When The Sun Goes Down

𝑡 𝑤 𝑒 𝑛 𝑡 𝑦

20.THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT

Novaly

Two months later;
I got waken up when the sun shined through my eyelids and into my room. I had to say I haven't slept much after the movie we watched my roommates and I until late at night.

Arms quite strong circled my waist to pull me closer. I turned around and, despite my morning breath, kissed the first glimpse of skin I saw which caused a tired smile on his face.

Axel and I have been together for a little more than a month now and everything was going well. At first it was pretty hard trying not to imagine Ander kissing me instead of Axel, but our relationship was starting to grow closer and closer to what you could , probably, call love.

"Good Morning, Novaly" he whispered in a still asleep voice and I smiled.

This part had been tough as well at the beginning. Axel always called me Novaly or Nova like everyone else.
I had grown accustomed to hear a "Butterfly" here and there and now there was none.
I still didn't know why Ander had called me this way right the first day we talked. I made my mind up that I would never know.

He didn't try anything to talk to me. He had left school and when I went to his house, I found his moto, but no Ander.

It was at this moment I decided it would be better to stop searching or wondering or asking myself thousands of questions. That night,  I drove back home,wiping away the single warm tear that fell from my eye.

Axel took our relationship slow, yes he slept in my bed once in a while when it was too late to drive himself home, but weirdly he never asked to go any way further. The farthest we've been was kissing and I didn't complain. I didn't even know if I was ready to have sex with any guy.

The day that marked half a year since my parents died was next week. Six months living without any trace of them and yet I still couldn't forgive myself for the accident.

The fire that burnt down my family house kept reminding me that I was the one that should've died in this fire.  It kept reminding me the non-sense of the situation.
The fire had started growing right next to my room, it didn't make any sense that I was the one safe and my parents were dead when they slept at the opposite side of the house.

I knew I should've accept it and move on, my two parents died, I needed to focus on healing more than resolving. I wasn't Sherlock Holmes after all.
But something inside of me was digging a hole that I felt could never be filled, unless if I found the truth about what happened that night of the accident.

Axel and I dressed up before going into the kitchen to find my roommates and Bryce sitting at the breakfast bar. I had put on a shoulderless top that I knew pleased my body well with a pair of ripped jeans. I served Axel a plate of eggs and bacon. I took for myself an apple.

We settled that Axel would drive me to school and then get to his job. I hopped in his car, turning on the radio.

At school, I kissed Axel's cheek, got out of the car and watched him drive away with a small smile. It didn't take long until the smile disappeared completely. I narrowed my eyes at the shadow next to a huge tree longing the schools driveway. It was barely recognizable but I did notice it. I got out of the car and rushed there with a determined, firm pace.

The shadow started walking towards where I was standing and,with a scowl, I instinctively backed up a few steps.

"I see you've downgraded, butterfly." I shook my head and couldn't believe Ander was in front of me, after two months of nothing, making cheap references on Axel.