Courtney's POV (09/15/2013)

Three years we dated. The best three years of my life I would even say. But that ended abruptly.

It was all my dad's fault. He knew that. I was heartbroken, I couldn't even write him a letter to tell him I was leaving. My dad told me I couldn't. He only allowed me to write one to my guy best friend, Evan. He was the only one of my friends he even liked.

My dad made me leave town with him, I was only 20 when it happened. It was just me and him. I was an only child and my mom died in a "car accident." Well that's what my dad told me but I never believed him.

"Dad why do we have to leave?" I ask as I start to pack clothes. "Are they going to -"

"Courtney please. Just pack, we're in a major rush. Now hurry up so we can leave this place." I throw everything I can in my two suitcases and start walking down the stairs. I arrive at the door and wait for my dad to come down.

"We're not coming back, are we?" I ask him from the front door as I look at the top of the stairs. My dad slowly appears with his bag at the top of the stairs. He starts carrying his bags as he answers me.

"No sweetheart, we're not. We can't."

"Well can I at least tell someone I'm leaving. I can't just leave without saying goodbye!"

"No. No one can know where we're going Courtney. Now let's go." At this point, he's almost yelling at me. I just put head down, all my friends would think I hated them. And Duncan, he wouldn't even begin to understand. "You know what, fine. You can write Evan a letter. A quick one and that's it. No one else."

Evan was my best friend since we were in middle school. He was the only one of my friends my dad liked, I think it's because he's a full on tough guy who hits the weight room 24/7. My dad was the same way when he was younger. I told Evan that I would miss him and to tell Jackie and Aubrey that I'll miss them too and I love all of you guys with all my heart.

"And I know you're not gonna like this but you need to tell Duncan that you're breaking up with him. And not to contact you, that the relationship wasn't working out for you."

"Dad are you kidding me? He's my boyfriend, I can't tell him something like that. He'll think I hate him."

"Exactly, look I know this is hard but he can't come looking for you or trying to contact you. Everything will be ruined."

"But dad-," at this point I'm feeling broken when my dad interrupts me.

"Courtney. Just do it, we have to go anyways." So I wrote Duncan the letter. I listened to what my dad said because he was making the better judgment call for our safety. I still told Evan to tell Duncan that I love him. That was the end of us. I was leaving behind my life. I was leaving my boyfriend and my three best friends. All the people I love and that's all I could think about.

Courtney's POV (09/28/2015)

Two years later and I finally came back. I kind of just showed up, no one was expecting it and no one knew. I'm pretty sure they all forgot about me and moved on with their lives. I figured Duncan still lived in the same place with Evan and their other best friend, Geoff. I left my bags in the car and walked into the apartment building. Everything looked the same as the last time I was here but still a few renovations. They repainted the walls so they didn't look as old, got a better design for the carpet and the furniture was still in the same place of the lobby but was new. I walked to the front desk and saw a skinny brown haired guy there.

"How can I help you today miss?" he asked with the most cheerfulness I've experienced in the last two years. It was always serious time, I couldn't do anything I wanted. I snapped out of my deep thought and turned my attention back to the man.

"Actually nothing, I'm fine." I turned to the elevator and saw there was a woman already in it. She saw me walking and held the door open for me.

"Thanks for holding the door."

"No problem, what floor?"

"Seven please." She waved her card in front of the censor and hit the level seven button. I started playing with my hands when the elevator stopped. We were at level seven. The level. The level where Duncan was. I started walking when all the thought came flooding in. I mean how would he react. Happy because he's missed me so much? Or disgusted cause I left him years ago with no explanation? What if he has a new girlfriend? What is he doesn't even recognize me? Thoughts were just going around in my head. I felt like I couldn't walk but I was already in front of the door. I took a deep breath and knocked. A girl answered a door and not just any girl. It was my best friend and Duncan's cousin, Aubrey. I don't think she believed it was me at first.

"Hold on, don't say anything."

"What the hell. Where have you been and what are you doing here?"

"Look I'm sorry for leaving & I'll explain all I can later. I came here to surprise him and I was going to surprise you & Jackie later. I didn't know you were going to be here. And I can't believe you're here, what are you doing here? I've missed you so much."

"Sheesh you still talk a lot, but come inside so you're not just standing in the hallway." I walk in the door and she close the door behind me. The place looks exactly the same and I mean nothing new. That same old couch that we all would sit on. The table where Evan was always spilling drinks. The big floor carpet that Aubrey fell asleep on after we smoked eight blunts. The counter where we would take shots on. "But I live here actually. I moved away awhile after you left but I came back as you can tell with nowhere to stay so I sleep on the pullout couch. Ummm, no is here except Duncan but he's in his room. I have no idea what he's doing but I can take you back there if-."

"Courtney?"