Fangs & Roses

Taken Back to the Past

After Adam left, I cried, a lot. I also drank a lot of my mom's wine. The whole bottle, to be exact. How could he be so selfish to show up here and play with my feelings? I called and texted him for months and never received even one reply.

I think back to the day we met, two years ago. Adam was new at school, and one of his friends set him up on a blind date with Alley. I was at her house when he dropped her off early, and she came storming in, saying he was the most inconsiderate jerk she had ever met and locked herself in her room.

I went downstairs to see what happened, and Adam was sitting on the curb outside.

"What did you do?" I demanded.

"Me?" He stood up. "Why would you assume it was me and not her?"

"Because she called you a jerk."

"She's a spoiled ass princess."

"That's my best friend you're talking about!" I yelled.

He put his hand up in defense. "Whoa, no disrespect. She's just not my type." He looked me up and down. "But you are."

"You just had a terrible date with my best friend, and you're hitting on me?!"

"It was one horrible date. I'm sure she wouldn't mind. I'm Adam."

And our first date, the night we had our first kiss. I rode on the back of Adam's motorcycle as he took me to the hills for a picnic under the stars. He had been begging me for almost two months to go on a date with him, and I told him he had one chance.

"I'm not going to lie, I'm completely surprised you brought me here. I thought you were going to take me to vandalize something or break the law. I expected a party at least," I told him.

He shook his head and smiled down at me. "No, not tonight. Maybe another night, but not tonight."

"Why did you bring me here?"

"I like to come here to get away, to think..."

"About what?" I asked.

He looked me in the eyes. "Lately, you." And he kissed me.

That was my first kiss with Adam Knight.

I think of all the wonderful nights and days we had after that. We were inseparable. I think of all the long kisses, motorcycle rides, and swims under the stars. I think about all the parties and the times we ditched class together. I think of all the promises we made for our future. And then I think about the day he left.

It was a Thursday in October. His mom got a job transfer to California. When he told me, I cried while he held me. I knew he was crying too. We promised each other to make it work, no matter the cost, until he could come back for me.

"I love you, and nothing's going to change that," he said softly, kissing the top of my head.

I held him tight and cried harder. "I don't want you to leave me."

"I would never leave you, baby. Together, always and forever."

And right after that, he walked in on me making out with his cousin. It wasn't like that. I dated his cousin Landon before me and Adam ever met. Landon was trying to get me back, and he kissed me. I didn't kiss him back or anything, but Adam was convinced we were sneaking around behind his back the whole time.

The first few months after he left, I lay in my room for months, trying to call him, text him, do anything I could to reach him. As time went on, I eventually gave up, but my heart didn't heal.

I started drinking a lot. I was at Alley's house all the time, either drunk, high, or hungover. My parents heard me cry at night and tried to comfort me, but they never truly knew how bad it was.

For a while, I felt like I lost myself, lost who I was. But eventually, I felt myself grow stronger. I started thinking about him less and focusing more on school, my family, and becoming a writer one day.

Slowly but surely, I felt myself move on. I still thought about him, hoped he was doing well, and wished him the best. But I had moved on and became me again. And now he's back, trying to take that away from me.