Too Far Away (Keaton Stromberg Love Story)

Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

"Calm down," Keaton's soothing voice spoke, I looked up at him, my eyes wide, probably making me resemble a deer in headlights.

I was petrified. I was on my way back to our house in Huntington Beach. I didn't even remember coming here, ever. Never mind actually living here.

"I can't," I mumbled.

"Jules, if you don't calm down you're going to have an anxiety attack." he warned me, his hand coming to rest on my leg, although I flinched away from his grasp, clearly surfacing a pain in his normally stoic eyes.

I was unsure of the reasoning behind the nickname 'Jules' because no one had ever called me that before. I had heard Julie, Jule, J, even Julia on occasion, but never had anyone ever called me Jules.

I was also oblivious as the reasoning behind Keaton's immense worries towards me on a constant basis. It was like he felt as though it was his responsibility to take care of me, but I was curious as to why he felt that way.

I understood Lijah feeling that way, but it didn't make any sense for Keaton to. I figured it was just a sort of brotherly kind of friendship thing, and I was reading much too into it.

"We're almost there," Lijah grinned at me from his spot in the passenger seat. My hands were shaking, my heart pounding. I don't know why I was so fearful. I guess I had come to the realization that being introduced to the home where all these memories had occurred would bring them back.

When we pulled up in front of the house, a slight gasp escaped my lips.

"We live here?" I breathed, and Keaton nudged me, my arm twitching softly under his touch.

"Come on," he told me. As mesmerized as I was, I managed to muck myself through and get into the house, shocked over its enormous size.

The foyer was large, with a high ceiling that gave view to a small gathering room upstairs that I guess was used as a den of sorts.

Pictures lined the walls, a small smile spreading on my lips as I looked over them, myself staring back, a grin on my own face, smiles and happiness radiating from just my eyes. Love found in them, joy.

Seeing these pictures brought back no memories, which of course, discouraged me slightly, but I managed to go on, admiring each picture as I went along.

"Who's this?" I whispered, unaware of who was behind me, only aware of their presence.

"Lijah and Joanna," Keaton replied, and I turned to see him. His posture slumped, his face drained, he didn't look nearly as happy as he did in any of the pictures covering the surface of the bright walls.

There was a twinkle in his eye that only sparked when his smile was genuine, and I was slightly taken aback by the fact that I had picked up on that so quickly, shocked by the amount of time I had spent analyzing this boy, and thinking over his strange behaviors around me.

"And... that?" I whispered, gently fingering the picture of Wes and another boy I didn't know.

"Rexx." Keaton told me, and I turned to send him a questioning look.

"Who?" my eyes quizzical, he just ran his hand over his face.

"I'm sorry... I keep forgetting you don't remember anything." he breathed, and I reached out to touch his arm gingerly, making an actual move towards him, which brought him a bit of shock, but he recovered quickly.

"Keaton, it's okay," I breathed.

"He's um, he's Wes' best friend." he stuttered, his eyes avoiding my own.