CLX- Brookview/ New York

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One Month Later...March 30th

Livia's P.O.V.

Being home feels good. A lot better than I thought it would. I'm surrounded by my closest friends once again. I have my parents (when they're not working.) I'm even able to finish the semester online. I have to go back though. Brookview isn't my home anymore, I know I don't belong here. So after I've healed and collected myself, I'll go back.

I've applied to multiple internships next year, just hoping I'll get into one. I even started running in the mornings. Life is easy right now, the only person I really have to deal with is myself. The nights have been the hardest. Sleeping with a conscience that's out to get you, reminds me how hard Shawn had it. I wonder if he's been sleeping well since I left? If he even has normal nightmares anymore? Then I shake my head to rid those thoughts. Whatever he's doing, I just want him to be happy.

My playlist plays a song I don't know. I pull my phone out to skip it, stopping my normal running pace. The sun is barely out, so I turn my brightness down. After skipping the song and finding one I like, I begin running again.

I come to a stop again, not because of the music, but because of a house that I know all too well. Logan Cooper's house, formally Dean's. There's a for sale sign outside, I wasn't aware that he was moving. "Livia?" Logan calls as he looks up from his for sale sign.

I look both ways before crossing the street over to him. "Hi, Mr. Cooper." I point to the sign. "Are you moving?"

It's hard to believe, he's been in that house since before I was born. "Yeah." Logan says with a sad smile. "It's too big now that it's just me. It almost feels wrong to keep it to myself. Besides, I got a new job in Sacramento."

Sacramento California, a place far from Brookview, and close to Dean. "I think it's nice you're moving on." I say honestly.

There's a long pause between us before he says, "Listen, I heard what happened and I just wanted to say how sorry I am. On behalf of Dean, I-" He scoffs, "I don't know where I went so wrong." It's now that I can see the pain behind Logan Cooper. The warped views surrounding the broken family.

I never meant for any of this to happen. Then again it's not exactly on me now, is it? "You know, Mr. Cooper, I used to think I could help Dean. Like there was something wrong with me to make him act the way he did. Eventually I learned that some people just can't be helped." The last time I saw Logan, he was in Jerry's coffee shop. It's been a long time but I still don't see the monster that Dean made him out to be. I just see a tired father. "Anyways, I should get back to my run."

Logan holds his hand out, "Wait! Can I ask you for a weird favor?"

"Um...sure."

"Can I give you a hug? I just- everything went wrong so fast. I missed all of the good parts in being a parent. Now my only son is gone." Hugging him is the last thing that I want to do. However, a small part of me sympathises with him. He took his son for granted, he took his wife for granted, he even took the three years I was in his life for granted. So I let him wrap his arms around me in an awkward hug.

It doesn't last long before we pull away. "I hope you find everything you're looking for." I say to him, knowing It'll be the last time we see each other.

He pats my back twice, "Thank you. I hope you find a good man." I've had very few interactions with Dean's dad. Even in the three years Dean and I dated, he was always at work. Dean made sure to keep me at a distance with his dad. I never understood why. Even now I find it hard to believe he did to Eve what Dean did to me.

"I have." I reply quickly before waving him off and continuing my run. I had found someone ten times happier than Dean ever made me. He lived in Brookview, not too far from here. He was my teacher, my mentor, my savior, my first. Shawn was my everything. I used to think our story was a tragedy, one of forbidden lovers. We were so desperate to be with each other that we never saw the damage being done. We rushed things, trying to hide behind classroom doors.

Now all I can think about is piecing myself back together. I need to be emotionally and physically ready. I just hope he's doing the same over there in New York.

I finish my run and go home. No one is there, so I run up to my bathroom and shower in order to get ready for my day. There are no more bruises on my skin but I haven't been able to look at the mirror for long since the incident. When I'm dressed and ready, I get in my car and drive to Jerry's.




"One caramel iced coffee for you." Bee sets down my coffee in front of me. I graciously accept. "The same for me and-"

Jenny reaches out to grab her drink, cutting Bee off in the process. "One matcha drink."

"That's truly disgusting." I say in an amused tone.

Jenny sneers playfully at me, "What's disgusting is that coffee."

Becca laughs at this, "How did you have a baby without it?"

Jenny raises the mug in the air, "Tea has caffeine in it."

"Touche." I add to the conversation.

Becca taps on her plastic cup, thinking of a way to bring up her next topic. "Have you heard about Dean yet?"

"What? Like...if he's in jail?" Becca nods. It's been over a month since the incident, but here in Brookview, it seems like a lifetime. "He got a few years with probation, I think." The police officer called me about a week ago, but I barely heard anything he was saying. I knew what he was saying, but I didn't ask any more questions. His answers wouldn't have eased my mind any.

"What about when he gets out?" Jenny asks intently.

I shrug, "He has a restraining order, he can't get within 100ft of me." It doesn't matter when he gets out. His family will never be in Brookview now that his dad is moving away. "I saw Dean's dad on my run this morning."

Now they're intrigued. I spend the rest of the coffee date talking to them about Logan Cooper and the fact that he's moving. By the time I'm done, they're not even interested in Dean anymore. "Have you talked to Shawn?" Jenny asks to which Becca slaps her arm.

"That's rude." Becca chastises our friend. Then she looks up at me, "But I would like an answer to her question."

I focus on my iced coffee for a moment, taking a long drink before replying to them. "We agreed not to talk to each other after the break up. It just makes things more complicated."

"Because you two want to be together." Becca quips.

I move my hair behind my ear, "I know." I explained it all to them when I came back home. So far they haven't relented in reminding me how in love we were. It wasn't about love, it was about so much more than love. The brightside is that I can just tell them about my problems now, I don't have to use metaphors or lie anymore.

Jenny puts her hand on mine, "Don't mind Becca, she just wants you to be happy."

"I'm fine." I lie, it's been awhile since I've honestly been fine. "So," I pull out my laptop from my bag. "Shall we find you a fashion school nearby?" The real reason why we met up for coffee shines it's scholarly head. Jenny groans but compiles because she knows it's what she wants to do with the rest of her life. That being said, she hates school.

Becca leans back in her chair, "Denver is probably the closest one you'll find. I applied to a cosmetology school near there." Cosmetology, Becca's passion in life. She's always been good with hair and makeup.

"Yeah, I can't wait to never have to pay for clothes or a haircut again." I joke, they laugh with me and we continue to help Jenny look and apply. They've been saving up money since Jenny found out she was pregnant so she can afford schooling. Or at the very least a loan for it.

I'm not excited about going back to New York because my friends are here, but it's just more incentive to always come back to them.


Shawn's P.O.V.

"Okay, it looks like you're all set. If you have any questions please feel free to call me on my cell.

I grab the card that I already had three of, and offer Nichole a smile. "Thank you." I say. She dismisses herself after that. I shut the door behind her and lean my head against it.

"I think she really wants you to call her." My mother says as she bounces Matthew on her knee.

"He seems to really be enjoying that." I switch the subject and push off of the door to walk in the living room. I've only had Matthew for three days, and I'm exhausted.

My mother coming down has actually been a lifesaver. "Well what did you expect? I raised two boys practically on my own." Technically she didn't raise any of us, but I digress.

I sit down on the couch beside the two of them. Matthew looks so much like Katherine, with raven black hair and pale skin. He's almost two years old, and has no idea who I am or where his mother is. So he cries. A lot. "How's Livia?"

I sigh, "Mom." I warn, not wanting to talk about her, again. "What happened, happened, let it go."

She puts her hands up in mock surrender, Matthew now sitting calmly on her lap. "Okay, I just think it's a mistake that's all." This I'm fully aware of, but we wanted different things and we can't go back now.

Livia texted at first. Everyday just a little update, until eventually, our messages fizzled out and we stopped. "I'll start dinner." I say, standing up and going over to the kitchen. I open the fridge, only to realize I haven't been grocery shopping in three weeks. Save for baby food and juice. "Scratch that. We'll go out." I close the fridge and grab my phone and keys on the counter.

"What is it?" Mom asks, noticing I've been staring at my phone.

I snap out of it, "It's Jack, he said he needs me for the Whitworth project."

Mom turns Matthew around to face her. In a baby voice she says, "Can you say Whit-worth- is-a-prestigious-name?"

I chuckle at Matthew's confused look, "Maybe not just yet."

She glares playfully at me, "Just checking. Go, I can babysit."

"Are you sure?" The last time I was a kid under her supervision, I almost burnt the house down trying to make mac and cheese on the stove. Although she's improved since then.

"Of course! Go do what you have to do. Matthew and I will go to the store and pick up some real food." She talks slowly and to the baby. It's a good thing, I read that you're supposed to narrate everything you do so that babies can develop speech. Matthew can talk a little bit but we need to work on a lot.

I grab my things, and begin out the door. "Okay, please call me with an update. I'll let you know as soon as I'm on my way back."

"Okie-doke." Mom says, not paying the least bit of attention to me. She takes one of Matthews' chubby arms and lifts it up in the air. "Wave Shawn goodbye."

He doesn't wave, but mom wiggles his arm a little bit to look like he is. I smile, "I'll see you guys tonight."

When it's all said and done, I'm at peace with the decision Livia and I made to part ways. I think that this past month, I've gotten a lot happier. Well, as happy as I can be without her. I really hope she's doing the same, because I'll always love her.

I get up to the top floor where my office is and see Jack already waiting in there for me. "Whitworth is in the conference room, I wanted to brief you first." This is how it's been, he briefs me, we go in and schmooze with our clients, and then fill out the paperwork. It's not terribly hard but if you say the wrong thing, you lose your client. So I sit down across from him, and listen.

So far I've only been able to observe but I'm technically still training. It's pretty cool though, getting to know everyone here and most of them being my own age. For the first time in three years, I feel normal.

Sometimes I miss teaching but I'm glad this is where I ended up. 

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