Author's Note: I'd like to thank and dedicate this chapter to @lolzitsmollz62 because, without them, this book would probably not exist =P Anyways, I hope you enjoy and please tell me if I should continue or not. Thanks! -rac061h0ael
-Kalel's POV-
I sat on the porch of the lake house Ian and I lived in. A mug of coffee was cupped in my hands as a light breeze sent the steam towards my face. I didn't care though, I was staring at the rippling water as I thought of all the things I'd one in the past few years. And it all started with Anthony leaving for college...
Before I could go into deep though, I heard footsteps creep up behind me and stop right behind the cushioned chair I sat in. I looked up and grinned, "Hey, Ian."
"Hey, Kalel," He retorted as he bent down and pressed his lips against mine. He pulled out of the kiss and sat down in the chair next to mine.
I chuckled, "You know who I've been thinking about lately?"
"Who?"
I shook my head, "I don't know why, but I've been thinking a lot about Anthony." He scoffed in disbelief. I took in a quick breath before asking, "Do you ever...think we made the right decision in leaving him without any warning?"
He laughed as he turned his head away from me, "Don't tell me you're having regrets about it."
"I'm not having regrets," I defended myself. He glanced back over at me skeptically, "Honestly. I just feel bad that we didn't tell him personally. And all we left him were a bunch of meaningless videos and letters."
"We did what was best for all of us, Kalel," He told me sternly.
I shook my head, "No, Ian, I don't think we did what was best for all of us." He shot me a look of surprise. I rose to my feet, setting the mug down on the small table that sat between the two chairs on the covered porch, "In fact," I continued, "I think we made the worst decision possible!"
"Kalel..." Ian moaned as he stood up too.
"We should go back and see him again!" I exclaimed desperately, "At least tell him in person that we're doing okay and we're sorry for not telling him."
He sighed, "Look, Kalel, I want to see him as much as you do. But we can't."
"And why not?" I inquired, my lips beginning to quiver.
"Because how the hell are we going to explain to him that we're getting married and expecting a child?" He questioned. I remained silent as I hung my head, "Huh?"
"I...I don't know," I stammered quietly.
"Exactly," Ian remarked as he turned away from me and walked up to the railing separating us from the yard three feet below, "So let's just forget about it and move on with our lives."
I crossed my arms over my chest, "How can you say that?" He looked back at me, "He was your best friend, Ian!"
"Key word - was," He stated coldly.
My jaw dropped in disgust, "Still! How can you just forget about him?"
"It's simple," He retorted, spinning around and approaching me, gently grabbing my upper arms, "We don't talk about him. We don't think about him. Got that?" I frowned, averting my gaze to the sage green planks beneath our bare feet. "Got that, Kalel?" He repeated more aggressively.
"Yes, Ian..." I mumbled under my breath.
"Good," He gave me a quick kiss and walked back inside.
I heaved a sigh and sat back down in the chair, picking up my now-cold coffee mug and staring out at the now still lake. I don't care what Ian says. I'm not forgetting about Anthony. In fact, I wonder where he is now...
-Anthony's POV-
After a lot of cleaning, the two houses were, for the most part, back to normal. I locked up Ian's house and Heather and I moved into the house Kalel and I used to live in.
I had taken down all of the picture frames with photographs of Kalel and me and even the few I had up of Ian and me. They just upset me. I mean, I didn't show that they upset me, but deep down inside, I was furious. No matter how much I tried to convince myself that this was for the better and that this is the new life I was supposed to live, I always have this small thought in the back of my mind that if I did things different, my best friend and used-to-be-fiance would still be in my life. But they weren't...instead, Heather was.
I was sitting on my bed, looking at the engagement ring I had slipped in my pocket about six months ago when I was finding the clues as to where Ian and Kalel were (which, to be honest, I was still finding). Kalel's engagement ring was one of the few things I kept of them, along with the crumpled-up post it note with the address and number that I took out of the garbage can and saved.
I heard a knock on my door. I looked up and saw Heather standing in my bedroom doorway. She wore an oversized gray cardigan and a skin-tight tank top with her black boy-short length pajama shorts. Her arms were crossed over her chest and a smirk was on her face, "May I come in, Professor?" She joked about my new job at the state college.
I laughed, "Sure," I answered as I put the engagement ring back in my nightstand drawer, where I kept it and the post-it note, and exchanging it with something else.
"What were you looking at?" She inquired as she jumped on the bed and gave me a quick kiss.
"It was nothing," I told her as she sat back on her heels.
"You always say that," She commented, "And it's usually almost always something."
I chuckled, "You caught me red-handed," I said as I got up, pulling a small black box out of my pocket and kneeling down on one knee. I lifted open the lid to reveal a new engagement ring. She gasped as she cupped her hands over her mouth. I smirked, "Will you marry me, Heather?"
She nodded her head yes as she began to cry. I sat down next to her and slipped the ring on her trembling hand. She wrapped her arms around my neck and buried her face into shoulder.
"I love you, Anthony," She murmured through the tears.
"I love you too," I replied, hugging her back tightly.
