gold rush ♬ {𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧 𝐝𝐮𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐲}

xviii. prom 2

"Tristan." He turned around at the sound of her voice. After 'Gold Rush', the band had a break and the first thing Emma did was look for him.

"I'm sorry I devil egged your car and didn't attend your grandfather's funeral and broke up with you in your grandmother's kitchen."

Tristan stood still.

"It's okay."

"No, it's not. It's not okay at all." Emma could feel the tears coming. She wanted to swallow them. She didn't want pity or forgiveness, she just wanted closure and peace. So did Tristan. "My biggest regret in all of this is that I wasn't there for you when your grandfather died. I should've been there."

"I'm not your obligation. You don't have to do anything for me."

"That's where you're wrong, because I do. I'd do anything for you. I'd do anything for you to not hate me."

He was startled. 

"Hate? I don't hate you."

"How could you not hate me? I fucked up everything."

"Emma." When he pronounced her name, her knees weakened and her heart melted. It seemed ages ago that her name left his lips. "Remember the piece of paper you stole from my copy of 'The Picture of Dorian Gray'?" She nodded. "I wrote there that I can't think of an occasion where any cell of my body could ever hate you. And I stay true to those words." He held her earthquake hands. "I could never hate you, even if I tried."

The space between them was getting smaller and the 3 little words inside her were getting claustrophobic. It was time for them to breath fresh oxygen, to see the light of day.  

"I love you. I'm deeply in love you." Both their eyes were gleaming/twinkling. "I just really suck at saying it."

"Well, practice makes perfect." He smiled. Tristan smiled. 

"I love you." 

"I love you." The air suspended with his words.

"I love you."

"I love you."

"I love you. I love you. I love you." She wanted to cry of pure joy. She loved him and it reciprocated.

He held her face gently. They looked into each other's eyes lit by a million stars, a galaxy of a love so consuming that could implode at any second, but at least they'd turn into stardust together. At least they weren't alone anymore.

"You are unbelievable." They kissed as if it was the first time. They heard the same orchestra once more, but this time, the group of violins were most steady, more certain with each note. The conductor sounded more sure of the outstanding strength of their symphony.  

"I have to go. They are waiting for me."

"They can wait a little while longer."

He kissed her hopelessly. Emma forgot everything. Emma forgot the band, forgot her fears, forgot her dad, forgot every single thing, every single tear.

Being scared it's okay. Everybody has the right to be scared. It's only human. However, we have to be careful with what we do with that fear, because, most of the times, it ruins everything. We have to let ourselves live, because one day the earth won't let us do it anymore. To love is to fear, to cope and to live.

✯✯✯

Rory was sitting at a table with the band when, a hurricane of a human being arrived into the storm that Rory was so impatiently waiting for.