The Way We Were
and a biting wind that sliced through Maplewood like a
past. Her bags were in the trunk. Her heart, however, still felt parked somewhere between the porch
just as they re
a
ere coming to Ri
v
two separate schools feels like a
a
ot a b
v
ut it sti
a
re abo
t. A week ago, she mi
v
han an
feel him smile th
-
tudents still hurried past with earbuds in and eyes glued to phones. But Ava walked through it all like
ed their room. "You've got a glow. What happe
her bed and gave her a shee
ropped. "No. F
ghed, n
hought you two were gonna pine until one of you
l early,"
guys are actual
figuring
o what does that mean? Long-distance relation
sigh. "But we both want this. W
verything. Like, everything. And if he starts acting weird, tell him. If y
" Ava said, lau
-
back, everythi
if it was just for a few minutes. They sent each other photos-of coffe
fect, but it
built on a foundation so fami
acks bega
and a club she had promised to help organize. Their late-night talks turned into late-night texts.
ryone had cleared out for the weekend. She opened her messages and
yped:
ard from you. E
rep
-
Ava's phone
a
the internship interviews and group
Rationally, she understo
v
ish you'd said s
a
. I'm
She tossed her phone onto her
vive missed calls and unread messages. But part of her couldn't help but
-
d tired. His room was dimly lit, cluttered with p
been hit by a semest
ered. "I didn't want to b
ot a both
ding his expression. "I know
both figuring it out. I just want to be pa
dding. "Okay.
oo," she
was a
ou something
ea
if we should've ju
tunned. "Do y
ometimes. That we'll mess this up and
how hard this gets. I'd rather fight to make this w
d back tea
e you,
out of her. He'd never said
ressed to her hear
-
t snowstorms an
Ava herself. Even with the love and
osing her
much as she loved him, was still a glowing face on a screen mos
ng ran late, she opened Instagram and
h pink braids leaned close to him. Not
want to be the jealous girlfriend. But she al
alled
the sound of music still echo
ing into a quieter sp
I saw a story. Y
's birthday. Di
oked...
rowned
with the
t's Lexie. She's in my writing class. Sh
just... I
ou," he said firmly. "Y
slowly. "
t make the a
-
t on for hours, laughter that healed old wounds, dreams spoken out loud. Ot
n love and logistics. Betw
Ava wrote in her journa
rything we're not saying will eventually drown out everything we are
d scribbled deadlines. Jace's name still flashed on her phone, but less often. Their conversations were shorter. The s
ed late one We
a
we t
art sk
v
h.
a
o
and called. When his face appeared on the screen, it felt
she sai
mile was tired. His eye
been b
ded. "
e tucked her knee
ious in the text,"
said, staring down at his
knew where this was goin
e began. "You k
dded s
h other. I feel like we're stuck in limbo-always waiting for the next
htened. "So what
g there when you need me. I don't want to be
perfect," she whispered
e you deserve more than some
n sucked out of the room. "Ar
maybe we need space to figure out if thi
eyes. "You said yo
sometimes fighting doe
ingers trembling as s
t. "Maybe we both need to figure out wh
flickered
tting him off. "Let's
g sil
and a sad smile, he sai
d on to the version of him from Maplewood-the b
she whispered. "But maybe
he screen
-
ons-smiling in class, nodding in meetings, laughing at Camila
y cornered her.
ged. "We
nd Jace? But... I thou
eren't. We just... cou
ed, silent for a moment. Then:
Loving him was the most nat
mistake," Camila said. "
ed at the ceiling, letting her
-
self in coursework. She journaled more. She stayed late at the library. She did everything she could to out
r presence. Her heart thundered. She could turn around. She could walk away and pretend she hadn't seen him. But
va
dded.
ther, and for a momen
you were in t
e weekend. My co
O
pa
good," he
ank
...
gged. "S
, then back at
en he stood. "Do
ated- the
ns. Safe things. Easy things. But the tension lingered beneath ev
tightened. "I
romises. They just stood there, two
cked a curl behind he
dded.
way, heart heavier an
-
a wrote in her
tep. And maybe the timing was wrong, but the love was real. I
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