Back again

Chapter 3: Secret unearthed

Occasional use of swear words. User discretion advised (Just like I told ya'll before reading the book)

Listen to "Scars" by I Prevail for this chapter

----------------------------------------------------------------

"So?" Natalie was sitting cross legged on the couch opposite to me. Her hand under her chin and eyes wide, she waited for me to begin my story. The moment I ran up to her door and rang the bell like a maniac, she thought there was some sort of serial killer on loose. When I said I 'wanted to talk', she thought it was going to be about the date. So when I told her it was about my secret, she pulled me in. Just like the first day.

"Okay, so you won't judge me or him when I tell you this right?"

She nodded a no. "Is cursing allowed?"

I laughed,"yes, I guess so?"

"cool"

I let out a huge breath. Finally this story's going to come out.

"So, when I used to live in Atlanta, I became friends with this Vincent guy. Over the years we'd become real close and at the end of our fourth year as friends, we both had sort of developed feelings for each other. It was pretty evident. Everywhere we went people would label us a 'couple' which we both denied. All the time. You know what I mean?"

Natalie nodded her head

"That was what we had between us. Well, alot like that actually. Or that's what I thought. Then suddenly one day Vincent came to me and said that he had started dating this other girl. Obviously, I was a bit hurt. But it got magnified when he started getting into more and more relationships and started ignoring me. It felt kinda bad to see him, my 'best friend', ignoring me all the time. At times he ended up rude. I didn't ever complain though. I thought maybe he was having relationship problems so I left him to calm down.

"At times, he'd call me up only when he was really bored. And right before my eyes I started to see our friendship of more than four years crumble.

"Then a few days down all that, he calls me up and tells me to meet him. He said that he wanted to see me. He said it was urgent. So I agreed. When we met, he told me that he missed me and that he was sorry and stuff... Honestly, I believed it. He said that he liked me alot but 'wasn't sure' if it was as a friend or more than that. I decided not to tell him anything, mostly because he had hurt me so bad that I needed time to understand if I still had feelings for him.

"For the next few days, everything started going on normally. Then he started ignoring me again. I couldn't take it, so I stopped speaking to him myself. And he made no effort to apologize or ask about my absence."

I sucked in another breath.

"one month later, I got to know that he had started dating one of his exes. It hurt me how he had not told me anything about it. I texted him once within that period about something that I don't remember now. And he gave me a curt reply. I chose to not be in contact with him anymore.

"Then just before leaving for uni, I decided to tell him. He asked me not to leave. But I had to. He promised me to keep in Contact with him at uni. We spoke a few times, but the same thing kept going on. Then at last when he ignored me, I stopped totally. Getting my job, I finally left Stanford and travelled to different places. But I never told him where I was.

A few months after I left Stanford, I got to know that a friend of mine from Atlanta had told Vincent that I had left uni, got a job and was out here somewhere in America. Vincent didn't know to which places I had travelled but he tried reaching me. But I never picked up his call till today. I couldn't bear to hear his lies once again."

I hid my head between my hands.

"And that asshole had the nerve to contact you even after all this" Natalie asked

I nodded

"What a cunt" she said

"Ash-" she kept a hand on my shoulder,"don't speak to him if you know you can't take this"

"I can take this" I told her,"I've been through such good times. I can't run away from this. Either I make it a part of my good days, or I perish it"

Natalie hugged me,"I'm happy you told me this"

Then she gave me a clear ringing laugh and said,"And what was today's date like?" She wiggled her eyebrows. I rolled my eyes and smiled. Then I told her.

----------------------------------------------------------------

I know. I know. I know I updated a day early (Saturday- IST)

But I thought that I might not be able to update tomorrow and that wouldn't be a fair deal. So here it is.

[I'll try updating tomorrow. If I can. If I can't then the next update will be on Monday/Tuesday]

And YES. Ashley finally told Natalie about why she's been avoiding Vincent. She just doesn't want her heart to break again :")

Comment if you think Ashley had a good reason to not speak to Vincent again.

Do vote to keep spreading the vibe! :)

Peace <3