Chapter 3 Memories

POV of Lyla

I ran to my room, trying to catch the breath I hadn't realized I was holding. The pain of just mentioning his name triggered waves of memories I had been trying to push away.

Flashback

I ran through the field of flowers behind my house. The wind slowly blew my brown hair back. My purple sundress flowed around me as I started to spin in circles, falling onto the soft, tall grass. I loved doing that-feeling free and letting the wind hit my face like nothing else mattered.

I gently closed my eyes, breathing in the scents that surrounded me. Autumn was coming. The fear and sadness that scent brought were unbearable. I knew that with it, he would have to leave, and my heart just couldn't handle that right now.

The smell of vanilla and sandalwood hit my nose. I smelled him before I felt him lie down beside me.

I turned my body toward him, looking into the most beautiful emerald green eyes. There was so much love and adoration in his gaze. Just looking at him made me feel important-like I was something much more than an omega.

Nick took a strand of my hair that had fallen across my face and slowly tucked it behind my ear. His face so close to mine was pure torment. I loved the way he smelled and the feeling of his skin so close to mine. It was the best part of my day. He placed his hand behind my neck and pulled me toward him. I felt my skin tingle at his touch. He kissed me softly. As he pulled away, he looked deeply into my lavender eyes and smiled.

"Lyla, I love you so much. I promise these two years will pass so quickly that soon I'll be back in your arms, you'll see. Promise me you'll wait for me. I'm not sure if we're destined mates, but every bone in my body tells me we are. Just promise to wait for me."

"Nick, I love you too. I've loved you since I was six. From the moment I first saw you, I knew there would be something between us, even if it was just friendship. And of course, I'll wait for you. I'll always wait for you. But what if the pull to your mate is so strong that it's unbearable to stay away? What if I'm not your destined one? All of this haunts me in such a painful way."

"I would reject anyone who wasn't you, Lyla. I would be incapable of loving

End of flashback

I knew back then that the chances of an alpha mating with an omega were slim. But at that time, I believed everything he said-it was exactly what I wanted most. In that moment, I didn't want that feeling to end. I couldn't

I wiped away the tears that had started falling from my eyes and quickly got dressed in jeans, a pink shirt, and a p

I tied my long brown hair into a ponytail

I never wore much makeup. I didn't think it was necessary. I wasn't trying to imp

I grabbed my cardigan as I rushed out, realizing I'd be late if I didn't hurry.

Why he stopped calling after just two months away still haunts me. I still don't understand why he didn't answer my calls or texts without any explanation.

I felt like I didn't matter enough for him to give me at least that-a decent answer. But whatever the reason, I knew that when he came back, I would have to act like he hadn't hurt me.

I haven't dated anyone since, and honestly, I didn't want to. I kept the promise I made, even though we were a secret, even if he had found someone else. I kept my word, and I would always wait for him until he showed me he didn't want me anymore. Deep down, I knew he probably didn't keep his word, and that broke me a little more with every second of the day.

As soon as I walked into school, a very muscular arm was thrown over my shoulders.

I looked up into his deep brown eyes. His hair was cut in a very boyish style, styled as if he were going to be on the cover of a best-seller magazine.

"Hey, Tyler, has Beck's arrived yet?"

"No, you know my sister is never on time for anything."

Tyler was Nick's future gamma, and his sister was my best friend. We all grew up together since my mom was always with the Luna. I got to hang out with all the ranked members' kids, including the future beta, Landyn, and his sister Brooklyn.

Landyn and Nick were in the same grade, and the rest of us were two years behind them.

"Tyler, I heard Nick is coming back. Why didn't you tell me? You're going to be the future gamma pretty soon."

"Lyl, honestly, I didn't know how to tell you. I know what Nick did to you, I know he broke your heart, and I felt really bad having to say he'd be back soon. And when he stopped talking to you out of nowhere, I just didn't know what to say. I'm still confused about the whole thing. He always told us how much he loved you."

He took a deep breath.

"I thought maybe you already knew but just didn't want to talk about it. You know how quiet you can be.

"Tyler, you're one of my best friends, and if it was really love, he would've at least made an effort to tell me why he suddenly stopped talking to me. He didn't love me; I was a fool, deceived, and just a pastime for him all this time."

I stepped back, looking away. I didn't want to talk about it anymore. Tyler and Becks were the only ones who knew the truth, the only ones who knew what Nick and I had.

As far as everyone else knew, we were still together-or at least they thought we were. I'm not really the type to keep up with rumors, and everyone talked about us, but we never made anything official. It was like just a good friendship. I avoid gossip, even if it's about me. Either way, I made him a promise. But deep down, we both knew that promise wasn't meant to be kept.

As far as everyone else knew, we were still together-or at least they thought we were. I'm not really the type to keep up with rumors. Everyone talked about us, but we never made anything official. It was like just a good friendship. I avoid gossip, even when it's about me. Either way, I made him a promise. But deep down, we both knew that promise wasn't meant to be kept.

As I looked up, I was shoved to the ground by Brooklynn and her followers. "Followers" was a better term. She seemed to change friends weekly, never able to keep the same ones.

I started picking up my things when another pair of hands helped me gather my books. I looked up and saw Tyler. I gave him a small smile; he was always like that-protective of me.

"Brooke, why do you always have to be so mean to Lily?" he asked.

"Ty, she needs to learn her place as the omega she is. When I become Luna, she'll serve me just like her mother serves Luna Raya. We all know Nick would never choose a little omega like her to be his Luna."

I could never fully understand the depth of anger and hurt I felt upon hearing her say that, and deep down, I really believed her words. Still, it was painful for me.