Pride and Promises ✔

Chapter 43

Hi! How're you all? I hope everyone's safe and sound.

I'm extremely sorry I've been MIA these couple of months! I'd been having a serious writer's block and then my classes decided to add to that trouble by piling up heavy assignments and scheduling exams. I'm just glad to finally be done with them for the time being. That being said, I apologize for making you wait so long. Hope you can forgive me. I promise I won't keep you guys waiting for long again.

P.S. I've been having serious issues with wattpad glitches. I haven't been able to edit the chapter in my PC so it's just me and my phone rn. Sorry in advance if you see any typos. I'll be glad if you could point them out. I'll edit when wattpad stops being an idiot.

Enjoy!

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“This place feels weirdly familiar.” I commented as I observed the large mansion in front of us.

We were currently standing in front of Adrian’s home, in Hillcrest Avenue, New Jersey. It was a beautiful place, one that looked like a castle the Disney Princesses lived in with their happily ever after. It was two storeyed and built in such a way that made it look like a cottage, just much larger. The house radiated elegance despite its modest and simple exterior. There was a cherry blossom tree in the left corner in front of the house with lovely pink little flowers scattered all over. For a moment I felt like I’d suddenly walked into a magical world.

“As it should. You did live here.” Adrian pointed out, effectively pulling me out of my thoughts before I mentally wrote poems about his home. I blinked in surprise as his words registered in my mind. I’d completely forgotten about that fact. I looked around and saw that there was another identical house a few meters away from his. I wondered if that was where I lived.

As if reading my thoughts, Adrian shook his head. “That,” he said, pointing to the next house, “is where Nate grew up. His parents live there with his younger sister.”

“Oh.” I sounded cringed a little inwardly when my voice came up with a disappointed tone. A part of me had imagined my childhood home right next to his. Silly Eve.

“You said we were neighbors. Where was my home?” I asked hopefully. I asked myself whether I'd imagined the slight dimming of light in his eyes because it was gone before I had a chance to confirm or deny the emotion.

“Right over there,” he replied, pointing somewhere behind me with his head. I turned around and saw another similar house across the small and empty street. This one also looked like the previous two but there was no cherry blossom tree here. Instead, there was a small swing where three little children were clinging to. They seemed to be in a heated argument at the moment- presumably about whose turn it was to play. I smiled a little at the scene despite the irrational jealousy I was feeling towards the innocent children. I envied them for living a happy childhood in a place that was supposed to be my home.

“There’s a family of five living in that house now. Dad says Uncle Nick had originally gave the house on lease for a few years. But the lease kept on extending when…” I turned back at him as he cleared his throat.

When we didn’t return. Adrian’s pained eyes said what his voice couldn’t. I gave him a small smile to let him know that it was okay although it really wasn’t. It wasn’t okay that we had to abandon our house that way. It wasn’t okay that we couldn’t return back to our home. It was really not okay that my parents weren’t here today to reclaim their home- to relive the memories it contained. Above all, it wasn’t okay that I didn’t remember where I grew up.