It's been three days since I left Florida, the first thing I did when I arrived was to go view apartments I saw online and see one that suits me. The decision to move to a new apartment wasn't an easy one, but I couldn't afford to pay for Lily's rent along with mine and I knew it wouldn't be easy to live here without her.

Everything in our apartment reminded me of her and her room still smelled like her. I talked to Layla and mum about moving and they supported my decision, Layla and Lisa even came here to pack the rest of Lily's things a week after her funeral.

All that was left was the furniture that both Lily and I bought, some of our pictures and paintings. Her room was empty, almost like no body has ever lived in there and I knew that it was time to let go of this apartment. I will carry the memories we shared inside of it and cherish every moment, but it had to be from a different place.

Two of the apartments were exactly what I was looking for, but one stood out to me, it is next to the psychology clinic where I will doing my internship next year and it's in a nice neighborhood. It's a one bedroom apartment, with a bathroom and an open plan kitchen and living room.

The bedroom was bigger than my old bedroom and the bathroom was bigger than I thought, it has a shower and bathtub. I could already see myself relaxing in the tub after a long day.

Monica arrived in the early morning hours, she will be here for three days to spend the remaining summer holidays with her cousins at their family holiday house in the Caribbean Islands. I feel like I have been neglecting her this past weeks and acting like a bad friend so. We made plans to meet for dinner tonight before she leaves.

Mo booked a reservation for us at some new Italian restaurant near Time Square, I'm sure it's so expensive it's going to leave a dent in our summer allowance. We decided to meet at the restaurant instead of going together because I was coming from Noah's place, thank God Hailey and I wear the same size so I didn't have to rush to my apartment to change into something restaurant worthy.

When I arrive at the restaurant the hostess asks me if I have a reservation and I tell her it's booked under Monica White, she types a few things on her ipod and leads me to a table at the back of the restaurant.

"Your server will be with you in a minute" she says before living. I take out my phone to see if I am early because Mo has not arrived, it's astonishing how she can plan dinner date and be late.

"Good evening, I'm your server for tonight. Can I get you something to drink while you go through our menu" A very good looking guy gets me out of my thoughts.

"Can I get a glass of water while I wait for my friend?" I ask politely, I feel like drinking white wine but decide to wait for Mo.

"Coming right up, here is your menu." he gives me a tablet used as a menu. A minute later he sets my glass of water and walks away, promising to come back in 5minutes.

I look around the restaurant and I'm the only one sitting alone, people are still in the 4th July spirit so I imagine how stupid I look. Just as I'm about to text Mo seething with anger she comes in looking pleased about something.

"You are 15 minutes late!" I scowl at her.

"I know and I'm sorry." she says approaching me then hugs me tightly.

"Hey Mo, don't suffocate me and sit down before they kick us out of here for disturbing other patrons." I say through clenched teeth, still mad at her.

"You better have a good reason for being late lady." I tell her.

"Believe me it's a very good reason, Jamie arrived just as I was about to hop in the shower and he–" I interrupt her.

"Don't you dare finish that sentence Monica White." I close my ears hoping she doesn't, but knowing Mo she is going to go right ahead.

"He saw me in a towel and things got out of hand, we ended on my study table instead of the shower, then I took a 5 minutes shower and he gave me a ride." she laugh almost too loudly, earning a few looks from other tables.

"You are so nasty, how should I look at that study table the same after tonight. No! How am I supposed to eat dinner after that?" I say dramatically.

"You will survive, you have shared a bed with me and sat on my couch many times"

"Where is the waiter when I need one." I fake a gag thinking of things they did on her couch.

Our server comes to take our orders and gives us the chance to talk while we wait for our food. "So you and Jamie neh?" I poke her arm.

"What about us?" she takes a sip of her wine that she ordered.

"Anything I need to know? I mean, you only arrived this afternoon." Mo looks away and clears her throat probably preparing her lie.

"There's nothing going on, it's just sex." the words rush out of her mouth.

"Okay, if you say so." Mo never spends this much time with a guy, she blushes when she hears his name and I know for a fact that she likes Jamie.

The server brings our food and we dig in as soon as he leaves, their pasta is mouth watering and I'm thinking this is my favorite restaurant from now on. "Did you see messages from the Facebook group?" She asks me taking a sip of her drink.

"What messages, and what Facebook group are you talking about?" I haven't really been paying attention to my social media.

"Some of Lily's friends from design department at school want to hold a memorial service in her name, for those who failed to go to the funeral." Lily knew many people, she was friendly with everyone she came across.

"No I haven't checked my social media in weeks, and I honestly don't feel like going." I tell her.

"I understand why you don't want to go, let me know if you change your mind." She squeezes my hand in comfort.

"When is it, the memorial I mean? This pasta is mouth watering." I almost moan.

"Their food are to die for." Mo closes her eyes and opens them soon after as though remembering something.

"First week of opening, it will be on a Saturday held at campus hall." I know they mean well and Lily would appreciate it, but the funeral was hard enough for me so I don't see myself going.

"You still haven't told me why you came to New York." I change the subject.

"Florida flights to Puerto Rico were full, so I booked a New York flight instead. It's seems like everyone from Florida wants to go away for the summer. Speaking of that, are you sure you don't want to go with us, it will only be us, meaning no parents" She says looking at me, waiting for a response.

"Won't your cousins mind?" Maybe going away for some time might be a distraction I need.

"No, they knew that I would be spending this summer with my girls and we cancelled our plans after Lily's accident. So if I tell them I'm bringing you with they won't mind" She rolls her eyes.

"Let me think about it for sometime, I will book a flight, and should I decide to go I will find you there." I conclude.

"Thinking is good" Mo says through a bite.

....................

It's late evening when I go to my apartment, as soon as I get in I receive a text from Hayden.

"Hey Vicky"

"Hello Hayden, what up?"

'I heard your back in New York, can we meet tomorrow?'

"Yeah, okay where do you want to meet?"

"Do you mind if I come your apartment, I think it will be easier for me to drop Lily's things"

"Okay I will sent you the address"

'Alright see you tomorrow.'

I forgot that Hayden mentioned that there are some things Lily left at his apartment. The last saw him was at Lily's funeral with Jamie, but since then I haven't seen or heard from him but then again we don't know much about each other.

He might have been dating Lily but I didn't get to meet him while he was with her, all I knew was that we went to school with him. Hayden was a football quarterback in high school, not much of a jerk but not a sweetheart either. He just became closed off in his senior year and was never the crazy loud we used to know.

I wake up the late the next morning, when I look at the time I see that I have an hour before Hayden gets here. After I gave him my address last night he asked of it was okay if he came around 11AM. I wasn't planning on struggling to sleep so it makes sense that I'm only waking up at 10 in the morning.

Rushing to the bathroom is more of Mo's style these days, but here I was rushing to the bathroom to brush my teeth then take a quick shower, I'm wear yoga pants and shirt then out my hair in a ponytail. When I am done I see that I still have some time so I make my bed and go downstairs to tidy up before he gets here.

After a few minutes I hear a knock at my door and I look around the apartment to see if it's presentable before opening the door. "Hey, come in."

"Thank you." he says getting in and looking around.

"Please have a sit, can I pour some juice?"

"No thanks, I just had breakfast and I'm still full" Hayden puts the bag I wasn't aware he is carrying next to him and I follow him to sit down.

He is quiet for a moment and I take that opportunity to look at him, he seems different from the guy that I knew back in high school. Hayden was three years our senior, we simply knew him because he was the school jock.

"I didn't get to talk to you at the funeral, how have you been holding up?"

"Most of the time I am angry at the world, but I'm okay." I don't know him well enough to tell him I hardly sleep at night, haunted by the death of my friend.

"I understand, it's still surreal." He looks at the floor and I can tell that he is clenching him jaw.

"I may not know about your feelings for her or even your relationship, but she appreciated you Hayden."

"I appreciated her too." He opens his mouth t say something but closes it.

"This are the clothes she brought with her that day, I wasn't sure if I should give them to her parents, but Jamie thought I should give them to you" He says with a sigh.

"It's okay, I will take them home with me and give them to her parents."

"Damn it" I hear Hayden say under his breath looking at his phone.

"Is everything okay?" I ask him when he puts his phone away.

"No it's fine, I just missed a call from Jamie. I think I should get going"

"Thank you for dropping these off, I had forgotten that you mentioned them before the funeral."

"Alright, don't be a stranger Victoria" with that he is out of my apartment.

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