"Come on, Em.. please, I'm leaving soon.. Can we talk?"

A text pops up on your phone's notification. It's been two weeks since your last fight. And it's been a week since he bombarded you with these texts. Sometimes you reply. Sometimes you just let it marinate. Anyway, your answer is always the same,

"I think it's best for us to not meet for now."

You admit, it feels weird wearing them. But you tried. You tried removing it—but it still feels even weirder. So you still wear it. Even though it hurts everytime you pass by him in the hall and see him without his. People won't notice, but that bracelet means a lot. You've worn it since forever.. and the fact that he could easily breaks it just—just because—

Forget it. At least I still have my girl.

"Why looking so down, girlie? Cheer up!" Eve lifts your chin. The two of you walk side by side, heading to the parking lot. Well, since you both had to become wonder women these past few months, you drive yourselves to school now.

And I, since—since.. John McClane's car is just sitting there unused, I've mustered the courage to use it. I was taught how to drive by the big boss, but since I was—am his princess~ and since Tyler and I never go to school together anymore..

As you both reach the parking lot, you spot Tyler standing near his car, talking to the gang. He looks up and catches your eye, and a pained expression paints his face. Your heart aches, but you remind yourself why you need this distance. It's for the best—at least for now. Eve gives your shoulder a comforting squeeze before heading to her car. But before Eve gets into her mint Mini, you hold her back.

"Can you.. give me a minute? I'll be quick,"

A bit surprised, Eve tilts her head and closes her car door again. "Sure, babe. Damn, I have all the time in the world for you."

You force a smile, appreciating her support. With a slight chuckle, you close your eyes before finally blowing air from your mouth. "Me and Tyler.. We kinda.."

"Holy shit not again—"

"And now we're not talking. He broke the bracelet we—I—" you stammer. With wide eyes, Eve darts her eyes to your right hand, finding yours still intact on your wrist.

"Oh no.. Em.." she says, hugging you.

You melt in her embrace as you let out a big sigh. "Like—heck—being with him is never easy. Mom was wrong all along I guess." She releases you, and you look down as you continue, "The world is so big—there's a lot of people in this world," then looking at her again, "but why do I keep coming back to him, Eve? I tried to move on."

"I feel you love. Tyler's been a mess too, you know. We all see it. Listen, I know you know, but.. he's leaving soon, Em.." she emphasizes. You know this well—this is why you finally talked to Eve about it. The timing though.. He's leaving, but you ended up fighting. "I think the two of you should at least.. talk, you know?"

You look into the distance, incredibly torn. "I know.." you say softly, looking down at the bracelet on your wrist. "But I just can't.. I can't face him right now," still feeling all the anger and sadness, all emotions swirl together.

Eve sighs. "I can't give you advice since—you know how I am now," you nod in understanding while she continues, "but I can only lay you these questions if you're still confused," squeezing your hands as she speaks.

"The fact that you don't move on easily? The fact that you kept choosing to love him despite that it hurts?"

Eve sighs, wrapping an arm around your shoulders. "While your problems aren't exactly—a death sentence like mine.." she pauses as you squeeze back her hand, she continues, "Em.. a love like yours is hard to find. I know taking a risk is scary.."

"But I think it's a risk worth taking."

The airport is full with hustling passengers despite not being in the high season. It's the trio, heading to their college early for they have some matters to take care of before orientation—a baseball camp is necessary for them. As Tyler arrives with his parents at the parking lot, they start unloading his belongings.

"Sure everything's here?" Greg asks in sus.

"Come on, I'm not a kid anymore," Tyler replies, annoyed. Greg, laughing, immediately grabs Tyler and gives him a playful noogie. Visibly irritated, Tyler shouts, "Argh, release me, goddammit!"

As Violet closes the trunk and notices the catastrophe, with a resigned look, she tilts her head. "Alright, boys–we still need to go to the check-in counter~ A lot of suitcases here~ Chop chop!" she commands like the man of the house that she is while clapping her hands twice. The duo immediately stops wrestling, still playfully pushing each other.

Suddenly, a quiet moment settles in as Greg remarks, "I wish the double Js were here.."

Tyler looks down and exhales, memories flooding back. He glances at his right hand, noticing the absence of the black and blue string. The image of your hurt when he cut the bracelet—

"Emily.. really not coming..?" when Violet asks in concern.

Tyler turns to her, shakes his head, then grabs the handle of his suitcase. "Let's go," he says, voice filled with lingering sadness.

In front of the boarding area, familiar faces scattered in the crowd. Selected River High baseball players for Stanford are gathered along with their families, mingling and sharing farewells. Tyler scans the room and finds Lucy—of course she's here. Reed is with Wyatt, who's gently stroking her head as they embrace. Dominic is chatting with Brad and the others—but he notices his arm around someone, partially blocked by Luke's tall body. In suspicion, Tyler shifts his position—slightly to get a better view—

To see you.

Tyler freezes, his heart pounding in his chest. Inwardly cursing as he realized—he should've known. Of course you'd be here. The boyfriend's leaving too. Moreover, as his gaze rests on your right wrist.. There's no longer a black and blue bracelet that wraps your tiny hand. Anger and frustration bubble up inside him, but he clenches his fists—trying to maintain control. Not wanting to repeat another mistake. Because the last time he lost control—

"Oh! Emily's here!" Janet exclaims with delight upon seeing you, causing you to turn towards them.. and your eyes meet. Your initial smile falters, and you quickly look away—focusing on Violet and Greg instead as a big smile blooms on your lips. You meet in the middle, hugging and exchanging interactions—while Tyler stays back while looking away, joining his friends. Only for a brief moment—after checking his watch, Brad turns to Liam, signaling,

"Guys, I think we should go."

Prompting a flurry of final goodbyes. In the midst of the chaos—when Tyler hugs Lucy, he notices you and Dom—strangely having your.. awkward goodbye. Suspicion flickers in his gaze as Lucy asks, "Promise you'll call every day?"

Tyler only gives her a slight smile, ruffling her hair. "Take care, okay?" he says, his attention already shifting. Lucy slightly recoils at his cold answer, confused. Leaving Lucy behind, he walks towards you.

You notice Tyler approaching—feeling an urge to escape, but you can't move—it'll send too many weird signals to the crowd. Dom, sensing your heightened discomfort, follows your line of sight.. and his expression turns sour.

"Can I borrow Em for a moment?" Tyler asks Dom, who sourly nods and moves away to say goodbye to the others. Tyler reluctantly turns to you.. and you avoid his gaze, the tension palpable. "Thank you for being here," Tyler says awkwardly, "I appreciate it a lot."

Forcing a slight smile, you finally meet his gaze, though it's clear how difficult it is for you. "Of course, I'm here," you reply, voice just as strained.

Looking contemplating, Tyler searches your face.. until in hesitation.. he leans in. Unsure of what to expect, you go rigid. Turning out—he circles his arms around you to whisper..

"I'm sorry.."

And your eyebrows knit. You struggle to hold back your tears, eyes now glossy with unshed tears. When he releases you, he offers a sad smile before turning away quickly, leaving you on the brink of breaking down. You avert your face, hugging your body—trying to replace his warmth, composing yourself as the group of four prepares to board.

They look back one last time, their expressions somber—except for Brad, who remains upbeat. Tyler shares a final, fleeting glance with you.. a small, bittersweet smile playing on his lips before Brad pats his shoulder, signaling it's time to go. Nodding in comprehension, Cavill turns, joining the others as they walk through the high partition.

As they head to the boarding check, Dom and Wyatt are already chatting animatedly with Brad about college life. Holding the passport and his boarding pass, Tyler looks down at his wrist, remembering how the silvery plates usually give a cool.. calming sensation on his skin—and shakes his head. Handing over his passport to the airport official—

He hears a voice he knows so well call his name.

The airport official is about to take his passport—but he snatches it back and spins around! There you are, running toward him, tears streaming down your face! Without thinking, he bolts out of the line and rushes to you! His friends call after him, but their voices blur into the background. "You guys go ahead!" he shouts back.

Brad looks stunned, while Liam chuckles and ushers him along. However, as he turns around, he sees Dom, also watching the scene. There's no more anger—only hopelessness. In indescribable discomfort, Wyatt pats Dom's chest—but he quickly turns around by himself, as he feels Liam's arms on his shoulders.

Once Tyler reaches you, he scoops you into a tight embrace, his hand cradling the back of your head. "Did you really have to wait until I'm about to board, Em?" he laughs heartily.

Through your tears, you plead, "Can you not go..? You can—drop out—change your name—" eliciting a laugh from Tyler. But then, in a weak hopelessness, you mutter, "So we're far away now, huh?"

He releases you slightly, his forehead creasing, his hazel eyes soft but intense. "Don't do this.." he whispers, holding your hand tightly and kissing it repeatedly, as if trying to absorb every bit of you.

In a hurried tone, you demand, "We have to talk every day! I don't give a damn if you don't care about the rules—remember Rule #7: If one of us wants to do something, the other is obligated to go along, okay?!" eliciting a quick repeated nod from him as he chuckles with joy.

"Bestfriends?" you hurriedly ask, voice trembling. He flinched. And for a moment, he searches your face. But instead of replying—

He kisses you.

Your eyes widen, heart racing—but you don't care anymore. Closing your eyes, you kiss him back, holding his face tenderly. The kiss is soft, gentle—like you're handling something so fragile.

At the far end of the security check, Hunt stares sadly. "Come on, Dom," Wyatt calls, but he follows Dom's gaze to see his bestfriends.. finally kiss. For a moment a grin spreads across his face, but with sudden realization—he feels a pang of sadness. With reflex, he pats Dom in the back, and gently pulls him away, muttering, "Let's go.."

Finally pulling away, you rest your foreheads together, eyes closed. He whispers softly,

"Forever."

You feel warmth spread from head to toe. It feels like the entire galaxy making its own constellation in your stomach. You know this 'forever' means something different now.

"We'll talk about us when I get home, okay?" he whispers, a charming grin on his face.

You nod repeatedly, overwhelmingly happy. You kiss him again, wanting to scent his sunburnt scent once again—then he pulls away, chuckling breathlessly. "I need to go, Winny,"

Chuckling in between your kiss, you whisper between his lips, "I know," only to kiss him one last time. Until you finally decide to take a huge step back, forcing yourself to stop.

"Okay."

"Yeah, ok."

"Go."

He laughs breathlessly—when a nearby official calls out the final boarding call for his flight. Signifying the urgency of his leave. "Go!" you urge.

He sighs, turns, and walks quickly towards the gate. But then he stops, runs back—and hugs you tightly, causing you to laugh through your tears. Pulling away, he pecks you again—smirks and runs back to the gate, turning to wave at you multiple times. As warmth spreads over your body, you chuckle at his antics, waving back.

As he's about to disappear from view—he stops, turns, and makes a pinky promise gesture with his finger. Exhaling a ragged breath, you smile sadly and return the gesture. Giving you a final smile—waving his pinkie, he finally looks ahead, and walks towards the boarding check. And as he goes, you watch—tears streaming, waving until he's out of sight.

And just like that, for the first time in forever..

He's far away.

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Cecylia Costania @rcpcswrites

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The song that matches this Chapter's vibe:

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