π«πΎπΈπππ π ππΆπππΎππ
π°/π½: πππ’ πππ’π!!! π½ππ πππ! πΈ ππππππππππ’ πππ ππ’ πππππππ πππ ππππππ ππ πππππ ππ πΈ πππ π ππππ ππππ π πππ π πππππππ ππππππππππππ ππ ππππ πππ πΈ ππππ ππ ππππππ πππππππ! πΈ πππππππππ’ ππππ π’ππ πππ’π πππππ’ ππππ(π πππ π ππππ π ππ 2 π ππππ ππππππ πππ πππππππ ππππ ππππππ πππ πΈππππ ππππ πππππ? πππ)
βIsaac, I'm going out for a walkβ You yell to him. He comes sprinting down the stairs with a concerned look on his face. βAre you sure you'll be okay?β He asks. Lets just say, Isaac is still trying to get used to you going out alone. βYes, I'll be fine honeyβ you say reassuringly. He nods and you start walking towards the door. βBye Isaac!β You say. He waves as you close the door.
Maybe the walk part was a lie, but you were going on a walk. Just not alone. When you and Isaac went grocery shopping, you decided to wander throughout the aisles and you accidentally bumped into an old friend. Maybe not friend, partner is the better term.
As you reach the park you notice a familiar face. βHey!!!β You yell as you start speeding up your pace. They wave as you finally reach a close enough distance. βSo sorry I'm lateβ you say. βNo issue! I wanted to get ice cream!β They say. Still the same I see. You broke up your last year of high-school but the two of you decided to stay friends. Sadly you two lost touch again after you went to college. βSo, what's up with you?β you ask them.
βWell, I'm currently an editor for a book store!β They say enthusiastically. Of course for a book store, they really haven't changed. βWhat about you?β They ask you. You can't say you're a PI because that's classified, you think. βI do law!β You say quickly. Law? Are you crazy? That's the best you could do?
βI see! You're definitely lawyer materialβ
You laugh in relief, positive that your lie worked. You two walk slowly, the awkward tension isn't subtle. βDid you hear, one of our friends from high-school got engaged to their boyfriendβ they chirp in. βReally!!? Who?β You ask curiously. βYou know the one that always talked about being a bartender?β They ask. You nod in response. βYeah, they are the one who got engagedβ they say to me.
βNo shit, I mean, understandable. They were just the sweetest in schoolβ you say. A period of silence breaks out between the two of you. βSo, do you have somebody?β You ask awkwardly. Despite not having feelings for them anymore, it's still strange considering they were your first love. βOh, yes, I do. I have a boyfriend, we've been dating for a whileβ they say. βWhat about you?β they ask in return.
βOh, me too! We've been going out for a year, almost 2β you say with a smile.
A silence breaks out between the two of you but Darling suddenly speaks.
βI really thought it was going to be youβ they say looking down. You widen your eyes at their words. βI did too, if I'm being honestβ you say, chuckling slightly to loosen the tension. βIm glad you're happy, I can tell by your eyesβ they say, looking towards you. Sometimes you wonder, what would've happened if you didn't move to study.
ββββββββββββββββββββββββ
βHey babe, can we talk?β you say to darling. βHey, I'll see you later, eh?β Darling says quietly to Bartender. Bartender nods and walks away. βHey you, what's so urgent that you need to pull me away?β Darling says with a smile, grabbing your hand. βYou know what it isβ you say, looking at your feet. Darling's face instantly falls as they look at both of your hands intertwined.
βI don't want to hold you back, I'd never want you to not follow your dreams because of meβ darling says, looking deep into your eyes. βI don't want to lose thisβ you say, tears welling up in your eyes. βMe neither but this is your future, you need to prioritize it moreβ Darling says with adamancy, inching closer with a shaky voice. βPlease, be smart. UCLA is your dream.β Darling mutters under a broken whisper.
βI love you..β you say, tears streaming down your face. βI love you tooβ Darling says, quickly moving to kiss you. This kiss wasn't like your other ones, instead of being happy and filled with adoration for each other, this one is filled with melancholy, sorrow and the possible future of your love.
ββββββββββββββββββββββββ
You two quickly wrap up the conversation and decide to go your separate ways. βHey, would you maybe like to keep in touch,β Darling asks you. βYeah, I would love toβ you say in response. βOkayβ they say.
You two may not be in love anymore, but you two are content.
Divider credits: @designlikenonsense