restored love

23

OLIVIA

I have spent the whole week saying goodbye to people that I have met. Thanking Aya and Ava for finding me a job that I could keep in Arizona.

I zip one of my suitcases and checked my phone one last time to see if he messaged.

When I didn't see any message I threw my phone on my bed and let out a disappointed sigh, I pack away my last bag. I had asked Ezra to take Daisy and me to the airport and he said yes. I haven't talked to Tristan since that night. He is never home when I am. He has started to work night shifts again, which hurts me more than I care to admit.

I grab my bags and dropped them at the front of the door. I grab the key that Tristan once gave to me. I rest it on the counter along with the note I wrote to him late last night. He won't be here until tonight and I'll be gone by then.

Someone knocks on the door and I open it. Ezra is staring at me with a small smile on his face. "You ready?" he asks.

I nod my head. "Thank you for taking us." I say.

"No of course." he mutters, grabbing my bags. "You sure you don't want to say goodbye to Tristan?" he asks hesitantly.

I nod my head. "I wrote him something. He'll find it when he comes home."

"You know you two could make it work." he says, as we walk to his car.

I don't reply.

Alyssa is helping Daisy into the car. Once she turns to me, tears start to moisture in her eyes. "If you cry, I cry." I say, pointing a finger at her.

"Shut up and hug me." she murmurs.

I hug her gently. "I'll be back when she is born," I reassure.

"I'm going to miss you." she cries.

"I'm going to miss you more. I love you, Alyssa."

"I love you too."

She finally lets go of me and walks to Daisy and says her goodbyes to her.

I sit in the passenger seat and Ezra gets in the car and begins to drive off. I wave goodbye to Alyssa, who was still crying.

•••

TRISTAN

Once I enter my apartment, I knew it was a mistake. A sudden coldness etched in my body as I notice all the lights were off. I slowly walk into her room and realisation dawns on me.
She's gone.
She's really fucking gone.

Her bedroom is completely empty and my apartment feels bare. No more cooking with her, or asking her three good things about her day, no more visiting her on my breaks or our runs in the morning. No more her.

I walk over to the counter and pull out a bottle of whiskey. The only bottle I owned was because I threw away all of the alcohol for her. Fuck. The things I would do to talk to her again. Shaking my thoughts off, I swallowed the alcohol in one gulp. The alcohol burned down my throat as I notice a note on my counter along with the keys to my apartment. The note was addressed to me. I grab the envelope and opened it.

To Tristan,

Yes, I'm writing you a letter. This is such an Alyssa thing to do but I guess ever since I've moved here I've discovered new things, a lot of them. Modelling? Who would've thought? Writing letters may be another one of them because here I am. Wide awake at three in the morning writing a letter to you but hey there's a first for everything.

Firstly, I shouldn't have cut us off like that. I didn't want to make us say goodbye any harder than it felt but it didn't help because I would do anything to say goodbye to you. It hurts that we didn't. We had a stupid argument again and we didn't resolve it. Sound familiar?

Bu the time you're reading this, I'll be in Arizona again. On the other side of the world from you. Maybe if we were meant to be, fate will bring us back together but knowing my luck, that won't happen.

If you can't sacrifice your relationship with your parents for me then do it for yourself. Don't waste your life's purpose on them. It's not their life, it's yours. Your fucking Life. You have an incredible creative talent. (I may have snuck into your art room more than once but it's not like you can do anything about it.) You can turn your life around and make a career out of your art. You're so fucking talented Tristan. Never forget that.

You showed me what it was like to be treasured and I'll always remember that Tristan. You'll kill me that I admitted this over a letter but I love you. I don't think I ever stopped loving you.

We should have said goodbye Tristan. Maybe we'll see each other again. Let's just hope it's not too late.

From yours truly,
Your butterfly

I close the letter as I lean against the counter. I'm going to fucking miss that girl. Someone knocks on my door and I practically run to it. Some hope in me that I'm going to see my girl. What I hoped to see those beautiful blue eyes of hers, I was met with a pair of angry green ones.

"Can I start by saying that you are an asshole?" she says, storming into my apartment.

Oh fuck.

"By all means, come in." I sarcastically reply.

"No time for your comments. Why aren't you fighting for her?" she asks. "Choose your next words carefully because I am heavily pregnant and furious. Those two don't work well together."

"My parents. I can't sacrifice my relationship with them."

I can't afford for them to hate me. Not after everything I've offered them.

"Boo hoo." she retorts. "If your parents truly cared Tristan, they wouldn't forbid you from being in love with her. You can deny it all you want but you are in love with her. She makes you happy. The happiest I've ever seen you be. She brings a part of you back to life, she challenges you in a way that you love. Why would you lose that?"

Her words sink in. "Fuck." I murmur. That was the wake-up call I needed. "I need to get her back."

She shakes her head, a sad smile wearing her lips. "It's too late Tristan. She's back there in Arizona." Alyssa says quietly.

My life came crashing down on me right there.