If there was one single person that Marissa wished she never let go, it was Lucy. In more way than one, Lucy had saved her life back in New York. Of course, Nate had been there too, and she missed him more than she would ever admit. But, Lucy had been the closest thing to family she had ever had. Then that fucking train came. If Lucy hadnât left New York, would her story have been any different? She didnât know. Back then, not even Hayden was able to through to her. Maybe everyone, including Lucy, leaving was exactly what helped her out in the long run. But, fuck, it hurt when everything came back to her.Â
Marissa smiled when Lucy agreed to go grab a coffee. It felt like such a stupidly cliche act for them to do, considering what they had been through together, but it had been five years. A lot changed in five years. âYou know, when I came here about a year ago, I thought thereâs no way as many people are going to know me over here. A small city on the other side of the states? Sure, theyâll recognize my face, but I didnât think Iâd ever run into anyone I really knew,â she rambled as they walked down the road towards Rainbow Planet. âThen I ran into Shane, then Alec, then Hayden came back from the dead, then Madison, Harry, Landon, Aaron and now⊠You,â she smiled gently, glancing over at Lucy. âItâs like we all saw the reviews this town was fucked up and decided it was the place for us⊠Have youââ She didnât know whether she should even ask, but now he was on her mind. âDo you still speak to Nathaniel?â Â
Lucy listened with intent, a smile on her face as she listened. She couldnât help but laugh at the comment, nodding her head. âYeah, I know what you mean... Though, I didnât know Harry and Hayden where here. I might have to get their numbers from you, just so I can bug them a little.â She said with a smirk. So many of the people she was close to in New York were once again in the same town as her, and it felt weird. She hadnât fully decided if it was a good feeling yet or not, but she knew she was going to have to keep up appearances so no one would know that the old Lucy was long gone.Â
The moment that name came from her lips, it left a gaping hole in Lucyâs chest, and if it wasnât for Marissa walking with her, there was a good chance that sheâd have collapsed. With just a simple name, her mind was sent back to so many memories, and she felt as if she could cry. Five years she'd gone without hearing his name. His dimples, curly hair, and soothing voice filled her head, and she was almost positive that she could smell his cologne as if he was standing within a few feet. The girl swallowed back tears for a moment, shaking her head quickly. âUm.. No, not since I left..â Her last day in New York flashed through her head. She had said her goodbyes in her own way to everyone. Whether it was just popping up at their work or taking them out to lunch, she had done them all face to face, even if they didnât know it was a goodbye. All except for two, and one of them was Nate, while the other was his best friend.Â
It wasnât a malicious thing, she just knew that if she had even acted a little out of place, Nate would have known something was up. And if he had brought it up to Xavier, they would have talked her out of it, and while she loved them both to death, she had to leave, and she couldnât take either of them with. So instead of doing anything, she acted as if nothing was changing. Her and Nathaniel spent their nights as they always did. They made dinner together, watched a movie and Nate fell asleep beside her, and while she wanted nothing more than to just curl up to his chest, instead she wrote him a note, and left it on the empty space she was leaving in her bed and left, throwing away her phone, doing what she thought was best. She was quickly brought out of her moment, shaking her head a little harder, mainly to stop any tears that might flow, and put a small smile on her face before looking over at Marissa. âWhat about you? Have you heard anything from him.. or Xavier?â Lucy honestly wasnât sure what answer she was hoping for, but her heart was beating harder than it had in years.