Forget Me (Adore You Pt. 2)

Chapter 62

Chapter 62

The following days were... harrowing. Noah and I poured over notebooks. Noah had somehow managed to steal Maria's grandmother's diary.

There was a lot to go through. Her diary was thick with bible-thin pages. She wrote almost essay-length entries every day. Such a complicated woman.

She wrote a lot about the discontent in her marriage, about her children. Allen's precociousness, Bobby's kindness, Ted...well, Ted was really fussy. She seemed almost exhausted with him. She compared him a lot to the husband she left. His hair, his eyes, "if I hadn't given birth to him, I would never believe he was mine."

Most of all, she wrote about how she hated her life. The endless parties she was expected to host. The uncomfortable dresses she had to wear. How her husband expected her unfailing support and agreement. How he beat her when she didn't give it.

It was almost uncomfortable at times to read. I read halfway through the journal and then had to put it down.

I went to Justin's house after school to watch a movie. Our relationship had changed from holding hands to kissing. I liked him. He was so different than anyone else at Trinity. He rejected everything the school stood for yet managed to have everyone falling at his feet.

I think I liked him because he made me feel as if I had control. Everyone fell at this boy's feet, and I just could care less.

With Robbie, I had no control. His touch made me lose my grip on everything. When he kissed me, it was as if I were free-falling without knowing where the crashpad would be. I flung myself at his feet, and he trampled over me. His words had hurt more than I would admit to anyone, even myself.

Justin could never hurt me like that. Even if he wanted to. I think he knew that. I could tell it bothered him. I noticed he thrived on control. His power over other people gave him self-worth.

It was strange.

We kissed instead of watching the movie when he broke away.

"Where do you go after school?"

"To Noah's," I said, making myself comfortable on his bed.

"Do you do this with him?" Justin asked.

"What, kissing? Of course not. I tutor him. We talk."

"Talk about what?"

"Anything," I lied, "Actually, yesterday we talked about you," I said, this wasn't a lie.

"Talked about me? What did you say?"

"Nothing he said he thought you were good for me. Normal. He wasn't a big fan of Robbie."

"Noah said something nice about me? Doubtful," he said, clicking out of the movie to find something else to watch.

I put my hand over the one he was using to hold the remote, "It's true."

Justin scoffed, "you know I don't think I like that very much."

"Like what?"

"My girlfriend going over Ryans' house every day. People say they see you coming out of his apartment in the morning. It makes me look bad."

"I mean, we're not even that serious."

"That's not what everyone thinks. No one is going to vote for me if they think I'm a cuck, Lia. They're going to think I'm an idiot. Especially running against Robert. Everyone knows you guys used to fuck.

"I'm so confused," I said, shaking my head.

"About what?"

"I'm trying to understand if you're just being ridiculous or if this stems from jealousy."