Don't Forget Me (Sequel to Gone Forever)

Chapter 13 - Promises

Cher’s P.O.V.

The first place I looked for Justin was Pattie’s house, but I had no luck finding him.

 

The next place I looked for him was his house, and I was relieved I didn’t have to look any further.

I found him sitting in a huddle on his bedroom floor, his arms wrapped around his legs, rocking back and forth, sobbing his heart out as though he was oblivious to the world.

 

I ran over to him and pulled him into a hug, soothing him as he cried until he could cry no more.

 

“Don’t worry.” I soothed, stroking his hair. “I’m here. You’ll be alright. I promise.”

 

When he had stopped crying, he just sat there, still enclosed in my arms.

 

“I’m sorry for this. I just thought I knew her. I thought I could trust her. Everything was a lie.” He croaked, trying to fight back the tears.

 

“It’s alright. I promise I’ll make things better for you. I promise I’ll help you forget about her, even though I know it won’t be easy for you.”

 

We stayed like we were for a while in silence, Justin letting out the occasional sob, until Pattie came bursting in.

 

“Oh gosh, you’re here. You’re safe.” Pattie said, sighing with relief. “I was so worried about you, both of you. Please don’t run off like that again.”

 

“Sorry Pattie.” I said. “But I think Justin might appreciate a hug right now.”

“Aw my poor baby.” Pattie said, helping me and Justin up off of the floor and sitting Justin on the bed before giving him the sort of hug she only gives people when they’re upset.

 

It was a while before Justin calmed down again and spoke.

 

“I...I need to sell this house.” He sobbed.

 

“But why? We bought this place for you for your birthday.” Pattie said.

 

“Too many memories...Of her. And it was all fake.” He started to cry again. “Can I move back into yours, Mom?”

 

“Of course you can, sweetie. Of course you can.” Pattie answered him, rubbing his back as he cried even harder.

 

And that was the moment when I realised everything really was going to be alright.

 

Justin’s P.O.V.

For a whole week after the funeral, every day passed by in a blur. All I could remember doing those days were crying and sleeping. I probably wouldn’t have eaten if my mom hadn’t brought my meals up to me. But she did it because she loves me and hated to see me in so much pain.

I remember the constant nightmares I would have during those long, dark winter nights. They all featured Rosalia as the devil, and I would wake up several times in the night, thrashing about, sweating and screaming and only seemed to calm down and go back to sleep once my mom would come in, wipe my face with a cold cloth and sing to me like she did when I was a young boy.

 

During this painful period, I really did feel like a child again.

 

People started to worry about me a lot. Cher and my kids weren’t allowed to visit - seeing me like this would only make my kids scared of me - and a doctor would constantly call round, prescribe me different pulls for my unknown mental condition, try and get me to talk about how I was feeling and what I was thinking about. But I refused to. For that whole week I spoke to no one.

 

People eventually got fed up of this though, and pushed me more and more. For the next month, Cher started to come round at least twice a week and she’d sit with me in the front room, informing me how the kids were, and updating me on everyone’s lives. Ryan and Charlana moving in with each other. Selena pregnant with hers and Chaz’s second child and Katie with her new boyfriend. But hearing of everyone else’s happiness only made me more depressed.

I was now into 5 weeks of my depression period when Cher finally broke.

 

“Look, Justin.” Cher said as we sat alone in the front room in mid-December, sitting cosily together by the fire. “I want to help you, I really do, but i can’t when you won’t let me in. I can’t help if I don’t know how to. I can’t help if you won’t even talk to me. I’m your girlfriend, you know you can talk to me about anything.”

 

“I’m sorry.” These were the first words I had said since that day of the funeral.

 

Hearing me speak again shocked Cher slightly. She took my hand in hers, then rested her head on my shoulder. The first form of physical contact I’d had with her too since that day. Gosh, I’ve been such a selfish boyfriend recently.

 

“None of this is your fault, Justin. I just want to help you get back to your normal self again. I really have missed you.” She kissed my cheek gently.

 

“I’ve missed you too.” And with that, I smiled for the first time in 5 weeks.

 

The next week was a long and painful week but I pulled through with the help of Cher.

Everybody was finally noticing the positive changes I was making - ones they had waited ages to see - and I was finally allowed to see my kids again. I think that having them back with me gave me that one final push that I needed to get me back to my normal self again.