the italics are flashbacks

D A L T O N ' S P O V

It had been a few days since the championship game.

"Dalton?"

Me and Aspen's relationship had been more steady, both of us just enjoying each other.

We both stopped as I set her down, both of us turning. It was just us left on the field, everyone silent as they stared at the direction of the voice.

As of right now, she had another meeting with her teacher and wouldn't be back until soon. I was just laying in my bed, scrolling mindlessly on my phone.

I felt my whole body freeze up as I turned to see who it was. My hands were shaking and I felt my heart slow down as everyone began looking at me.

I heard a knock on my door, making me look away from my phone. I turned over my back facing the door as I yelled for them to come in.

Aspen walked in, two coffees in her hand along with a small bag from starbucks. She smiled at me, handing me one of the cups as she came and sat down on the bed.

I sat up and laid my head on her shoulder as she turned on the TV. We said nothing, sitting in silence as we drunk our coffees and she shared her croissant with me.

"E-Elenor?"

"You okay?" She whispered, running her fingers through my hair as she put the bag in the trash under my nightstand.

"Yeah, just tired." I replied, keeping my answer short.

"I missed you." Elenor smiled, interlocking her fingers together and holding them together under her chin.

She didn't push any further, continuing to run her fingers through my hair. My eyes drifted down to the brace wrapped tight around her knee.

Since she hadn't been listening and had been walking on it so much, her sprained knee turned into a fractured knee. She had slipped out in the rain the other day and fell and hit it on a bench outside the library.

"I th- I thought you were..." I mumbled, backing away slowly as she took a few steps towards me. I felt Aspen grab my hand and talk to me but her voice sounded so far away.

"Your knee feel better?" I asked, watching as she tilted her head to look at me, taking our coffees and setting them on the nightstand.

"Stop worrying about me. Nothing's going to happen." She smiled, pulling us down on the bed and laying against the pillows.

"Who's that?" Elenor asked, her eyes drifting over to Aspen in confusion.

"His girlfriend." Aspen answered, sounding bitter as she interlocked her fingers with my own.

"You should really just take a few days off from school. It's not good to keep walking on it." I frowned, looking at her as I brushed a curl out of her face.

"I can't. I have too much to worry about these next few weeks. Livi's wedding is next week, I have to worry about dress fittings, maid of honor shit, last minute stuff in my classes. I don't have time to take any days off." She explained, tracing the veins on my arms.

Before I could respond, there was another knock on the door, catching our attention. I yelled for them to come in as Hunter peeked his head through the door.

"But that's not possible. You-You..." Hunter stuttered as he stared at her in shock, her gaze drifting over to him.

"You know I always saw you as a brother Hunter. I missed you." She pouted, walking over towards him.

"Bullshit! You did nothing but treat me horribly from the start. Stay the fuck away from me." He spat out, glaring at her as she frowned and backed away.

"Hey, we're going out to a bar tonight. You can't say no, you've barely left the apartment these past few days." He spoke, not giving me a chance to disagree.

"Fine. What time?" I asked, not wanting to argue with him.

"8." He answered before leaving and shutting the door again.

"Dalton, didn't you miss me?" She pouted, reaching her arms out towards me.

"Why would I fucking miss you when you mentally and emotionally tortured me for months?" I frowned, standing behind Aspen as I held her tightly.

"You sure you wanna go out tonight?" Aspen asked, leaning forward to kiss my cheek as she stared up at me.

"It's okay. He's right. I really haven't left these past few days." I told her, reassuring her as I gave her a gentle kiss. "What time is it?"

"12:30." She told me, reading it off her phone. "I have to go to run some errands with Livi. Will you be fine while I'm gone?"

"Yeah, go run your errands." I smiled, giving her a longing kiss as she stood up from the bed.

"Dalton, baby. You know I never meant any of that. That was just how I showed my love for you." She tried to lie, stepping closer to us.

"You showed your love but manipulating, gaslighting, and emotionally abusing me? Yeah, pretty good way to show you love someone." I rolled my eyes, tuning out everyone's stares.

"But Dalton you have to forgive me. I'm not the same anymore." She frowned, brushing her hair out of her face.

"I would never get back with you in the first place. Matter of fact, if I had a time machine I would stop myself from ever meeting you. You made me feel horrible, you hurt me and made me fucked up for months. You so called 'killed' yourself because I broke up with you? I would never get back with you and I wish you had never appeared again." I ranted, breathing heavy as my hands clenched into fists.

She got up and left, leaving me alone to my thoughts. I wanted to get up, I honestly wanted to but I was scared. I didn't want to run into her.

I pulled out my phone and went to my messages, opening up my sisters chat. I texted her back from earlier and got up off the bed.

She wanted me to come visit as she heard what had happened. We were going to go for dinner after the game but I was too tired so I went back to the apartment and haven't left since.

"Really? After all I've done for you thats how you repay me? I never did any of that shit and you know it. You were just a bad boyfriend and I was trying to make you better in our relationship." She spat back, glaring at me as I felt Aspen grow tense as well.

"First of all bitch, I don't know much about you but I know Dalton well enough to know he's an extremely great boyfriend. From my knowledge, you were the horrible girlfriend and made him messed up in the head for so long. Then, you have the nerve to come back and try to demand stuff and manipulate him again. Leave him the fuck alone and never talk to him again." Aspen spoke, stepping in front of me as she told Elenor off.

I slowly walked out of my room, walking down the hall. I grabbed my hoodie off the couch and threw it on, grabbing my keys off the coffee table.

I told Hunter and Luka I was leaving, quickly making my way out of the apartment. I reached my car and slid into the front seat, trying to familiarize myself with it again.

I drove to my parents house, thankful that I chose an apartment pretty close to them. I don't think I could have lived really far away from them college or not.

♤♤♤

"I'm sorry, explain the whole story again." Scarlet spoke, leaning across the counter as she fiddled with her glass of wine.

"I don't want to." I frowned, noticing mom, dad, and Scarlet staring at me. Micah was at his friends house and would be sleeping over.

"But I'm still not understanding it." She frowned, tracing the outline of the top of the glass.

"His dead ex-girlfriend came back, Scar. It's hard to believe but it happened." Dad told her, crossing his arms as his face gave off nothing but seriousness.

"How are you holding up, sweetie?" Mom asked, come over to me and rubbing my back.

"I've been better." I whispered, leaning back into her hold as she hugged my head against her chest.

"You're more than welcome to take a few days off from school and stay here if you need to." She smiled, kissing the top of my head as I nodded gently.

I slowly stood up and wiped my eyes, feeling the tears already begin to form. Before I could walk out the kitchen, my phone buzzed multiple times in my pocket.

I picked it up and felt myself let out a loud gasp as I read the messages.

micah's grown so much since i last saw him :(

I shoved my phone in my pocket and immediately looked up at my parents.

"Whose house is Micah at?" I asked, my gaze intense as I stared at them.

"His friend Andrew's. Why?" Mom replied, staring at me with a questioning gaze.

I didn't answer and ran out the room, grabbing my keys off the rack at the front door. I ran out to my car, jumping in as I typed the address into the GPS.

♤♤♤

"Why did you have to pick me up early? Mommy said it was fine if I spent the night." Micah frowned, crossing his arms and pouting as he sat in the front seat.

"I can't spend time with my little brother?" I tried to reason, not wanting to tell him why I actually picked him up.

"What do you want?" He grumbled, swinging his little feet back and forth.

"I'll get you ice cream and take you to the store so you can buy whatever games you want." I suggested, trying to get him to agree.

"Add in a new controller and we have a deal." He smirked, reaching out his pinky finger.

"Fine." I groaned, tossing my head back against the seat and locked my pinky with his.

uh oh psycho elenor backk

yall gone be EXCITED with what i got planneedddddd

see u in the next chapter ;)