Page 3 of The Boy I Loved
“My uncle wants my help at the mechanic shop tomorrow.” His gaze slid to mine. “But maybe we could hangout afterwards. Alice wants to see this stupid chick flick in theaters. Figured you could come.”
A small smile played around the corners of my mouth, and I thanked God that it was dark outside so he couldn’t see it. “Sure,” I agreed. “I’ll have to ask my parents, but they probably won’t care.”
The rest of the walk was silent, our footfalls being the only sound permeating the area surrounding us. When we got to my house, he waved me goodbye like he always did and started his venture back through the woods toward his destination.
I watched him leave, unable to take my eyes off him. I didn’t know if that kiss affected our friendship, or if we’d somehow become more than friends even. But not having him around wasn’t an option, so whatever the case, I’d do whatever I had to in order to ensure that we remained close.
He was everything to me.
CHAPTER ONE
HAZEL
His room was exactlyas I remembered it. Still messy as hell, only this time, it brought me a comfort I’d never expected. The large bed he owned sat against the furthest wall with his blankets sloppily strewn over it. Cardboard boxes and empty bottles littered the floor along with unknown stains that had ruined the brown carpet. Heat slithered behind my eyes, the emotions welling up inside of me. I hadn’t been here in over two years, too afraid to face the downpour of my self-loathing. It was the same reason I avoided the tree house—our spot.
Dominic had been my anchor. The person I always turned to no matter what. When his dad died, he spiraled. Started drinking, smoking, and hanging out with the assholes at our school. Seemingly overnight, he went from the preppy athletic kid with the bright smile to one of the bad boys most people chose to stay clear of. Despite his drastic change, he didn’t abandon me. Well—not completely. He needed time to grieve of course. But then…he got into some legal trouble and ended up going to some kind of corrections camp for teenage boys.
Today, he was coming home.
After he left, my life was in shambles. I couldn’t tell you how many times my mom had to pick me up off the floor and cradle me while tears ran down my face, or how many times Alice had to drag me out of the house, so I didn’t wallow in self-pity all day.
Peeling my gaze from the bed, I dragged my attention to his desk where his untouched computer sat. On the back of his chair was one of the many hoodies he owned, his scent wafting from it even now.
The door creaked from behind me, letting me know I wasn’t alone anymore. Inhaling a deep breath, I cast one last glance around the room before turning to face the intruder.
“I knew I’d find you in here,” Alice said softly, plastering on a gentle smile. She looked so much like her brother, that at times, it was just another punch to the gut. Her short, black hair barely brushed past her shoulders and her eyes were blue instead of gray. They had the same light complexion, which was a huge contrast to my tanned tone.
“I just wanted to…” I trailed off, unsure of how to finish that sentence. Why had I come in here and invaded his privacy like this?
Alice nodded. “I know.” Her expression was judgment-free, instead placed with a sadness that I could relate to. She lost him too when he was sent away. “Did he ever write to you?” she asked, cocking her head to the side.
When he first left, he wrote to me once a week. Then, once a month. Eventually, the letters stopped altogether. I tried my hardest to keep in contact, begging him to just talk to me, even if it was about nothing. But he never did, so I stopped trying.
“Not in a long time.”
She released a sigh and nodded again. “Same.” Clearing her throat, she wiped at the unshed tears she refused to let fall and forced another smile. “We should probably head downstairs. He’ll be home any minute.”
I followed her out into the hallway, making sure to close thedoor behind me so that he wouldn’t know someone had been in there. At one point, it wouldn’t have mattered. He’d never been a secretive person, but I hadn’t seen him in so long, I wasn’t sure how he’d react.
When we got to the end of the stairs, the place was bustling with chatter and movement. The smell of baked goods drifted through the atmosphere, along with my dad’s famous brisket. Our families were sure going all out on his welcome home party.
Alice clutched my hand in hers, giving mine a reassuring squeeze as we navigated through the crowd of people standing around and moving about. A banner was hung above the entrance to the massive kitchen with the words “Welcome home Dominic” in bold lettering. My heart fluttered within my chest as the reality of this situation started feeling even more real. The boy I had loved for the last seven years was coming home today. It felt surreal, like this was some kind of lucid dream I’d be forced to wake up from and he’d still be gone.
If it weren’t for Alice’s hand in mine, I might have stumbled or ran into someone. A weight was settling over me, the room a blur as my thoughts consumed me.
“Hazel!” A feminine voice called out and before I could even comprehend what direction the person had summoned me from, I was being pulled into a pair of two soft arms, the familiar smell of her lilac perfume burning my nostrils. My hand slipped from Alice’s, and I limply hugged the woman back.
Katrina had become a second mother to me over the years, always checking in on me and making sure I was okay while Dominic was gone, even though she was missing him too. He washerson, and she had still worried about me when it wasn’t her place and when she didn’t have to. I owed this woman so much.
Pulling away, she rested her hands on either one of my arms as she stepped back to assess me with her light blue eyes. Crinklesformed around the corners of her mouth when she smiled. “You slipped past me, dear. I didn’t even know you were here yet.”
My chest tightened with guilt. I avoided her a lot over the last two years, because every time I saw her, I was reminded ofhim. It wasn’t her fault that I’d been trapped in my own personal hell. But like her daughter, she made sure to see me even when I made no effort.
“I haven’t been here long,” I explained, plastering on a small smile of my own.
She dropped her arms from around me, her smile never faltering. “Well, I’m glad you’re here now. Clay is almost here.”
Clay was Dom’s uncle. They were getting pretty close before he went to that stupid camp—which was good. He needed someone to have his back, and he acted as a stand-in for Dom’s father, which I believe provided a good distraction for him—something to help him through his grief.
