I graduated college three years ago, I got a degree in English and I became a full time writer last year, I published my first book and I'm currently obsessing over my next one.
I moved back to Kingsdale in June, which is interesting because I didn't expect to return here so soon, but when Dakota asked me to be his roommate I couldn't deny that offer.
My mother passed away after falling down a flight of stairs, it broke my heart when it happened, we had her buried back in California thanks to Renée, who no longer speaks to me after we went our separate ways once I entered my first year of college—last I heard she fell pregnant her first week there and ended up being disowned. As for James and Suzi, well, I don't know, I lost contact with them after Suzi ran away to Canada, I can only assume James followed her.
And Shay—like I said I never saw her again, I'm pretty sure she's still in Kingsdale but I have my doubts.
Now what we've all been waiting for—Avery.
Avery and I were fine, we were doing fucking amazing actually, she was traveling like she wanted to do and I was living it up at college. However, when we saw each other again I felt unsure of feelings for her, I had no idea that our love was fading drastically until my second year of college when Avery posted a guy on her instagram she had met during her travel.
We're friends, quit being paranoid! My mind repeated those words, Oh my God Maddy stop it.
I shook my head at those memories, I passed the old bookstore and sighed at the permanently closed sigh still hanging on the door, a group of crackheads hung around there now and often robbed people at knife point.
Yeah, Kingsdale has gone to shit.
I drove out of town and continued towards the residential area, I passed the road that once led into East Wood and sighed at those memories, all the rich people had either died or their children moved on to the big cities.
Maybe that's where Shay went to.
I imagine she's safe somewhere in New York liked we once talked about.
Hopefully one of us is getting that dream.
I pulled off and headed to my house, my neighborhood was quite small—a Cul-de-sac. Dakota and I shared a two bedroom one story with his boyfriend, Mika, I'm not too fond of him as he tried to get with me once too many times but after some time of realizing that I don't roll that way he's given up. I pulled into the drive, noticing Mika's car wasn't there and got out grabbing my suitcase from the backseat, I smiled and took a glance across the street, The for sale sign was missing.
Great.
I entered the house causing Dakota to drop his glass and turn to me.
"Fuck when did you get back?" He asked grabbing a broom. "A day ago," I answered taking my coat off, "where's Mika."
Dakota shook his head and grabbed a cigarette from the pack, he started smoking a lot recently and that concerned me.
"We broke up, turns out he's fucking married."
I scrunched up my face in disgust and proceeded to put my things away, I had spent two weeks in Texas doing a book signing and just some sight seeing but now I'm home to focus on my next big book. Then I remembered the for sale sign and rushed back to the kitchen. "Is someone moving in?" I asked. "Uh I think so, young couple, pregnant wife," he replied putting his bowl of chips on the coffee table, "I actually think they moved in yesterday we should go say hi."
I agreed and we waited until some type of action happened we decided to send them over a little welcome to the neighborhood basket. Then when a car pulled into the driveway we waited an hour before going over there, I hugged myself as Dakota knocked a few times before someone answered—it was a guy with a strong face and sharp eyes, he had an eagle tattoo just above his temple I raised an eyebrow, he looked familiar but I just couldn't place him.
"Can I help you?" He asked leaning against the frame.
"Oh sorry, we live across the street, I'm Maddy and this is Dakota. We just wanted to give you a little welcome to the neighborhood." I said, his face softened and he smiled inviting us inside. "We were just about to have dinner, care to join us?" He asked. "Sure," I answered as he took the basket, Dakota blinked. "We just ate," he whispered, I rolled my eyes and we helped set the table, a few minutes go by and before I could even make my plate a familiar face walks down the stairs.
My whole body tenses up at the sight of her—her hair was in a gorgeous Afro while her large pregnancy belly was hidden by a white lace dress. "Sweetheart who is it?" She asked her voice still sounding like soft rain, her perfect manicured nails gripped the banister and her doe like eyes trained on me, "Maddy."
I wanted to cry.
I watched her cover the ring on her finger, which did nothing with how big the diamond was.
"Avery." I said, my voice cracking, her gaze never left mine as we stood there in an awkward silence, she was about to respond but my feet moved before I could think and I was out the front door a running down the road—it was freezing cold and I had on nothing but slippers and a large jacket, yet my feet moved.
I made it to the end of the street my stomach hurt and I grabbed my chest trying to catch my breath, a pickup truck stopped by me. "You okay sweetheart?" A woman asked, I nodded and waved them off, Dakota's car pulled up minutes later and we drove back home. I didn't say anything as I entered the house and slammed my bedroom door shut, I took a seat on the floor and let the tears fall, hugging my knees as I cried.
She was my girl. I thought, I'll never get her back.
I sniffed and felt so much rage build up inside me before I let out the loudest most blood curdling scream I could muster.
