I'm Only Me When I'm With You (Raura) *EXTREME EDITING*

Chapter 36

Laura P.O.V.

Just because Rocky dropped me off in front of my exes house, doesn't mean I was staying. Travis didn't even know I was coming. After Rocky drove off, I walked back to my house. I looked at the house, a place I had loved for so many years, a place that held such special memories for my family. The many New Years Eve parties for four, yelling and screaming at the top of our lungs the new date, all the way up to 2006, the last year we joked around, the last time we spent a new year with Vanessa.

I looked at my phone, It was 12:00. "Happy New Year, big sis, I miss you Nessa." My eyes were filling with water. "Happy New Year, sis, turn around Laura," A voice called from behind me, it sounded like Vanessa, but it couldn't be, could it? I took a deep breath and slowly turned around.

"Vanessa," I screamed running towards the figure. "Laura," She called opening her arms. She engulfed me into a hug, tears streaming down her face. "I've missed you, Nessa. I always knew we would find you." She smiled hugging me tighter, "I missed you too, bumble bee." When I was 6, I dressed up for Halloween one year as a bumble bee and ever since then, she's called me that.

I was so busy worrying about just never letting go of her, I never even noticed her injuries. "Vanessa, what happened to you?" Vanessa shrugged like it was no big deal, "He hit me, sometimes just for the fun of it, other times because I wouldn't take the drugs he wanted me to take." I touched her face lightly, she flinched. "Come inside." I grabbed her hand and pulled her inside the house. "What happened here? Is this where you've been living?"

I shook my head, "I have no idea what happened here. Our parents had put in their will that they wanted us to stay with Mom's old high school friend. I've been staying with this family, the Lynchs, they're super nice and sweet, well except for their son, my ex-boyfriend as of a few days ago, Ross." Vanessa and I sat on the dusty couch. "Tell me what happened." I shrugged, "Nothing to tell, I fell, losing some of my memory, but I have it back now. We had a screaming match because I couldn't remember our relationship, and then he hit me. After that, I talked to him and found out that he cheated on me, he kissed another girl. Now, that girl is at the house right now, celebrating the new year with them."

Vanessa's eyes started to fill up. "I'm sorry I wasn't there, Laura. I should have been." I shook my head, "You were kidnapped, it's not your fault. Please stop blaming yourself." I heard fireworks go off and smiled. "2015, the year the Marano sisters are reunited." She smiled, "I'm gonna go grab something from our room, hopefully it's still there." I nodded.

I started to smell smoke, I thought it was just the smell from the house being burnt. Seconds later, the ceiling in the dining room collapsed, it was on fire. "VANESSA!" I screamed. "WE NEED TO GET OUT OF HERE!" Vanessa didn't respond. The entire kitchen and dining room were quickly catching on fire. I started to run up the steps. The railing was on fire and it quickly fell over. I fell down a few steps and hit my head. I reached up to my head, I could feel blood on my finger tips.

I didn't move to get up, just scream, "Vanessa, the house is on fire." I felt arms wrap around my waist, but I couldn't see with all the smoke in the air. I was being picked up, the arms were familiar. I wrapped my arms around his neck. We were outside. I looked into those familiar eyes. "You need to get Vanessa, she's inside." He shook his head, "No one else is inside the house. Vanessa is dead." I covered my ears, "No, I just talked to her. We need to help her."

"VANESSA," I screamed running back towards the house, arms pulling me back. "You can't go back in there, Laura." I let a few tears run down my cheeks. He pulled me close and wiped them away. "Ross, my sister is in there." He held me tighter. "She must have run because no one is in there." I wiped my tears. Ross held my head in his hands, "Look, calm down, it's gonna be alright."

"It's not gonna be alright. Everything is spiraling out of control. Please don't take me back to the house, I know I forgave Maia, but it doesn't mean that I'm alright with seeing you together." He nodded, "I understand, I care about you, and that won't change."

"I love you, Ross." I started to lean in.