P&P

Chapter Twenty

As Charlotte, Fitz, Anne and I took a stroll down the street to the park, I was surprised that I was actually having a pretty good time. I hardly thought about the previous events of last night (hardly being the operative word here) and the morning went by pretty fast.

"All I'm saying," Anne told us, concluding one of her many stories of growing up with Miss De Bourgh as her mother. "Is that when you've grown up with a mother like mine, nothing ever scares you anymore."

"I believe it." I told her honestly.

"Speaking of my mother, I should probably get back. We're going to France next week for a few months, and I have yet to pack anything." We said our goodbyes, and Fitz, Charlotte and I continued walking. When first meeting up with Fitz, I mentally sighed out of relief that he didn't seem to know what had happened with me and Darcy. Or at least if he did, he wasn't saying anything about it.

"I'm really gonna hate leaving." Fitz told us. "You guys are really fun. We'll have to keep in touch when I go back to New York."

"When are you leaving?" I asked him.

"Tonight, actually." My jaw dropped. "Darcy's coming with me before going back to LA. You should be glad. You won't be having to put up with him for much longer."

The reaction I was having to this news was far from what I was expecting. I didn't feel even a twinge of relief. I couldn't help thinking, so this is how it ends? Would anything in my life be resolved for once?

"Wow." Was all I could say.

"I'm kind of glad he's leaving." Charlotte added. "But we're both gonna miss you, Fitz. A lot."

"I know you will." He said with a confidant smirk. "I'm gonna miss you two too." He put an arm around each of us as we continued along the path, but it wasn't long before he had to leave as well, leaving Charlotte and I at a park bench with a lot to talk about.

"This month passed by so quickly." Charlotte told me. "I know you're going to want to get back to your family soon."

"Yeah," I agreed. "It feels weird being away from them for this long. That's part of the reason I didn't want to go away for college." Charlotte was quite aware of my fear of leaving the nest. Most teenagers can't wait to leave for college, but I was all too aware of horror stories about drowning in student loan debts, sexual predators and date-rape drugs at parties, and surviving on ramen noodles for months. I didn't want that to be me. I quite enjoyed living a simple, complication-free life.

But now...

"How's Jane doing?" Charlotte asked suddenly.

"Better. I think everyone has to go through heartbreak at least once." It took a lot for me to muster the words without feeling a twinge of anger at Darcy.

"I guess you're right. It just sucks because it's Jane going through it." Charlotte really loved Jane as well. When you're the nicest person on the planet, you get a lot of love.

"Believe me, I know."

I got to the apartment before Charlotte did, as she had left something important in the car and had to go back to get it. She always seemed to be gone at the right moments, I noticed, as I found a sticky note on the door with my name on the top, written in the neatest handwriting I had ever seen. It simply read: