⩔ Ava ⩔

The drive through the south of France was breathtaking. Rolling hills covered in vineyards stretched as far as the eye could see, dotted with charming stone cottages and lavender fields. The sun was setting, casting a warm, golden glow over everything. It felt surreal, like we were driving into a painting.

Despite the beauty around me, a heavy sadness settled in my chest. I couldn't stop thinking about Bo.

Her laugh, her touch, the way she made me feel like the only person in the world — it all seemed so far away now. She was busy on her book tour, surrounded by fans and the glitz of her rich life. I couldn't help but wonder if she missed me as much as I missed her.

Several times I tried to call her, but either her manager answered, once it was Teo and I immediately hung up, or the number was unavailable. In our breakup, just like in our first meeting, there was a certain awkwardness. We started quickly, and just as quickly, we parted ways. It was beautiful, fleeting, and awkward.

A few times, in secret, I sneaked into her social media. Nothing had changed about her. It was as if our awkward fallout, or rather that wild misunderstanding, hadn't affected her at all. She was still cheerful, beautiful, and as insanely famous and wealthy as ever.

She never called me. She gave up surprisingly quickly, even though I tried to reach out to her several times. Seeing me try again, Libbie discouraged me, reminding me of my self-respect.

"Think about yourself first. She won't cancel her tour for you, and she won't come out even to her parents. Even if you managed to salvage things, you'd only be dating her in secret. Remember Lizzy Jones from our elementary school?"

"Yeah, of course. What about her?"

"We still keep in touch. She told me she spent five years on a girl who wouldn't divorce her husband. They just met in secret. She used Lizzy and held her back from finding a proper girlfriend, while she deceived her husband who thought they had a great marriage and that the other woman, Lizzy, was just her best friend."

"Oh my God, how is she now?"

"They supposedly broke up, but poor Lizzy still spends a ton of money on that woman's kid (who's not even her relative) taking him to the zoo, karate lessons, and showering him with gifts, hoping the mother will change her mind, leave her husband, and they'll live happily ever after as a lesbian family: her, the kid, and that woman."

"That's terrible!"

"The same fate awaited you! Like Lizzy, you'd be hoping she'd one day proclaim your love to the world, but that would never happen. Even someone as simple as that married woman was afraid of public opinion. Just imagine what it would mean for Bo's brand."

...

Packing up took surprisingly little time. We gave our plants to my grandparents, stored the larger items in Aunt Louise's garage, and packed everything else into suitcases. When the apartment was finally empty, we realized just how few possessions we had. It was as if we'd been living like nomads all this time.

Dad tried to arrange a meeting to say goodbye, but I refused. Mom didn't push the issue. Maybe someday I'll forgive him, but not now. Instead, Libbie and her father came over. We cried for a long time, as if we didn't want to leave, but everything was settled. They drove us to the airport. My friend awkwardly kissed me on both cheeks, French style, but didn't approach my mom. Deep down, she blamed her for the move.

One last look at them and we were off, heading towards a new chapter in our lives.

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