor." I smirked as I leaned in for a hug, which he gratefully took.

"It's been too long." He told me, his voice muffled from my hair.

"How long again?" I wondered, feeling slightly guilty for the time I'd been away.

"Nearly three years," Cole told me, raising a brow. "How old are you now?"

"Twenty-two." I answered confidently.

"Damn, you're getting old," He muttered under his breath. "You're almost as old as Josh when-"

"Let's not." I interrupted, giving him a pointed look.

Cole gave an apologetic look. "Sorry."

"It's okay," I sighed. "I just didn't come all the way from New York to talk about my ex-boyfriend."

Cole nodded. "Right. Anyway, I'm sorry I couldn't pick you up from the airport. The restaurant had an emergency-"

"It's fine," I interrupted. "I get it."

"So do you like what I've done with the place?"

I nodded, surveying my surroundings. The interior walls had been painted a dark brown, and various other changes had been made to the house. "Yeah. You stripped my mother's tacky taste right from this place."

"Took a lot to vanish her from here." Cole sighed, mimicking my actions by looking around.

"In proud of you," I smiled, looking him in the eye. "I know it wasn't easy when mom just took off."

"And I'm proud of you. She was your mother, and you seem to have your life together." Cole smirked.

I scoffed, picking up my bag. "You didn't touch my room, did you?" I eyed him.

Cole shook his head. "No. I wouldn't dare. Chloe, you never fail to scare me."

I rolled my eyes, trolling over to he stairs. I trotted up them, and along down the hallway and down to my room.

I dropped my bag on the ground when I entered. My brown irises scanned over every square inch of the room. The same posters I had hung still laid peacefully where they once were. My desk still had school papers scattered about them, and my alarm clock still rested where I originally had put it six years ago.

"He wasn't lying when he said he didn't touch it." I muttered, hauling my bag over to my bed, before dropping it on the black comforter that I never bothered to take with me when I left.

I took a minute to admire the pictures that still hung on my pinboard. One of Kendall, Nick and I on Halloween. One of Kendall and I on a winter day when we got bored. Then there was one of Nick and I one New Years Eve.

But there was one picture in particular that caught my eye. It sat on my desk like it had when I left. In a still new-looking frame, the picture brought back many memories. That Christmas Eve was an eventful one. I don't regret or resent it, but I sighed, and placed the picture face down. I didn't need any reminders of him.

•

That night I sat solitary in my room, grateful not to have been bugged by anyone yet.

Cole was smart enough not to irk me when I was thinking. Years ago, I would snap if he ever tried to talk to me if I wanted some alone time.

I laid on my black comforter on my queen sized bed, some rock music humming softly in the background. I loved theses moments, when I could get lost in my thoughts and drown myself in music without being worried about someone barging in on me.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, my mind wandering to another world. I thought about what life would be like if Josh loved me back; if he didn't lie to me when he said he loved me.

Love

Such a word I use so sparingly. I save it for the people most important to me. It was sure a hassle to say the three little words to Josh all those years ago.

I closed my eyes, feeling the pain that I experienced when I was just at the little age of eighteen. It was like being stabbed a thousands times over and over in the heart.

With tears threatening my eyes, I quickly wiped them away, hopping out of my bed.

I sported an oversized t-shirt I got from NYADA a couple years back, and a black pair of basketball shorts. My hair was up in a messily done bun, and I wore baby blue fuzzy socks on my feet.

I hummed a song that I couldn't be bothered to know the name of as I sluggishly trotted down the stairs. I have a quick hello as I passed Cole in the living room. As I entered the kitchen, I made my way to the refrigerator and glanced around.

I eventually settled on some frozen pizza I found in the freezer. As it was heating up in the microwave, I played on my phone for a little bit, humming quietly as I did so.

But when I entered my text messages, I noticed a certain text I did not remember receiving.

From: candle k

Hey Chloe! Nick told me you were back in town, and I was just wondering if you wanted to catch up. Tomorrow at Monroe's? Two o' clock?

I was not expecting anything from Kendall in the near future. Her emotions were always flying all over the place, and I never expected what was to happen.

To: candle k

Sure, why not?

And with that, the timer on the microwave beeped.

hey friends! i hope you liked the first chapter!

can i just say how much i missed writing this story? lol i can't believe i took such a long break from it.

predictions?

comment, vote!

love you!