"Tears leave your eyes because they're so desperately trying to escape your memories"

🌱

I took the glass jugs of orange juice and coffee. I set each plate accordingly to where everyone would sit, I placed the blueberry compote into a bowl and fresh bananas onto a plate and set it in the middle. I placed the turkey bacon, eggs, and pancakes onto different plates.

I called everyone downstairs to eat before everything got cold, my dad was the first one to come downstairs. He greeted me with a good morning and smirked at me, I furrowed my eyebrows.

I raised an eyebrow curiously, "What has you smirking like you're a teenager?"

"So are you seeing Lance now?" I nearly choke on my spit, I should've kept my mouth shut.

"What makes you say that?" I question him still not showing that he fazed me.

"I mean.. I've been a teenager before so.. don't think I didn't notice he's been coming over a lot and he sleeps over as well." I groaned at the last part, it does look suspicious.

Why didn't we plan this out better!

Deciding to come clean, I mean this is my father.

"I mean yeah we kind of are but we're taking things slow.." I ran my hand through my hair, it was falling freely onto my back considering it was wash day today.

My dad grabbed me into a sudden hug and smiled, "I'm proud of you sweetie, it's been a long time since I saw you smile like that."

I blush at his words because it's true, I did feel super happy with Lance and I'm just surprised my dad even noticed.

"You're embarrassing me! I do feel happy with him though.. it's been a while." My cheeks were hurting because I was smiling just thinking about him.

"That's good, I'm proud of you I really am. Your old man knows everything! Just cause I don't say anything don't mean nothing." He winked at me, I cursed under my breath.

Well it was an obvious fail hiding it from my dad, considering he was the master at this stuff when he was a teenager.

"Just so you know, I'll still kick his ass hard if he hurts you." He put on a stern voice as he tried to contain his laughter.

Yes, he's laughing but he would most definitely do it.

I have witnessed it many times, he sat down and gathered himself a huge plate while scrolling through his emails.

I heard Lance clear his throat as he says, "Good morning Mr. Tasos."

I could tell he was nervous, my dad wasn't exactly the most happy go lucky guy. His brown hair was cut and styled, he was tall and built regardless of him almost reaching 40. He had tattoos traveling along his arms and his legs as well.

My dad glanced at me and I tried to hold in my laughter, "Good morning Lance, please call me Nathan."

Lanced nodded and sat across from him, I sat down next to my dad. I knew Danny wasn't going to come down for another half an hour, he is such a perfectionist when it comes to looks and getting ready.

I give myself a pancake and pour some blueberries over it. Placing 2 eggs and a strip of turkey bacon as well. We all made small chit chat as I took in the view, my dad and Lance were actually getting along. They were joking about me and talking about school and what Lance would like to do after college.

I could definitely get used to this.

💫

"I was so scared Maika! Your dad looked like he was going to chew me out at first." Lance shivered as he sat on his light blue duvet covers.

After breakfast, we chilled around the house a little bit with Danny, then Lance said he wanted me to come over to talk.

There was a silence after what he said because we both knew I had to talk about what happened.
I took a deep breath as I plopped myself onto the covers, feeling the cool fabric hit my skin.

I closed my eyes slowly, "So Aiden was my ex boyfriend of 6 years."

I turned my head and I see Lance laying down as well and staring at me. He nodded at me and that signaled for me to continue.

"We became really good friends right before middle school and we hung out everyday. He asked me out in 7th grade and we were dating since then.." I gulped nervously.

Lance's POV

Maika paused for a second after saying that, I nodded as I close my eyes. I knew I wasn't going to be happy hearing this.

I know this was in the past but knowing he hurt my girl made me angry.

"He and I were always with each other, going everywhere together. In 9th grade we lost our virginity to each other. High school was hard.. we were adjusting to school life." This sounds so cliche.

They were childhood friends and fell in love with each other and then he hurt her.

"We were talking about our future a lot, when we would move in together, start our careers and have a family. Things started to get rocky towards the end of junior year. College applications.. it was a stressful time. We started to fight over useless things, petty things. No matter what it was we always seemed to make up."

"I was the girl who was popular without a say. Aiden was the face of the school, he was on the softball team and girls adored him." I let out a snort, he sounds like a douche who changed because of popularity.

I hate guys like that.

I look over at Maika, her eyes were closed and she had her eyebrows knitted together. She's so in thought that she's gripping her hands so tight they're turning white and fingernail marks were appearing. I reach over to her hands, feeling them loosen up.

"He would go to parties for an hour or so and come home to me. He used to tell me how much he loved me, this is when he started acting distant with me. Begin senior year, I had just turned 18, we got our college results. We already decided on different colleges but vowed to see one another whenever possible." Her voice sounded like she was reminiscing on good memories.

"Fast forward, it was constant fights. I barely saw him and I would always try to make time for him but he always pushed me off. I started to feel okay with that, because at one point you're going to become numb to it."

Her voice was shaking as I speak up, "Baby.. don't continue if you can't.." I bring her hands up to my lips and place a kiss on them hoping to reassure her.

She shakes her head, "I want to be honest with you, and I know you were probably freaking out over who he was anyway." She gives me a small laugh, she was completely right.

"We found out I was pregnant, 4 months already."

My eyes pop out of their sockets. Did she say pregnant?

So where's the baby?

She had a small bittersweet smile on her face as she continued, "Things started to go good again, before I felt like we just needed something new. I was scared, just turning 18 I was going to be a mother. Aiden was happy and he would always talk about what we would name the baby and how they would look. In 2 months, everything just went downhill. I suspected he was cheating on me, he acted more distant than he was before."

She sucked in a deep breath and her voice was trembling, "That day changed everything. I saw everything."

Her eyes started to release the tears she was so desperately trying to hold in.

"He was at the park with another girl and a little boy who looked a few months old. Maybe 6. God, Lance I felt like my heart stopped beating. I was fuming with anger as I walked over and smacked the living hell of out him. I ran away bawling my eyes out, when I got home my dad questioned and asked what happened. He found everything out, he was livid."

I could imagine how mad her dad got, he definitely looked like he bashed skulls before.

"I broke up with Aiden as soon as I could. I wasn't going to stay with a cheater just because my child needed a father. He wasn't worthy, I started stressing and crying everyday I couldn't eat. I would throw up every time."

"I was already 7 months at the time, he would come by everyday, beg me and tell me he was sorry. My dad pretty much threw him out every single day. The final time he came, it set me off and I was throwing things hitting him. That's when I felt it, my water had broke."

Tears were falling down her red cheeks, lips puffy from crying. I wanted to hug her and tell her I'm sorry, I could just imagine what was going to come next. I kept kissing her to let her know I'm here for her, we can't change history, but we can help the future.

"He didn't make it.. t-the baby failed to survive, I tried my best to take care of him even though I wasn't taking care of myself. The doctor also told me I had a retained placenta as well. In that moment I felt like I was about to die. The placenta was stuck in my body and I wasn't expelling it properly. Those were the most painful months I've ever went through, I didn't know what to feel I was a wreck.."

Her voice was shaky, she barely couldn't peep a single word out now. My heart broke for the beautiful girl in front of me. I felt tears well up in my eyes as I whispered in a shallow breath.

"Makayla, I'm so sorry. I'm so so sorry. I'm so sorry I didn't find you sooner and kick his sorry ass and be there for you. I'm so sorry." I pulled her into a tight embrace against my chest.

She shook her head, "Don't be sorry, maybe this is how it was intended to be.."

She looked up at me as I saw tears prickling her eyes, she broke down again and all I heard were sobs of despair.

She clutched my shirt in a fist as I just held her tight without saying a word.

And in that moment, I know that day would cut deep into her soul. It was beyond forgetting, but maybe it was a push for her to live.

🌱

A/N:

This chapter is more serious and depressing! It shows what happened between Aiden and writing it in Lance's POV definitely helps you guys see how he feels about Maika.