<h4>Chapter 99: Chapter 99</h4>


    I shook my head; this wasn’t the time to think about Adrian, that door closed years ago. Plus he wouldn’t recognize me now even if he saw me; I changed a lot in thest few years. I groaned internally and told myself to stop thinking about him. I was going to shove the thought of Adrian away and start my new life.


    ‘I’m doing this for you Gabriel’ I thought as I looked out the window at the familiar town I was leaving, the family I was leaving. One that never ceased to remind me what a disappointment I was. I was going to have a new life, a new way of living, a new me.


    ****


    "This ce is beautiful" I said looking out the window of Patrick’s car. It wasn’t a small town but it wasn’t veryrge either, greenery as far as the eye could see. "I can see why you like it here"


    "Yeah it’s great, the people are really nice too" he said smiling at me "I spoke to Dean and he tried to talk me out of renting the apartment"


    "Why?"


    "He said that it wasn’t in good shape, that he was messy and never stayed in it except to sleep so it’s pretty beaten up. But I couldn’t find you another apartment so..." he looked at me apologetically


    "The ce is in really bad shape"


    I smiled andid a hand on his shoulder "It’s okay; believe me I’m thankful for whatever I can have. As long as I’m not in that house with my parents again, I’m happy"


    "You might want to change your mind after you see it" he said as he parked his car. We both got out and I looked at the building, it seemed in good shape and the room couldn’t really be that bad.


    I was wrong.


    <fn0e71> Latest content published on find~novel</fn0e71>


    "Oh" I said as Patrick opened the door. I tried to hide my surprise as I stared at the small apartment. It was a mess, dust covered everything, making the ce look like a house from one of those horror movies, there was nothing in the living room but a couch and a small TV that I doubted even worked. "It’s...unusual"


    Patrickughed "You mean scary-looking right?" he said as he swiped his finger on a shelf and frowned at the ck smudge that appeared. "Damn"


    "I think I actually like it" I said giving him a reassuring smile "It’s a symbol of my new-found independence" I threw myself on the couch coughing when a cloud of dust surrounded me "A very dusty independence but it just means I’ll have to work on it"


    "Well I have to head off to work" Patrick said looking at me with a sheepish smile on his face "Took an early break to get you. Call me if you need anything okay? Oh and here..." he handed me a key


    "This is the key to my apartment, its three doors down. If you need to use anything don’t hesitate okay?"


    "Thanks Pat" I said hugging him "You’re the best"


    "So I’ve been told" he said andughed when I pulled away and rolled my eyes. "Bye Nate" As soon as the door closed behind Patrick I decided to inspect the house. I went to the room next to the living room and found out it was the kitchen, it was very small with an oven that looked like it hasn’t been used for a long time and cabs with broken hinges hanging by the sides, the bathroom was to my left; it wasn’t very clean but it wasn’t disgusting. What bothered me was that there wasn’t a bedroom.


    I walked back to the living room and noticed a small door. I opened it and noticed it was theundry room, it had a washing machine but just by looking at it I knew it wouldn’t work and there were wire hangers so I guessed it was a closet as well as aundry room which led me to conclude that the living room was also the bedroom.


    I walked to the couch and pulled it open, confirming my assumption; it was a pull out couch. I sighed returning it to the way it was. I had a lot of work to do.


    I tied my hair in a ponytail and got some stuff from Patrick’s apartment and immediately started cleaning, I dusted everything, scrubbed the floor until I could see the hard wood perfectly, wiped the windows and removed the spider webs. By the time I was done I was filthy and it was after noon but the apartment did seem better, although it still needed a lot of work.


    I wiped the sweat from my brow and sighed. A light smile syed on my lips, the only room I had ever cleaned was Gabriel’s room because even the hint of dust would make him sick so I wasn’t really that good at it but the house wasn’t that bad.


    ‘If you could only see me now Luke’ I thought with smugness. Luke always made me feel like I couldn’t do anything, like I needed him to survive and my parents never argued with that fact, they were the only reason I was with him in the first ce.


    "I’m only fourteen Mother" I said angrily "What do you mean I’m going to marry Luke?"