Something Worth Fighting For

Chapter Forty Three: The Avoidance Theory

Chapter Forty Three: The Avoidance Theory

Natalia ran in to the house. Dashing up the stairs to see if Derek had been telling her the truth or just trying to get a rise out of her. She left her bag at her room door before rushing in to the room across from hers.

Sure enough, it was empty. Derek had been telling her the truth. It was as though Dallas had never been there.

Natalia walked along the length of the room. The book shelf was bear. The study table that had once held his scattered notes was clear of any paper. Natalia didn't bother to check the closet, it would probably be as empty as the rest of the room...and as empty as her heart felt at the moment.

Natalia sat on the bed, stunned. He had really gone. He had stayed true to his word and left her. She grabbed a pillow off the bed. Holding it to her face, as tears rolled down her cheeks.

It was when she sniffled, she realized something. The pillow smelled just like him. His scent was around the room. The cedar wood tones from his cologne had infiltrated the fabric. Tears streamed down her face, as she breathed in his scent. Inhaling deeply. Surprised that there was any trace of him...any sign that he had in fact existed and stayed in the house.

The pain in her heart was now unbearable. Her eyes were blinded by tears.

Natalia couldn't stand to be in the room any longer. She put the pillow back in it's place, and crossed the room. Looking at it one last time, Natalia closed the door.

She wiped the tears from her face with the back of her hand. Picking up her school bag and entering her own room, she closed the door behind her. She had only placed her bag on the chair when she noticed something. There was an envelope on the desk.

Natalia's heart pounded harder and harder. She picked up the envelope and sat on her bed. It was slightly weighted. Natalia opened it carefully, and pulled out the note. Her vision was already swimming through tears.

'I'm sorry for everything. I'm sorry you didn't think we were something worth fighting for.

I will always love you, Natalia.

Only you.

-Love Dallas'

The note read. Tears spotted the note. She couldn't tell if they were his or her own.

Natalia couldn't stop from the flood of tears that followed. She shook out the remaining contents of the envelope.

It was the key locket he had given her. The one she had placed on his pillow after she had ended things. It fell into her palm. Cold steel met her warm skin. The finality of what she had done, finally hit her.

Natalia flung herself on to her pillows as sobs racked through her.

-----

Dallas and Derek sat on the floor of his room, opening boxes. Cans of Coca-Cola lay scattered around them. There were boxes of pizza near the doorway.

“So will you be going to school?” Derek asked, as he opened a box of books, and began taking them out.

“Yea, I don't think my parents would have given me this place if I was only going to play.” Dallas grinned.

Derek laughed. “True.”

“So which school?” The question had been inevitable. Dallas looked at the box of clothes he had been sorting through.

“York.” Dallas told him, not meeting Derek's eyes.

“Are you going there for...?” Derek asked, taking a break from taking out books.