The Fallen One

Chapter Seventeen

2017 was filled with a lot of big moments.

Sam got out of jail in March. When he returned to school, I had a front-row seat in watching Sam and Eva's dynamic play out. I couldn't understand why but Sam and Eva pretended that they didn't know each other. Perhaps it was to guard her past.

I got a tattoo dedicated to my Cleo.

I then started dating Evangeline Sanders around April. She couldn't open up to me about her past.

Jenny overdosed at a school event. It was the closest she had ever been to death. That wake-up call forced her to get clean.

Blake and I caught Ned fucking Kelsey behind the bushes at graduation. I didn't talk to either of them for a while after that.

Evangeline and Sam got closer over the summer. I started college in August. Blake and Ned moved in together in Washington. Evangeline and I broke up.

Jenny was the only one who stayed in San Francisco with me. For her entire childhood, she bounced around from place to place like a ping pong ball. She didn't want to move again, so she went to a local college.

She soon became "aunt Jenny" to Cleo. Jenny is more family then Ned and Blake are to Cleo - which brings me to 2018.

Still a freshman in college, getting closer to summer break. That's when I saw her.

She was studying in the library that first time.

The second time she was cheerleading at a football game.

The third time, she was the one who talked to me. We passed by each in the cafeteria after breakfast.

"Chris?" Sherry's eyes widen in disbelief. "I didn't know you go here"

I was stunned at first but recovered fast.

"Sherry, hi" I smile, "what are you doing here?"

"I just transferred here" She grinned, "how have you been?"

"Good, good, what about you?"

"Good" Sherry responds. "We need to catch up, can we go get coffee later?"

And the rest was history.

We became official a week later.

Within the month, she was meeting Cleo.

Within two, I was meeting her parents - again. Turns out, Sherry's older sister was dating a woman. Her parents became accepting of me as they were just glad Sherry liked men, they no longer cared about colour.

She spent New Year's Eve at the Carter house with me. There she met Jenny and Gina who stood together in the kitchen, preparing all the goods for the party. She met Ned's parents, John and Justine Carter who welcomed her with opened arms. Dad showed up for a couple of hours in between his shift at the hospital and got to meet Sherry too. Ned and Blake were home a week earlier for Christmas and chose to celebrate New Years in Washington.

Shelby and Calum stopped by for a couple of hours to say hi to Gina, John, Cleo and I. Shelby and Calum are very attached to Cleo, after all, they are her Godparents as of the end of 2016.

The rest of the people at the party were friends of the Carter's, who I didn't know well.

I held my baby girl tight when the count down started. I remembered my first new year in this house - 2015. Seems so far away now.

"Three...two...one...Happy New year!" Everyone screamed.

I kissed Cleo's cheek as hard as I could, squeezing her tightly in my arms.

"Happy New year, baby girl," I tell her.

Cleo chuckles, looking up at me with those big green eyes. "Daddy" she laughs.

I turn my head to see Sherry who kisses my lips gently. "Happy New year"

"Happy new year, babe" I smile at her.

Sherry then kisses Cleo's cheek "Happy New year, little one"

"Appy new ears, Erry" Cleo grins.

Gina walks up to us and hugs me tightly. "Happy New Years, Chrissy e Sherry"

"Happy New year, Gina" Sherry smiles.

"Cleo, give Gina as beso" I smile.

Cleo nods, leaning forwards and kissing Gina. Gina laughs, kissing Cleo's cheeks. 

"Happy New year, poco preciosa" Gina grins.

I open my phone to find a text from Blake that reads: HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!

I smile.

And just like that, it's 2019.

Three years ago, I couldn't imagine life without Elise.

Now I see, that life goes on. You will learn to live again. You will learn to love. Getting out of bed gets easier. Drinking less is no longer an impossible mission. Getting close to people doesn't seem as scary.

I like to think that Elise would be happy with the life I've chosen to live. Three years ago, she wouldn't have been.

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Hi all,

The rest of the book will be set in 2021 which means another time jump will happen next chapter. I hope you all are enjoying this book so far!!!

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Happy reading!!

- Rose xx