𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐨-𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫 ☾ 𝐥. 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐠𝐞

EXTRA: last day (pt. 2)

HIII EVERYONE!! so, today we hit ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND READS!!!!! that's so insane and cool and crazy and amazing and i love you guys so so so much 💖💖💖 and to celebrate, i wrote an extra chapter that takes place a few hours after the chapter "last day". i hope you guys enjoy it and i love uu <3333333 thx for everything! mwah, mwah

- x, sofia
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DINNER FINALLY ENDED after three sappy speeches from Millie, a couple tears from Joshua, and an impromptu dance lesson from Sofia. I never expected the production of Notes on Love to end this quickly. I never wanted it to end this quickly. These people that I'm surrounded by, they're not just my friends or just the people that I shot a movie with— they're my family.

Well, except for Louis. Let's hope that we're nowhere near family.

The six of us sit on the couch located in the girls' shared apartment, rewatching Call Me By Your Name for the bazillionth time in the past six months. Amybeth and Joshua are cuddled up to the side, sharing a grey blanket and stuffing their faces with buttery popcorn, Sofia and Millie are giggling about a funny moment that occurred during dinner, and Louis and I are discussing the unavoidable question of "What now?"

"I was thinking of auditioning for more movies," I say. My legs entangled with Louis' as my head rests against his chest and I feel him playing with the strands of my long, brunette hair.

He kisses the top of my hair, "You're gonna be a movie star," he whispers and I feel my cheeks burn all shades of pink.

"Let's not go too far, Lou. We don't even know if this movie will be a success."

"Way to keep up the optimism, darling," he chuckles as I sit up and he follows my motions.

I sigh, "I'm sorry. I just- I just don't want to get my hopes up, you know? What if everyone hates the movie, or ends up hating me? Or what if I'm just embarrassing myself in front of everyone. I'm not cut out to be the movie star that everyone wants me to be. I'm just," I gulp, staring down at my hands, "I'm just me."

"Cleo," Louis gently places his finger underneath my chin, slowly lifting my head up as my eyes meet his. His smile is soft and reassuring. "you don't have to be what everyone wants you to be. But you being you, is what I want. Movie star or not; you're still talented, you're still my beautiful girlfriend, and you're still the best person I've ever met. Okay?"

I nod, closing my arms around his neck as he wraps me into a warm hug. My eyes close as I lean into him.

Louis is perfect. How did I get so lucky?

——————

"WHY DO YOU HAVE TO leave tomorrow?" Louis asks as we lay under the covers of my bed. His arms are wrapped around me as my back is pressed up against his chest. My eyes are trying it's hardest to fight against the urge to fall asleep.

"It wouldve been easier if you just came with me."

"I'll try to see if I can clear up my schedule, but I have an audition for tomorrow," Louis says and my eyes widen. I turn around, facing him now.

"You never told me that you had an audition," I gasp, "This is incredible. You are going to be a movie star, Lou."

He chuckles, "I haven't gotten the part yet, but if all goes well and I don't choke up like last time—"

"What do you mean?" I ask. My eyebrows furrow as I search his face for clues.

Louis brushes a piece of hair out of my face as his hand lingers on my cheek, "I was a total mess in the waiting room for our audition," he says

"But you seemed perfectly fine when we were doing the chemistry read."

"Because of you," he chuckles as if this was some sort of information that everyone in the world knows, "Cleo, it's always been you. It's been you since freshman year, it's been you since our audition, it's been you since the plane flight here."

Nothing was adding up. "But you hated me?"

"Freshman year; thirteen year old Louis had the biggest crush on thirteen year old Cleo when she beat him out of the top score for the biology final— something no one has ever done before. He had a crush on her when she stood in the audition room, staring into his eyes and pretending for a moment like there wasn't a feud. Cleo, I saw what it was like to be normal with you. Yes, we were acting, but it just felt so real and I never wanted it to end. And on the plane, when I held your hand and you rested your head on my shoulder. Cleo, I've never hated you. I could never hate you. It'd be impossible."

I didn't know what to say. What was worthy enough to say after he spews a whole speech about how it's 'always been me'? I picked my brain, trying to come up with the right words.

But then, I grabbed my phone from my pocket, sticking it between the two of us.

I take a deep breath in and a deep breath out, "My flight is later in the day tomorrow, so maybe you could catch it after your audition?"

He grins, "I'll make sure of it."

"And, um, we never talked about what we're gonna do when we get back to New York... but please call me. If anything, call me. Call me when you miss me, call me when you just want to say hi, call me when you go to sleep. It'll be different now that you're not across the hall," I chuckle, "but please, just call me."

He lifts my hands up with his, kissing my knuckles as I watch him grab his phone from his pocket and place it up to his ear.

Then, my phone vibrates.

I raise it up to my ear and Louis is staring directly at me. A silly little grin plays on his face, "Hi, darling. I miss you."

I MISSED YOU GUYS I LOVE YOU THANK YOU FOR 100K THATS INSANE IM GONNA GO SOB I I LOVE UUUUU 💖💘💞💓💝