What the Future as for Us

Chapter 6 - THE GOODBYES

I wake up with a pounding headache, a sure sign of too much alcohol from the night before. Memories from the evening before flood my mind as I slowly regain my senses. Renee and I had rejoined the group only to find Bella had joined, but Alexander was nowhere to be seen. We danced our way from room to room, searching for him. Eventually, we stumble upon Alexander and Alice locked in a passionate embrace in the Latino music room. Instead of interrupting, we join them, dancing together until the early hours of the morning.

But now, as the first light of dawn filters through the curtains, I find myself in bed next to Lola, who is still fast asleep. It's 8 am, and considering our late night, I decide to let her rest a little longer.

After a quick shower, I leave Lola a note and head to the lounge to grab a much-needed coffee. As I sip my cappuccino and lose myself in a book, I realize that today is the day Renee and her team are leaving for Manchester, the next stop on her tour. Meanwhile, I'll be staying in Brussels with Lola, returning to London tomorrow.

I decide to text Renee, wanting to say goodbye before they leave.

"Good morning Beautiful, what time are you guys leaving? Wanted to say goodbye before you go" I type out.

Within minutes, I receive a response.

"I think we're supposed to be at the airport at 1 pm. Where are you?" Renee replies.

"In the lounge. Come take breakfast with me" I respond, hoping for a chance to catch up before she leaves.

A few minutes later, Renee enters the room, her hair still damp from the shower. I can't help but smile at her appearance.

"Your shower is working again?" I tease, poking fun at our earlier mishap.

"Funny" she retorts, sticking out her tongue and shooting me a playful glance.

Renee joins me at the table, pouring herself a cup of coffee and grabbing a croissant from the buffet.

"So, how are you feeling after last night?" Renee asks, raising an eyebrow with a playful smirk.

I chuckle, rubbing my temples in mock pain. "Let's just say I've had better mornings. How about you?"

Renee shrugs, taking a sip of her coffee. "I've definitely felt better, but it was worth it. Last night was so much fun."

"Yeah, it really was" I agree, a fond smile tugging at the corners of my lips. "I'm going to miss having you around."

Renee's expression softens, her gaze meeting mine with a hint of nostalgia. "I'm going to miss you too, Max. Brussels wouldn't have been the same without you."

We chat over breakfast soon joined by Lola, Alexander and Bella. I'm happy to see them too, and have the chance to say goodbye to them once more.

As the moment of goodbye approaches, a heavy weight settles in my chest, and I can sense a similar gravity in Renee's demeanor. We exchange a glance, and I see a flicker of sadness in her eyes, mirroring the emotions swirling within me.

Everyone is chatting, we moved to a bigger table with comfy couches. Renee and I sit next to each other on a couch.

"I don't want you to go" I confess, my voice barely above a whisper, the words heavy with emotion.

Renee's expression softens, her gaze meeting mine with a depth of understanding that cuts straight to my core. "I don't want to leave" she admits, her voice thick with unshed tears.

"Can you promise me something?" She ask.

"Sure, anything," I responds.

"Promise me you'll come to the concert in London."

"I don't have tickets, and it's sold out. Maybe I can join you after, though."

"That's not a problem, I'll get you tickets."

I smile, touched but a little embarrassed by the gesture.

"Okay then, I promise I'll be there."

Unable to bear the distance for another second, I step forward and envelop Renee in a tight embrace, holding her close as if trying to imprint the feeling of her in my arms into my memory. She responds in kind, clinging to me as if afraid to let go.

As Renee finally pulls away, she turns to Lola and says, "Take care of my girl, okay?"

"Like my life depends on it," Lola answers, giving her a reassuring smile.

Soon after, everybody gets up. Lola and I have to go to her parents for lunch, and Renee and her team need to get to the airport. Everybody is saying goodbyes, hugging each other, and as they finally leave the room, Renee turns back to me and says,

"Max, I'll see you in London"

As Lola and I head out to meet her parents for lunch, the weight of Renee's departure hangs heavy in the air. Walking through the streets of Brussels, I steal glances at Lola, silently grateful for her comforting presence beside me. I finally speak to thanks her for everything

In a moment of pure emotion, I turn to Lola and pour out my heart, expressing my heartfelt thanks for everything she's done. Telling her that everything that happened is thanks to her, that I love her and how much she means to me. Lola's eyes widened in surprise, not used to me expressing my emotion like that. She reaches out and squeezes my hand knowing that she doesn't have to answer.

As we arrive at the restaurant where Lola's parents await us, we are greeted with warm smiles and enthusiastic hugs. Lola's family instantly envelops me in their warmth, making me feel like one of their own. It's been quite some time since I last saw them but we're always been in contact. When I was studying in Brussels I went regularly to their place to spend the weekend out of town with Lola, we did parties with our friends, birthdays, carnaval ... And when Lola went away to Bogota (Colombia) for a year, for her Erasmus, I went there at least once a week to have coffee with them. Lola had asked me back then to take care of her horse, so when I was going to take care of him I always used to stop by their house and have a chat with them. Lola was also very glad I did, like that I would always check on them, she was always aware of what was going on with them because I always called her the minute I was out of their house.

Anyway, I'm very happy to finally see them again.

Over a delicious meal, conversation flows easily. Lola's parents regale us with stories of their recent travels, while Lola and I share anecdotes from our adventures in Brussels. As the meal draws to a close, Lola and her mother are talking about her relationships and me and her father talking together. Her father is older than the average of parents. He always had trouble understanding certain things, and communicating with his daughters, especially Lola. But since I knew him, he always tried to carefully ask me some questions, for example about queer relationships. That's how almost every meal with them looks like. Lola tries not to listen to my conversation with her father but I know she is. She just doesn't want to interrupt the delicate moment of her father trying to be more open.

After bidding Lola's family farewell, I take a moment to say goodbye to Lola. We embrace tightly, our hearts heavy with the weight of impending separation. I thank her once again for everything she's done, promising to call her as soon as I'm back in London. We hug and say goodbye knowing that no matter where life takes us, we will always have each other.

Feeling a mix of emotions, I decide to take a walk down memory lane, wandering through my old neighborhood. The familiar sights and sounds evoke a sense of nostalgia, reminding me of the moments shared with friends and loved ones during my time in Brussels.

Returning to the hotel, I sink into bed, weary from the events of the past days. I ordered lunch from room service and got to sleep early, tired from the past events and knowing I have an early train for London tomorrow.

AN :

Hii , here is chapter 6, what do you think about it ?

Next chapter is : Chapter 7 – TROUBLEMAKERS

Don't forget to comment, like and/or make suggestions !

Bye! - M