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7.

Colton

It's Monday morning and without even getting up or looking out Danny's bedroom window, I know she's gone. I felt it in my bones. The girl I love and need more than the air I breathe was gone.

"You awake?" Danny asked pushing his door open. I nodded and reached for the mug he was holding out to me. "Good, come with me." I pushed to my feet and slid my feet into my sandals. He led me outside.

"D, what the hell is going on?"

"This." He pointed to the shiny black '68 charger that Tayla had been working on. The car of my fucking dreams. "Here you go." He said and tossed me the keys.

"What?" I noticed the giant green ribbon and I knew in that moment what he meant. "She didn't."

"She did." His dad's voice came from over my shoulder. It was that moment that I realized that his parents and Jasmine were standing behind me.

"There is a letter on the steering wheel for you too." Jasmine added.

I handed Danny my mugged and walked over to the car. I was afraid to touch it, I was afraid to look away. That once I did, it would disappear, just like she did. I opened the door and slid into the driver's seat. It smelt like her. Her sweet cherry blossom mixed with coffee and vanilla. It was a combination that shouldn't work, but it did and it was 100% her own. I ran my hand over the steering wheel and looked at every feature in awe. She had every classic feature done, correctly at that. "This must have cost her a fortune!" I thought out loud reaching for the paper with my name scrolled on it. Her hand writing was feminine, yet bold and perfect. It was everything she was.

I opened the letter and held my breath when I saw how she had addressed me.

Colala,

First things first, it's registered, it's all set and it's 100% yours. The title and everything are in the glove box. She's all yours. It's go time.

Second. You broke a piece of me when you said what you said. I fought hard to become who I was before but it had changed me just enough that she was too far out of reach. Then Max and his idiots happened and I knew she was never coming back. But you showed up before he could really hurt me and you saved me from them. I never thanked you for that. You got in so much trouble and almost threw away your future for me. Thank you for always saving me.

Third, I know that it may not seem it, but I do love you, Colton. I just don't know if I could ever say the words out loud and to your face. You will never know what you meant to me or just how much. I hope in the future that I can forgive and I mean really forgive you, because I miss you. I miss what we had before this whole mess happened.

I have a few conditions for you with this beauty. 1. Leave home, go for that cross country trip you always talked about. 2. Pictures. Take lots of pictures, so that way when fate brings us back into each other's lives you can show me where she brought you. 3. Smile more. Your smile was always one of my favorite features of yours and I know that I am the reason you didn't sport one for a long time.

I wish you happiness for your future, Col. I wish that you know love outside of us and that the dreams you've always dreamed will lead you. I wish that your fears leave you and the nightmares stay away. No matter what you think, you are loved, by so many! You are worth it, I've just been hurting and I'm sorry for not proving it to you.

I love you.

Always yours,

Tay-Bear

She sealed it with a kiss. I took a deep breath and let my head fall back against the head rest. I wiped my face, I didn't even realize I had been crying. God, she got me and I knew that I would never find another woman like her. She was it, she was everything. And if I had the chance to love her one day I was going to take it. I sat quietly just inhaling what was left of her scent when Danny tapped on the passenger window.

"She did an amazing fucking job, huh?" You could feel the pride he was exuding. "She left you two more things." He handed me an envelope and a cd. The only part that she did update was the stereo system. "Don't hand this one back, because it's not just from her but all of us." I opened it and my mouth dropped open. Money, a lot of money. "In theory, that first stack is the money that you kept spending on coffees that she never picked up. Betty save it. You spent, just on coffee for my sister, over a grand in 9 months. Mom and dad each matched it and I busted my ass to do the same when she told me what she was doing. If you follow the guidelines that she put in there with the money, you'll be set for a summer trip before you have to head out."

"I can't take this." I whispered. I knew if I spoke any louder, I'd lose my shit.

"You don't have a choice, man."

"Why?"

"Because I was looking forward to this road trip." I looked up and noticed his smile. "She planned it for us."

"What about Jasmine?"

"She's going to visit family in New England for the summer before we head to Illinois for school." He shrugged. "We have text and FaceTime. We'll be fine. Mom and dad have a once a every other day check in request and your gram is on board."

"Then what are we waiting for?" I smiled at him. "Go time."