I don't talk much about Columbia for the rest of the summer, but it looms over me like a storm cloud on a nice day. Baker is released from the hospital a week after graduation to officially start his new therapy programs. He spends hours in physical therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy, and just... therapy. There's a lot he has to relearn, and a lot he has to mentally process. And one bright July morning, we pick him up and take him to the lake, where we spend the day together as a family before ending it with him and Ian spreading their father's ashes in a small corner of the water. No words are spoken, but they watch as the remains of the man who tortured them their whole lives drift away in the gentle waves of the lake.

Ian spends the summer outside. He goes to the lake. Rides his bike. Plays basketball with my dad. But his baseball days are over. He still loves the sport, but he just can't bring himself to pick up a bat again. Not after everything that happened with his dad. So instead of playing, he decides to start watching it, collecting baseball cards so he can keep up with the players. But I find myself missing the days of last summer, when we would all play catch together in the park before enjoying fries at The Buoy.

When August hits, I'm forced to start talking about Columbia again. When I'm leaving. What I want to pack. What I need for my dorm. And I'm not nearly as excited about it all as I should be. I just want to linger in these long summer days while I still can. Before everything changes again. But time doesn't work that way. No matter how hard we try to hold onto the present, the future is always just one breath away.

My parents offered to drive with me to New York, but I declined. I don't like goodbyes, and even though I plan on coming back in November for Thanksgiving break, it still feels like a goodbye. So the night before I'm meant to leave, I load up the car, give my semi-final hugs, promise my parents that I'll call and check in every couple hours, and get on the road before the sun comes up. I cry as the sun rises up over the horizon, painting the sky with hues of pink and orange as I wonder what the sunrise will look like in the city. If I'll be able to see it through all those skyscrapers.

The drive is so long that it takes me several days to get to the big city. I stop on the way and take pictures, sending them to my parents and Beth so they can share in my experiences with me. Baker and I... we don't talk much during the drive. Leaving him was harder than I imagined it would be, and there were several times I reconsidered my acceptance to the University of Idaho, just so I could stay with him. But then I remembered his promise, hanging around my neck as a constant reminder that he's always just a phone call away.

Still, I can't talk to him. Not until I get there. If I do, there's a strong chance I might turn around and go home. He knows me, so he knows not to call. It's too hard. I just need a little space. A little time. So every picture I take, I save it in a folder on my phone to send to him later. Hoping someday he'll be able to join me. We talked about it. About him moving to New York to be with me. But he has to get better first. Learn to walk. Still, it gives him something to work for. Something to look forward to.

I get to New York a week later, and by the time I pull up to the university, I'm exhausted. I spend the rest of the afternoon carrying my things to my dorm, enlisting the help of a couple girls named Melody and Jackie along the way. Jackie's boyfriend Devan helps carry the heavier items up the stairs to my dorm room, and once we're finished unloading my car, they invite me out to a party with them later that night. Parties still scare me, but I'm trying my best to live in the moment. So I agree to meet them in a few hours.

Once I'm alone in my room, I call my parents to let them know I arrived safely. Then I lay down on my new bed and think about texting Baker. I'm just about to message him to let him know I made it when I receive a notification. From Baker Scott.

"What type of chemical bonds involves the sharing of electron pairs between atoms?" he asks, and the question brings a smile to my lips.

"Covalent bonding. In this type of bond, atoms share electron pairs to achieve stability, forming strong connections essential in many molecules." Then I hit send before I start unpacking. But his question lingers for several minutes. And then the meaning behind it dawns on me. I pull my phone back out of my pocket and write back, "I love you too." A moment later, he sends a winky face, and I smile. And despite the fact that there are several states separating us, right now it feels like he's just a breath away.

There are no lines between us, he once told me, and it's only right now that I realize what he meant. Nothing can separate us. We are one, him and I. Two halves of the same soul. And no distance, time, or space will ever come between us again.

Once I'm done unpacking, I meet my new friends to go to the party. And, shocker, I find I'm still not much of a party person. I don't like drinking, there's too much smoke, and the music is always too loud. But it's about the journey, I remind myself. I know my time here is limited. I know where I'm meant to be and who I'm meant to be with. So right now, I'm just going to live in the moment, finding peace in knowing where I'm meant to be. The destination will be there for me when I'm ready. But the journey is now, happening right in front of me. And I don't want to miss a thing.

THE END

Author's Note:
Welp, there it is. The final chapter of The Line Between Us. I hope you all enjoyed this story that was WAAAAAAAY longer than I intended it to be (192,000 words). I will definitely miss this story, but don't worry. I have a sequel in the words, and I plan on releasing chapters of it this fall. I'll share a little sneak peek tomorrow after my Behind the Scenes and Thank You pages. But if you've made it this far, thank you so much for reading. You are amazing, and I sincerely hope you enjoyed this story. I'll be back again soon, loves. Don't worry. Stay safe and healthy until then.
XOXO,
~Aly