Our Agreement

Goodbyes and New Beginnings

Dear Readers,
Thank you for joining this journey with me! I'm really excited about this book. The setting, the characters, there's so much that I look forward to sharing with you all. Thank you for your support and as always, feedback is welcome!

"Who's gonna be my new fuck buddy since you're leaving?" He says as I pull my pants up around my waist. I start throwing clothes into my suitcase and throw his shirt at him.

His name is Dylan. We've been casually seeing each other for a little over two years. We came to terms that neither one of us wanted a relationship, so we'd be "committed fuck buddies" as he'd call it. Neither one of us has seen anyone else but we have no strings attached. Like right now, my grandmother just passed and I'm moving into her house 300 miles away. I'm not leaving anything behind and not even thinking twice.

I moved out to Atlanta, Georgia when I was 21. I just needed a new type of scenery since I had grown up in a small town all my life. It's been a nice 4 years but I'm definitely ready for a more permanent environment. I always knew Atlanta would just be a phase. I saved up a lot while I was out here, though.

When I first moved out here I was a receptionist at a veterinary office. Now, I'm an administrative assistant at a high end title company. I'm thankful my job is letting me work remote until I find something more stable in Tennessee.

I look over and smile at this guy who will soon be a memory. He has helped me through some challenging times. Early 20s are not easy years, finding yourself and learning where you want to go in life. I make my way to the bed where he's sitting and I climb on top of him. He leans back until his back is against the bed and I lean in to give him a peck on the lips. Kind of like a goodbye before the goodbye. I lift myself up until I'm sitting on top of him and I admire his facial features. He is quite attractive. He has light brown hair that barely lifts off his head. His eyes are the perfect shade of green and you can definitely tell he works out.

I know deep down it hurts him somewhere, because I do feel a hollowness inside me. Even though we knew all along it would end one day, it doesn't make it any easier to let go. He has been a stable part of my life the last couple years.

I get on my feet and without looking back at him I finish packing my things. I don't have much, it's enough to pack a suitcase and two duffel bags. Dylan helps me carry the stuff out of my room and to the front door. I look around at the small one bedroom apartment I've called home for the past few years. There's so many memories covering the apartment, I just take it all in for a moment. Dylan is the only person who ever came over outside of my family, so he's in a lot of those memories. I turn and see him looking down at me, "you ready?" He asks. I nod my head and take one quick glance around the apartment before I shut the door to this chapter of my life.

We reach my taxi and Dylan starts loading stuff in the trunk. I put one of my duffel bags in and he shuts it. I walk around and lean up against the back door waiting for him to say something. He walks up to me and puts his hands on my waist. "You'll reach the stars one day, Sydney. I'm lucky to have met you." He leans down and kisses my head and wraps me in for a hug. I was expecting anything but that to come out of his mouth. I wrap my arms around his back and whisper "thank you" into his shoulder. He lets go and opens the back door. I watch him as the door shuts.

"The young man said you're going to Atlanta airport?"

I nod my head and watch Dylan as we drive off until he disappears from my view. I wipe a single tear from my eye with my sleeve and I remind myself all the reasons I'm doing this in the first place. I need stability. I need a new environment. Atlanta was just a phase. Atlanta was JUST a phase.

I never really knew my grandmother, it was my dads mom. I was named after her, it was just my middle name, Elizabeth. If my dad had it his way that would've been my first name. I thank God that my mom was hellbent on Sydney. I would definitely choose that over Elizabeth any day. I remember a few times we'd gone out to visit her when I was little but they're very faint memories. I haven't been since I was around 9. I remember loving the view of the mountains and the feelings I had when I was there. It was nothing but positive vibes.

It only takes us 27 minutes to get to the airport. The taxi driver asks if I need help carrying my bags in. "No thanks" I respond and hand him my fare. I grab both my bags from the trunk and wrap them around my body. I grab my suitcase and drag it behind me as I walk through the airport to the check in desk. I hand the middle aged lady my ID and my checkin information. She hands me my boarding pass and I take a seat.

As I wait I think about my new life. Will it change me? If it does will it be in a good way or a bad way? I've always been a hard headed, stubborn, independent person. Even when I was a teenager I worked for everything I had. I babysat a few kids and once I was old enough I worked in the town supermarket as a bagger. It wasn't much, but when you don't have bills it seems like you can do anything.

My mom was upset when I up and left. Her and my dad had just separated to get a divorce and with all the negativity I needed to get away. I had always been a saver so I had about three thousand dollars saved up when I booked a last minute flight to Atlanta. I had always heard it was the town that never slept and was great for young adults. My mom and dad still live in South Dakota. My mom visits a few times a year and I go home on the holidays. Of course she still has to talk to me every couple days or I think she might lose it. Me and my dad were never really close. He worked a lot out of town and when he was home he treated my mom like shit. So after the separation I haven't reached out to him. He's tried texting me but after a couple months of no replies he gave up. Coward.

"Flight 247 to Knoxville, Tennessee now boarding. Flight 247, Knoxville Tennessee boarding now." I hear a lady say over the intercom. I grab my bags and make my way to baggage. I put my suitcase and duffel bags on the scanner. Once they're finished I head to security and before I know it I'm walking up the steps to my plane. I walk down the narrow walkway until I see my seat. I put my purse and one duffel bag in the compartment above me and sit down in the empty seat waiting for me.

I scroll through Facebook on my phone for about 10 minutes before I hear a man come over the intercom.

"Ladies and Gentleman, welcome to flight 247 from Atlanta, Georgia to Knoxville, Tennessee. We are second in line for takeoff and are expected to be in the air within the next five minutes. We ask that you please fasten your seatbelts and secure all baggage. Thank you and enjoy your flight."

I put in my headphones and turn on music from my phone. I shut my eyes and lay my head back. Off to Tennessee.