WITH YOU- I Never Had A Choice ✔️

CHAPTER SIXTY ONE

AVERY

I stop when I hear the soft rumble of the car engine fainting away letting me know that Dylan is gone. I take in a sharp breath and stomp towards our room. I couldn't even tell Dylan who she was. He must have felt bad. Whenever he keeps something from me, I get mad and now, I can't even tell him who she was and why her being around me affects me so much.

Although I feel like all the problem between us because of me pulling away or lying has to do something with Marc. What if I tell Dylan that it was Marc's mom, will he not get fed up? Me getting affected by a little piece of my past can be a great hazard in our growing relationship. And it's not far away when Dylan would finally give up. A fear works its way through me. I shake it away and enter the room.

I scurry across the room to reach the closet and pull out a pair of track pants and hoodie. In all the stress and confusion, I feel like running and I know which way I must go. I grab the keys from the drawer and jog down the stairs when Mrs Griffin appears in the living room. Spotting me, she asks, "are you going somewhere, honey?"

"Yeah, I actually have to go to my house to sort out a few things, " I answer, pocketing the keys in my hand.

"Everything is fine? You look lost, " she says.

"Everything will be, " I answer and hurry outside the house. "Jason?" I call as I notice him talking to someone on the phone. He turns around and comes towards me, putting the phone away from his ears.

"Yes ma'am?"

"I am going for a run to my house. Will you be fine driving the car behind me? I know you have to be around me all the time so..."

"Sure, ma'am. Give me a minute, " he says and disappears reappearing only after two minutes with his car. I turn around and let out a long breath, then start running. If I am not strong enough to face my past yet, then it's time I start pushing myself. For Dylan and me.

I don't run too fast, just a little faster than jogging. I pass the Church Street. The white cross at the top of the stone building appears a little red as the sun has started setting on the other side. Birds have started chirping marking the bringing of another winter evening. This church was where I started the new phase of my life and I can do anything to preserve it, be that fighting my fears and demons.

After some time, I stop in front of my old house. A nostalgic feeling hits me. This is the place that held me guarded for three long years. This is the place that I once tagged 'home' although I never really believed that. Its walls are the once which have seen me shed the maximum number of tears. I push in the code and the front get slides open. Jason pulls up in front of the house and gets down. I walk over the stone-paved way towards the wooden front door.

I gulp down the emotions building inside me at the thought of what I am supposed to do. A month ago this was like a habit. A habit of desperately hurting and punishing myself. Today, it is not. I unlock the door and push it open. All the lights turn on. I put the keys on the shelf beside the door and walk in, taking in the soft, calm surrounding that I used to once bury myself into. The cream coloured couch and the small love seat on the other side of the living room, where Bear used to sleep. I am pretty sure he misses this. Maybe I could move this one into my old room. I'll have to talk to Dylan about it.

As I enter my bedroom, I realize how much I miss this. Not that I would want to be alone again, but there is a sense of care in here. A comforting feeling. I chose everything, every small thing of this room. A lot of my things are gone but the small mismatching artworks on the walls and the crooked bluish flower vases, I never realized how much I like this room until now. It's just been a month, yet feels like years have passed since I was in this room.