Don't Forget About Me (Lovely Sequel)

Chapter Twenty Nine - Alena's P.O.V

*TW: domestic violence/abuse and trauma - please skip if you need*

Chapter Twenty Nine - Alena's P.O.V

It didn't matter how long it had been. The moment his face came into focus, it went right back out of it to be replaced by flashbacks; the blurry images of him punching walls and breaking lamps through my squinted eyes, the sound of his raised voice ringing through my ears. I could feel the weight of his body over me, suffocating me, the lights going dark around me.

That was, until the sun shone through the trees and reminded me that I was outdoors in LA, not locked inside my high school bedroom in Columbus.

"I hope you guys don't mind, I just thought it would be nice for all of us to be together again!" Shayna smiled, totally oblivious to the inner turmoil I was experiencing as she spoke.

"Of course," I muttered beneath my breath. I wanted so badly to excuse myself, but I didn't dare show weakness in this moment. I needed to stand tall. So much time had passed since I last saw Blake, since we last shared any kind of exchange like the ones that haunt me still. I suppose I can put on my brave face. After all, I am not the same girl that he used to take advantage of and bring to tears those years ago. I have grown, become stronger, learned what true love looks like from others and most importantly, from myself.

With my somewhat reluctant acceptance, the two joined us at the table and sat. There was a brief moment of shuffling in seats and adjusting positions, likely to fill the silence and avoid the inevitable discomfort that everyone had been feeling; that is, with the exception of Shayna and Blake, who both seemed quite pleased.

He was seated directly across from me, making it a challenge just to focus on the menu. I wasn't planning on ordering more than a water to drink considering that it's only lunch, but with these new, unexpected circumstances I figured I could use something to get through this next hour or so.

"So, how did this happen?" Liz finally broke the ice and asked what we were all undoubtedly wondering.

"It was just before my graduation, spring semester of senior year" Blake began. "I had remembered something about her coming to UCLA long before then, but with all of the people that were on that campus we just never crossed paths until way later."

"Some gen. ed. literature course that we were both putting off until the last second," Shayna blushed over the memory, her eyes locked on his as he explained. His voice, though matured, had not changed very much from what I heard in my memories... or should I say nightmares?

"We grabbed coffee one day with the intention of peer reviewing each other's final papers, but that wasn't exactly what ended up happening and now here we are." His grin was wider than ever, so self-satisfied. That would make it years that they have been together. How could we not have known about this?

"It's been a long time but we both just felt that all of the relationship bullshit that ends up on social media and being announced to the world is so unnecessary. The only people that need to value our relationship are the two of us. I guess today we just decided that it would be nice to welcome you ladies into that circle of people, as well." If he thought for a moment that their relationship was one that would be "valued" by me, he was possibly more delusional than ever before. How could this have happened, one of my childhood best friends and my abusive ex-boyfriend living together and long-term dating across the country?

Sure, we did not stay in touch nearly as well as we had anticipated; that's human. Also unfairly towards her, it was much easier for Jess, Liz, and I to get to each other in New England than it was for her to join us or us to get to her over in California. Truthfully, after being at school for sometime, she just became one of those people that felt more foreign than familiar. Did I want to see her? Of course. But a part of me knew that the two people coming together would not be the same two that once had. We had changed, I now see in more ways than I ever could've imagined.