Chapter 48A new year.I always had this bittersweet nostalgic feeling whenever a new year came around. It always made me remember.It made me remember what it was like for me that very period 365 days ago, it made me grateful for life and the people around me, it made my heart fill up with joy, knowing that I had grown into a better person than who I was before.The new year felt good and I couldn't be happier.I enjoyed the rest of the little break I had left and headed back to Santa Clara when school commenced again. A lot of time had gone in the new year and January was almost over. School work had already started eating up my time because if I wasn't learning, I was studying. I just really wanted to be focused on good grades.My Dad and I had also been talking a lot now. He liked to call me his second therapist. He'd say that talking to me about everything he
Chapter 49Chapter 49"You disappeared last night." Chris said to me immediately I walked into our living room."I bet you already know why I did." I said, giving me a pointed look. "Why didn't you tell me about Dean's nightmares getting worse?"He looked at the TV and let out a sigh, "It wasn't my shit to say."I ran a hand through my hair."How's he holding up though?" Chris asked, looking genuinely concerned."From what I saw last night," I sighed, "not good.""That really sucks, you know?"I leaned on the wall, "Dean asked me to move in with him."I expected Chris to be a lot of things, but not excited.He stood u
Chapter 50I had successfully moved into Dean's penthouse.Chris helped us to move and unpack the boxes and he made sure we agree on hanging out at least twice a week. I had been living with Dean for about a week now and I had to admit, it was pretty fucking awesome. Although sometimes I forget that I now live with him and drive all the way to Chris' apartment only to remember that I no longer live there.That occurred twice this week.Living with Dean Jason Ryan in his glorious penthouse was better than I had imagined. He looks after me any chance he gets, always making sure I'm comfortable. Plus, me and Dean in one house equals goofy events and staying up late.But not too late.My baby
Chapter 51"Dean!" I called out for him but he kept moving like he wasn't even hearing anything I was saying."Dean!" Chris and I called out again in unison but that didn't stop him from walking away, his strides long and an evidence of his anger.I didn't even know how to feel. I was feeling a lot of things. I felt angry, I felt a strong wave of inner peace that Dean did what I ought to have done a year ago and I felt mad… at everything.I practically jogged over to catch up with Dean and pulled him back, "Would you fucking stop?!""What?!" He shouted in my face. In the realization that he had, he ran a hand through his hair and lowered his tone. "What, Grace?!""What the hell was that for, Dean?!""That guy is a bastard that deserves to sufferslowlyfor what he did to you!""That happened a fucking year ago,
Chapter 52A month had passed since the whole Tyler incident. It took a lot in me to forgive Dean for the way he reacted and the mess that followed right after, but I did. I sincerely did. Tyler hadn't bothered me since then, he hadn't tried to reach out to me or communicate with me in any way, and that, I was happy about.The thought of Dean's mother totally despising me still bothered my thoughts every once in a while, but I had learned to live with it. Dean kept telling me not to let it bother me and I have tried to.We had a less than a week to go before we head back home for spring break and I couldn't have been happier because Stanford University was set out to end my fucking life! I barely had time for myself or anyone because I was too buried in school work to think about anything else because believe it or not, my education means everything to me. I personally beli
Chapter 53"Happy birthday Christian!" Dean, Uncle Stanley, Aunt Karen and I shouted in unison as soon as he walked into the living room.A week had passed by and everyone had headed back home for Spring break. I, for one, felt genuinely happy and excited to be back in L.A. to see my family. It felt like so many years had passed since I had seen them and it felt very good to finally do so again. I truly missed them. Mom and Dad had never failed to call, Tommy and I had texted whenever we got the chance to but with school stress and all, time had never felt enough for anything. And did it make me joyous be off from the stress of school and finally be back with the other people I really cared about, even if it was just for less than two weeks."Aww!" Chris wiped a fake tear off his eyes. "You guys are so sweet. Thank you!""My little boy's all grown up." Karen sniffed an
Chapter 54"Grace, where are you?!" I heard my mother shout from the entryway. "We're all ready to go."Saturday had rolled by fast and so had Stanley and Karen's charity function. I walked out of the kitchen and into the entryway to see my father, mother and little brother dressed up formally and they all looked really good. My mother was dressed in a white off-the-shoulder pencil dress. Her hair was packed up in a neat ponytail and the makeup highlighted on her face was absolutely gorgeous, she had a black clutch in hand to match her black stilettos. My father and brother on the other hand were both dressed in matching tuxedos."Aww," I smiled at them. "You guys look soooo good."They all shared confused looks."Gracie, why aren't you ready yet?" My mother asked.I had gotten my makeup and hair done but I was still putting on a bathrobe and flip
Chapter 55"You mean you guys haven't still spoken since he went back?" Chris asked me as he lay sprawled on my bed."Nope." I muffled into my pillow."Did he text or call you at all?" He asked as I felt him sit up, leaning on his elbow."Yeah, maybe once or twice." I took my face out of the pillow and faced him. "But I didn't respond."Chris picked the nearest thing he could find and threw it at me, "Why the fuck not?""Cause I'm mad at him!" I pouted. "He left me here to go stay in the same house with the very girl who's had it out for our relationship since day 1."My best friend scratched the back of his neck, "Well, you do have a right to be mad."It had been approximately four days since Dean left me at Stanley and Karen's function and headed back to Santa Clara. It was fucking with my mind actually, especially how we hadn't spoken. The
Chapter 73{ D E A N }Something wasn't right.There was something wrong with Grace and I could feel it in my gut.Maybe it was the way she always seemed distracted, maybe it was the way the littlest things I said or did caused her demeanor to change, maybe it was the way she always seemed lost in thoughts, maybe it was the way I could simply tell when something wasn't right with her but this was a gut feeling.And I was going crazy with the oblivion.It hurt that she didn't want me to be there for her. Whenever I asked her what the matter wa
Chapter 72I had no idea what to do.Kendra had given me the offer again.We had quite the conversation when she called me last week. We talked about everything that happened and how it affected her view of me. We talked of how relieved she felt when her son told her that it was all a misunderstanding and everything was done out of spite. We talked about how she had received a call from Dean Ryan and the heart-to-heart conversation they had.We talked about how hesitant she was to contact me when the truth behind the photo was revealed. We talked about how shocked and happy she felt when she received my email. She talked about
Chapter 71"Hi." Dean said in the most feathery voice, his tone completely matching mine.Someone teach me how to breathe, please.I literally held my heart in my hands as I stood in front of him. I had no idea how this was going to go or what I should've said next but all I knew was that there were a million things that I was finally ready to get off my chest. I was done fighting it, I was done trying to act strong, I was done with all of it. Because standing there in that very moment, I realized something;I missed him.God, I missed him painfully."Can I come in?" I asked him.He cleared his throat like my voice snapped him out of a trance
Chapter 70I woke up the next morning with this nervous feeling in my stomach. Every action I performed, right from brushing my teeth, having a shower and getting ready, made the feeling in my stomach go up a notch every time.Every bone in my body screamed at me to just stay home today until I was sure that I could go to school without feeling like anxiety was about to knock me out but there was also a voice at the back of my mind that told me to suck it up and get this over with once and for all.I swear, I felt like a freshman on their first day of high school.Chris and I's schedule no longer aligned this year. As my first lecture of the day began at 9
Chapter 69{ G R A C E }Summer had come to an end, making it close to two months since I last saw or spoke to Dean.I remember that day vividly everyday. I remember how hurt Dean looked when I walked out of the penthouse which was basically our home for months. I remember how his face fell when he begged me not to fall out of love with him and I lied through my teeth. I remember feeling like a part of me was missing when I had to force myself to be okay. I remember going back to my best friend and him trying to get me to hear him out.Chris had told me that Dean had explained to him what really happened and that if I'd just listen to what
Chapter 68{ D E A N }Three days.I hadn't heard from Grace in three days.Ever since she broke up with me, I've felt completely empty. As cheesy and over the top as this may sound, everything seemed to have lost purpose and meaning. I never thought a time like this would come, where Grace would no longer want anything to do with me, where we wouldn't be together.After that morning at Chris', I drove back home feeling the deepest void inside me. I had been texting Grace nonstop to hear me out but I haven't gotten a response from her. It was only today that I realized that she had blocked my number, if not deleted it and that hurt me, a lot. If sh
Chapter 67I felt the pain in my core.It was as though someone had thrown a heavy weight upon my chest, crushing and crumbling my heart bit by bit. My head was spinning, everything around me at that moment was spinning. I felt a heavy lump in my throat as my eyes never left the laptop screen. Jenna was saying something but I had completely drowned her out, trying to calm the wave going on in my head.The photo stared back at me, taunting me, mocking me, causing a thousand questions to flood through my mind and rush back out. I wanted to believe that this was all just some stupid prank, that Jenna was lying about all of this, that Dean had not
Chapter 66Chris' photos got approved.He was so happy and excited that his work was going to be displayed on Mark Finston's photo exhibit and Dean and I couldn't have been happier for him. We still hadn't seen the photos, Chris wouldn't let us. He said he wanted us to see it for the first time in the exhibit and we didn't mind, honestly. We were just really proud of him and his accomplishments.The photo exhibit was tonight and Dean and I had gotten ready to leave. We had agreed to meet Chris there, as well as our other friends whom he had invited. I was dressed in a rose gold dress which hugged my upper body and flared from my waist, ending mid-thi
Chapter 65"Oh my Jesus!" The sound of Chris' voice boomed over the entire living room. "Holy fucking shit! I'm gonna be blind, I'm gonna be blind! I'm gonna be fucking blind!""Chris, what the fuck?!" Dean shouted as he wrapped me up in him as an attempt to cover me up."I'm never gonna see again!" Chris exaggerated, throwing his hands over his eyes. "Please put some fucking clothes on! Holy mother of Jesus. How will I ever unsee that?"I couldn't help but laugh at how ridiculous he was being. Dean's glare etched his features as he lifted himself off me, looking around for wherever we threw our clothes to. He tossed his shirt to me, putting on his briefs right after. I put the sh