Three Years Later | ✓

21 | A Haunted Trip Down Memory Lane

TOO QUICK, our relationship was moving too quick. We hadn't even established what we were.

I was stunned, shook to the core, unable to move, even though it was just a loop replaying over and over in my head. I cringed the more I played it back.

We were hanging out in James's dorm, watching Friends on his laptop. His arm was draped around my shoulders, pulling me into his body as my head rested on his chest. He gave me a gentle kiss on the forehead as my eyes slowly grew heavy, feeling drowsy from the constant late nights as I scurried to finish and finalize a paper for my American Literature class.

Then, he whispered something to me when he thought I had fallen asleep, "I think I'm in love with you, Hadley Summers."

My whole body tensed and my eyes shot open. I was unsure of what to do, should I pretend to still be asleep or confront him about it? I chose the latter, but as if he sensed it, he said, "Holy shit, you're not asleep."

And that was when the pressure was really on. I didn't feel ready to say it, not even close. So instead, my dumbass said, "Uh...thanks."

After realizing what I had just done, I pulled away from him and grabbed my bag, too embarrassed to look him in the eyes, "I need to go."

And with that, I left as he called my name multiple times as I made a mad dash back to my dorm, which was where I am now, lying in bed.

"Ugh, what's wrong with me?" I groaned into my pillow, feeling the physical pain from how embarrassed I felt. My phone pinged, tangled somewhere within my blanket. After feeling around for it, I looked at the screen.

James
Hadley, can we talk?

Unknown
Are you free right now? I think I'm ready to tell you what the deal is

This is Stacey btw :)

Yeah, I'll see you at Bella's in five

I, however, didn't reply back to James, feeling guilty. Snatching up my cardigan that was draped on the back of my swivel chair tucked neatly under my desk, I grabbed my purse and stashed my phone inside, slipping on my shoes in the process.

"Hey, where are you off to?" I heard a female voice say from behind me as my hand touched the doorknob. I twirled around and was met with a softly smiling Nicole and Milo, who sat next to her, their hands intertwined.  My mood slightly dropped as Milo continued to stare at the show playing on TV, refusing to look in my direction.

"I'm going to Bella's to meet someone," I responded, which easily caught Milo's attention as he peeked up a bit, trying to hide it though.

"Have fun," wished Nicole as Milo took a few glances my way as I kept my attention solely on Nicole.

I made my way downstairs to Bella's, which was practically empty. Upon entering, I spotted Stacey's brown curls that were a hard to miss feature and made my way to her table in the back corner of the homey shop, settling into the seat across from her. Her gaze turned from the window to me, a warm mug in her hands.

"Hey," I said, a warm smile on my face, Stacey returning the gesture.

"Hi." She took in a deep breath, closing and opening her eyes as she inhaled then exhaled. "Here it goes, I guess."

She took one last sip from her mug before she began, "Two years ago when I first came to Berkeley, I knew no one. Everyone knew at least someone here, and I felt a little out of place because of it. Then, one day, this boy with golden hazel eyes sat next to me and started a conversation, which made me excited. We started talking, went on a few dates together, and I eventually became his girlfriend."

Then, her expression became grim, some of the colors in her face fading, "But then one night, we went back to his dorm room after a night out. Things got a little heated, and I wanted to stop before it got to the point of no return, but he didn't want to. I told him several times that I didn't feel ready, but he kept on insisting, holding me close to his body as I tried to push him away. As he kept on going, I felt disgusted but fearful above all. He wouldn't listen to me telling him to stop until I screamed at him to let me go, finally releasing his grip on me as he was fearful that someone might've heard me. I took the opportunity to grab my things and ran out of there as fast as possible back to my dorm."

Sympathy swelled in my heart for Stacey as a glossy coat of tears pricked her eyes, a quiet sniffle escaping her body.

"And ever since then, I've done everything I could to avoid him at all costs, but unfortunately, I couldn't avoid seeing him forever. In hindsight, our relationship wasn't healthy. I don't think it ever was, to be honest." I opened my mouth to say something, but she added on, "There's more."

I shut my mouth and nodded, signaling for her to continue.

"Then, a few months later, I met someone else. I was extremely wary at first, considering what had happened months prior, as he was the one who approached me. But he was different than James; he treated me well and respected my boundaries. James found out and was not happy about it. More drama ensued, but that's another story for another time. Eventually, we realized that our lives were heading in different directions and we ended things," Stacey sighed, taking a slow sip of her coffee in efforts to calm down a bit.

I stood up and took a hold of Stacey's hands that were still gripping onto the mug. Gently, I pulled her out of her seat and embraced her with compassion as she slowly wrapped arms her around me. "Stacey, I—"

"Please don't say it," She said, pulling back. "I hate when people take pity on me. It makes me feel weak," Stacey continued with a sad smile.

"Well, you shouldn't. You are an incredibly strong young woman after everything you've been through," I told her with a confident smile.

She sighed a breath of relief, "It feels good to finally get that off my chest."

"I'm glad," I gave her a hearty smile. "If you don't mind me asking, who was the other guy that you met?"

She bit her lip, looking away, contemplating whether she should spill the beans.

"Milo."

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A/N: hello again! As always, thank you for reading! ♡

-Karlee 💛