[ COMPLETED ]
Eliana Oakley and Casen Walker couldn't be further on the other's spectrum.
Eliana is twenty-one years old and in her last year of college. An artist at heart, she uses that to her advantage to further her early fashion design career...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Approaching the dinner table that Matteo rented and decorated last minute, my grip tightens around Case's hand. He's been quiet for some time now, even during the car ride here.
It was unsettling but understandable. It might just be registering for him too.
I don't think I've gotten to that point yet. I just feel numb to my emotions — it hasn't hit me that in just two days, I'll be in another country, doing what I love.
And I'll be without him.
That sends a pang of hurt into my heart, but at the same time, I don't have it in me to cry or pout or lament over it. If anything, I just want to enjoy my time with the ones I love — not think about my impending departure.
They don't deserve that.
The group includes Jo, Monique, Matteo, Luis, Maya, Luca, Ian, Ty, Sky, Cass, Frankie, Case, and I. As we take our seats, Case pulls out the ones beside him and allows me and Jo to sit on either side of him.
Just as he sits, I take his hand back into mine, and watch him as he watches where we connect, tears glossing over his eyes.
And just like that, I get my answer.
But, I doubt he wants me to draw attention to it so I just lean further into him and begin to rub his thigh in comfort. He exhales heavily before looking back up to the table of people.
And just like that, a conversation starts. Or multiple, I should say.
We're talking over appetizers and glasses of wine, laughing boisterously and pointing accusatory fingers during stories of our years in college.
"No, because I remember Case walked up in that locker room with a mullet like it was nobody's business." Ian recalls, pointing toward Case who was chuckling and sipping from a glass of lemonade.
Ty's eyes widen in realization, "Yeah, walked up in there — business in the front, party in the back headass."
Case holds up a finger to cut through the laughter coming from us patrons, "No, to be fair — it was freshman year. I was young and —"
"Dumb, yeah we know." Ian and Ty say in unison before bumping their fists together.
I laugh at the thought of Case walking around with a mullet. And not one of those good mullets — the jacked up type.
Yeah, no. He wouldn't even get within twenty feet of me.
All of a sudden, Jo gasps, "Oh my, I remember that." At her realization, we laugh because this must've been a big problem with his circle back then. Especially if Jo has that look of disgust on her face, "He called me and I almost hung up on him."
