**Dasha**

One thing I had come to realize within the past few weeks is that Hayden hadn't picked up his habit of smoking again. He had stopped shortly after we began dating, but there were times when he was so stressed out he would grab a pack and smoke one or two. Though I'm pretty sure we used sex as our way of escaping most problems if not all. It just happened to cross my mind while I was sorting through stuff in the apartment.

"Hey Rose? When should we start packing up? We still have this place for a few weeks but..."

"I say we just pack up everything except for a few things and keep reusing them, like dishes or whatever. The rest pretty much is already at Sean's or Hayden's anyways. I'm going to start calling places in San Francisco after we graduate. My interview is like two days after graduation."

I looked up from the dishes I was putting up. "Really?"

"Mhm, they called me the other day. I think I'll get the job."

"Rose! That's awesome! Sean is... he's going right? Like he'll be able to find something?"

"I think so, he's looking to see what his options are. So I'm assuming, I need to start calling and looking the day after and just stay a few days to see what I can find."

"Hayden already told me we could move out there too."

"He's going to move?"

"Mhm." I tried to hide my smile as she jumped up and down before going back to looking at something on her laptop. "He already told me we could stay within close proximity of you. He knows people out there, and I know I can find something out there. Plus we'll be able to help you raise the peanut."

She smiled and rested her hands on her abdomen. "It's going to be crazy."

"We can handle it. After everything so far, I think we're good."

"A change of pace would do all of us some good." She agreed and got up to go answer her phone. Most likely another important phone call when she made her way into the bedroom.

Hayden and I had decided to finish the wedding details once I finished school within the next few weeks. That would at least give me time to focus on one thing and then go from there. Plus if moving was now an option and adding onto that looking for a job for the two of us... adulting never seemed to slow down.

My phone began going off as Hayden's name flashed across the screen. I felt the butterflies hit again and just shook my head, knowing I would never get tired of this feeling.

"Hey sweetheart, are you not in class?"

"I'm currently on my break, just trying to get some things done. Just wanted to check to see if you were coming home tonight and if I should make dinner?"

"I should be home. We're just packing stuff up here, so unless something comes up. I can pick up food too, you don't have to cook babe, you already did that the other night."

"Alright love, just let me know. If not, I'll let you get whatever you feel like eating."

I taped up the box I finished and giggled, "sounds good. I'll see you in a few hours."

Rose stepped back out and frowned, "hey Dash?"

"What's up?" I put down the tape and stood up, thinking she wasn't feeling good or something.

"Sean wanted me to ask you if you had heard from Patrick lately?"

"Patrick? Like the guy in my business class?"

"No, he seemed to make it sound like it was the other one..."

I closed my eyes for a brief moment and flexed my hands to keep from shaking. His name hadn't effected me in years, and the mere fact that it was being brought up again made everything come crashing back to my mind.

"Dasha?" Rose grabbed my hand and dropped it, "you're freezing! You need to sit down."

"I'm fine." I felt my voice was further away from me than it actually was. Why did Sean need to know about Patrick? Had he contacted him?

"No, you need to sit down. You're going to pass out or something." She brought a chair up behind me and gripped my shoulders to help direct me. "He didn't say why, I just needed to ask you."

I shook my head no and felt the tremors take over while keeping my eyes shut. Sean needed to be wrong, there was no way he could be contacting me again, not after all this time.

"Do I need to call Hayden?"

My eyes shot open immediately and I shook my head, "Hayden doesn't need to be involved."

She frowned and put her phone back in her pocket. "Does he not know about him?"

I didn't say anything for a moment and Rose's eyes widened. "He doesn't know? Why haven't you told him?"

"I figured if I never heard from him again there was no reason to mention it. It was so long ago..."

"Sweetie, you need to tell him. If this is really the guy who Sean just asked me about... Hayden needs to know." She dropped down to my level and gripped my hands. "You need to talk to him, promise me."

"It's in the past Rose, he doesn't need to be concerned about it."

"Yes he does. With how you just reacted to his name, he definitely needs to know. We need to find out why Sean is asking, but you're safe okay? Please breathe for me before you pass out."

I took a shaking breath and gripped the sides of the chair so I didn't tilt to one side. I hadn't thought about the incident in years. Even when the whole thing with Josh happened it never occurred to me that I was being put into a similar situation all over again.

Rose placed a bottle of water in my lap and sat in the chair opposite from me. "Dasha, talk to me."

"I'll be okay... I just need to do something else."

She seemed to accept that for now and pointed at the couch. "Let's watch one of those wedding shows or home improvement ones for now okay? I'm so over packing right now. The peanut is making me nauseous."

"It better be a boy." I managed a tiny smile before grabbing her a drink as well as she flipped on the tv.

"Say yes to the Dress or Fixer Upper?"

"Which episode of Say yes?"

"Hmm, oh the one with the annoying in-laws and the bride who decided last minute not to get the dress she was about to buy because of her sister or something."

"Chip and Joanna then."

We both plopped down on the couch and pulled the table closer to Rose could put her feet up. She may not have even been super pregnant yet, but we were trying to still keep her feet up whenever possible.

"I'm already dreading how fat I'm going to look with it." She rubbed her bump and pulled her shirt up to stare at it.

"But just think of how exciting it'll be to bring a new life into the world. I'm sure Sean will go all into the dad role even before they arrive. You'll have time to prepare."

"True, let's just hope I can fit into the dress for your wedding." She shook her head even though I knew it really wasn't upsetting her.

We both became engrossed with the show as the couple was deciding on some antique items to bring into the house they were working on to surprise the family. As long as I could just focus on what was going on in someone else's life right now I could forget about the things that were beginning to pop up within my own. Hopefully this wasn't what adults meant when they would tell us when we complained of being too young to enjoy being a kid. Obviously being an adult wasn't going to be easy, but was it supposed to be like a never ending apocalypse?

**Sorry it's short but I wanted to update. Writer's block is hitting me on every story so it's slow updates for now. I did promise that this story would keep you on your toes and hopefully it has so far! We'll learn more about Patrick within the next few chapters. Do we think he's worse than Josh, or maybe just a bit obsessed?**