Does Love Really Exist? {Sequel to Love Exists?}

Chapter 4

Trinity's POV

I lean against Seth as the movie plays. Jak should be here soon. He texted me saying he had something important for us.
"You doing okay?" Seth asks.
"Yeah. Just a bit worried, you know. Jak is going crazy over Rocco. Dylan is going to get jealous really fast if he catches the two of them hanging out, he's already jealous enough with just us two," I reply.
"True. I'm sure Jak can talk it over with both of them though and smooth it over. But I do think that Jak should figure his feelings out before he has any serious discussions with either of them," Seth says.
The door bursts open as I open my mouth to answer him. It's Jak but he's followed by someone else. We both stand to greet them, assuming it's Dylan though he rarely come over.
The other boy steps into the apartment and at first I don't recognize him. Honestly though, a little off topic, but I need to get myself some female friends instead of just all these guys.
The guy has brown hair and matching brown eyes. He still has a baby face but he's taller than I remember and more muscular too. He's wearing a hoodie and jeans just like he did throughout the whole year I knew him.
Rocco.
Wow.
I squeal excitedly and throw myself at my best friend throughout senior year.
He catches me, hugging my tightly in response in a way that we used to do the other way around, with me hugging him tightly and him melting in my arms.
He pulls away and his face lights up in a smile.
"The quartet is finally back together," he says.
"Took long enough," Seth says rolling his eyes and smiling. Rocco hugs him next and they both hold onto each other tightly.
Seth pulls away first and his eyes are bigger than normal.
"Holy heck you've gotten strong," Seth says. I've been trying to get Seth to stop swearing more recently. It's annoying and there's better vocabulary to use anyways though we both mess up a lot.
"Yeah. After I got out of the hospital it became one of my hobbies to work out," Rocco says absentmindedly.
"Well it's great to see you again, Rocco. I'm so sorry it took so long. Been busy with school and work and stuff." I say.
"No problem," he shrugs.
"Anyways, what's been going on with you? We haven't seen you in almost a year. What's happened?" Seth asks.
"I'll get some snacks and we can sit in the dining room to discuss," Jak says looking like he needed to escape the conversation.

Soon, we're sitting around the dining room table with chips and salsa in the middle. Me and Rocco one side, Jak and Seth on the other.
"So tell us, what happened?" Seth demands.
"Okay, okay, yeah. A lot happened, actually. So, I left for the hospital and I was supposed to be in there for 4 months, until my 18th birthday, but I got out a month early because my dad came to get me- no talking until the end of the story. Anyways, my dad came to get me and we went back to his new house where he had moved after I left. Apparently he went to rehab and got better so while I stayed with him I worked out and gained some muscle just in case he were to lash out again but he actually never did." He pauses and takes a deep breath.
"I was still seeing a therapist at the time and I had been prescribed some stuff to make my brain 'normal'. But my dad died in July. He got hit by a drunk driver and died on impact. Kind of ironic, right? I'm okay. I'm really glad we were able to make up before he passed away but I'm kind of glad, not in a sadistic way, but I feel like a lot of pressure has left me, knowing he won't ever be able to hurt me whether or not he promised not to.
"Yeah, so, a little while later when I was applying for university's and stuff, I ran across Matty again. He's changed too. It felt like everything had flipped upside down while I was in the mental hospital. He was nice and he apologized and said that what he did was so bad and wrong and that he had gone through a bunch of stuff as a child even though that was no excuse. I said that I forgave him but that I'd prefer it if he stayed out of my life from then on. He agreed and I haven't seen him since. I got accepted into University and I got a job at Starbucks. My life is amazing other than a few financial problems." He explains.
All of us are sitting there with dropped jaws and wide eyes and he has a big smile on his face.
"Wow," Seth finally says.
"Yeah," Jak nods.
"Yeah, it's crazy. I'm actually in an almost good place in my life right now which I never thought I could be. Oh! And Ben has finally stopped partying and drinking because he wanted to be more like Dad and be a success and he's in law school now." Rocco says his eyes lit up.
"Financial problems?" Jak questions.
"Yeah. I'm a bit short for rent occasionally and my apartment is really small. My dad and Ben didn't have a lot of money either. Ben was using all of his towards tuition and I used Dad's for my tuition so it's just the Starbucks money for everything else." He shrugs, "it's no big deal though. I always manage."
"Wow." Seth repeats.
"Yeah! I owe it all to you three though. You guys were the only reason I made it through senior year. The only reason I got help and got better and now I'm here and I'm pretty much happy!" He says.
A smile breaks out onto my face, "I'm so so happy for you, Rocco. You deserve this all this much. You always deserved happiness and I'm so glad you've got it now."
"Mostly. There's no denying I have depression and I do get depressed sometimes and still can get caught up in the past but the prescription meds help and I'm doing good."
"Wow." Seth says again. Jak slaps his arm and Seth rolls his eyes in response.
"What about you guys?" Rocco asks turning to me.
"Not much. When you left, it took us a few weeks to really get back to our own heads, we got our grades up, Seth even managed a scholarship to this University and so I applied and got in as well. We felt bad leaving Jak alone but sooner or later him and Dylan made up and that was fine. We got this apartment and we're both great too." I reply.
"So you're telling me that after everything I did to keep you safe during high school is all out the window now? After everything I did to keep Matty and your dad and Ben away from you and to keep you safe that's nothing now? It's all fine and dandy and you'll go skipping hand and hand up a Hill with Matty because he apologized?" Jak demands angrily.
I open my mouth to argue with him but Rocco beats me to it.
"Don't be stupid, Jak. I haven't just forgiven him for what he did but I know it'll never happen again. I know I'm safe from him. I know he didn't mean to hurt me. Me and my therapist talked it all over. It's not my fault that you weren't there for me throughout that." Rocco replies rolling his eyes.
"You're blaming me again? How many times do I have to tell you, you're just as much to blame as I am. You could've called me. You had my number. I could've contacted you as well but I didn't. Get over it!" Jak says raising his voice. Seth looks ready to break up a fight any minute now especially as Rocco stands.
"I get it. I'm at fault here, of course. It's not like I was the one who had just gotten out of a mental hospital. Other things were on my mind, I'll be honest. If you're so mad at me over forgiving Matty and Dad, you could've just been there for me. Do you even know how absolutely terrified I was when I opened the door and it was Matty? Do you even understand how scared I was when he hugged me? Just him standing there brought back so many memories and you weren't there to help. What if he wasn't there to just apologize, Jak?"
"I'm at fault again? I'm always the one who does something wrong! Why don't you just tough up and stand up for yourself?! I shouldn't be obligated to always be there for you!" Jak screams back.
"You should be when I was your boyfriend! You should be when you promised me that over and over again. What happened to 'I promise we'll start from where we left off?' What happened to 'I'll be there for you as soon as you get out of that place?' What happened to 'I'll always be there for you?' Honestly, you're such a liar, Jak," Rocco replies. His voice is even and cold yet his words carry so much more power than Jak's yelling does.
"Fuck you!" Jak shouts storming out of the room.

There's too much dialogue. Sorry.
-Ellie