𝙇𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙜𝙪𝙞𝙨𝙚! Hailee Steinfeld X M Reader

24. Just like that.

As they sat on the picnic mat, the sounds of the rain slowly faded into the distance. The stars above were now visible, twinkling brightly in the clearing sky, the perfect backdrop for the end of their perfect day. Emily, still trying to keep the magic alive, reached into her bag and pulled out a small, neatly wrapped box.

Y/N glanced at her curiously. "What's this?" he asked, his voice soft with the lingering fatigue from the boat ride and the rain.

Emily smiled, her eyes sparkling. "Just a little something for you," she said, holding out the box. "I know we've had a lot of moments today, but I wanted you to have something tangible—something to remember this day by."

Y/N took the box from her, feeling a warmth in his chest. He carefully removed the wrapping and opened it, revealing a small, silver-framed photo of the two of them from earlier that day, taken in the photo booth. It was a sweet, candid shot of the two of them laughing together, their faces close as if they'd just shared a joke only they could understand.

"Emily... this is... perfect," Y/N whispered, his fingers tracing the edges of the photo. His eyes shone with affection as he looked at her. "I don't know what to say. Thank you."

Emily felt a soft pang in her heart at his words, but she quickly masked it with a smile. "You don't need to say anything. I just wanted you to have a memory, something real from today... something to hold on to when you need a reminder of this day."

Y/N smiled warmly, gazing at the photo, then at her. "I'll never forget this," he said, his voice low and sincere. "Not for a second."

Their eyes locked for a moment, and the world seemed to disappear around them. Emily felt a warmth spread across her chest, and she brushed a strand of hair from her face. She moved a little closer, their hands brushing lightly. It was such a simple, small gesture, but in that moment, it meant everything.

The weather had been relentless, but somehow, Emily managed to keep the mood light, teasing him about getting drenched because of her spontaneous plans.

As they climbed into the car, still dripping wet from the downpour, Emily gave him a knowing look. "You're really shivering. You're lucky I brought my jacket."

Y/N chuckled, his teeth chattering slightly. "Yeah, well, I guess I had no choice in the matter," he teased, grateful for her warmth as she slipped her jacket over his shoulders. "You've kind of made me your personal project today, huh?"

She smiled, though there was a touch of sadness in her eyes. "I couldn't let you freeze on your birthday. I just wanted everything to be perfect."

He leaned back in the seat, feeling unusually tired after such a long and emotional day. The ride back felt quiet, the only sounds were the occasional raindrops hitting the windshield. Emily kept glancing at him, her fingers gripping the steering wheel a little tighter than usual. He was too tired to notice, though, his eyelids growing heavier by the second.

"I'm really glad we did this," Y/N mumbled, his voice slow as his head began to droop.

"I'm glad, too," Emily replied softly, glancing at him before focusing back on the road. "You deserve something special."

Y/N didn't respond, his exhaustion overcoming him, and within moments, he had fallen asleep, his head resting on her shoulder.

Emily glanced at him as he slept. His chest rose and fell softly, and for a fleeting moment, she allowed herself to smile at the peaceful look on his face. But as the clock ticked over to midnight, she couldn't ignore the weight in her chest. Emily glanced down at her phone, realizing it had been a full 24 hours since she'd sent him a birthday message as Hailee Steinfeld. She had wished him well, tried to hide her feelings beneath the public façade. But when he had never replied, her heart had sunk.

"Why didn't he respond?" she thought, biting her lip nervously.

As long as Emily was there, Hailee Steinfeld would never have the space to be real. She wasn't even sure if it mattered anymore. Emily had to keep pretending, playing this part for him. She couldn't let him see the truth, not just yet.

The pain in her chest grew as she turned her eyes back to Y/N, who was still sleeping against her, completely unaware of the lie she was living. Emily let out a shaky breath, trying to keep her emotions in check. Emily would always be in the spotlight—the one he admired, the one who seemed perfect, while Hailee would always be the one in the background, the shadow, too afraid to tell him who she really was.

When they reached home, Emily gently shook him awake. "Y/N... we're here."

He blinked his eyes and rubbed his face, still exhausted. "I'm so tired..." he murmured.

"I know," she said softly. "Come on, let's get you inside. You've had a long day."

Y/N gave her a weak smile as they got out of the car and headed inside. He was barely conscious, his body drained from everything. The last few hours had been so emotional, so fulfilling, yet he felt like he had nothing left to give. His exhaustion pulled at him, and before he knew it, they were sitting together on the couch, the soft glow of the lamp flickering as he slouched next to her. Without realizing it, he fell asleep again, his head resting on her shoulder once more.

The next morning, Y/N woke up with an uncomfortable chill creeping over him. His skin felt cold and clammy, and his head ached, the beginnings of a fever washing over him. He winced as he sat up, rubbing his face, trying to shake off the grogginess.

At that moment, Mabel entered the room, her face flushed with anger.

"Y/N!" she snapped. "You spent your whole birthday with Emily! You didn't even bother to call me or Cole. Do you know how hurtful that is?" Her voice was sharp, cutting through the air like a knife.

Y/N blinked, still too dazed to respond right away. "Mabel, I'm sorry... I didn't mean to..."

She didn't seem to be listening. "You always do this! You leave us behind on special days, like we don't matter!" Her words were heavy, and though Y/N understood where she was coming from, the exhaustion from the day before was still clouding his thoughts.

"I'm sorry," he repeated, rubbing his temples. "I just... I didn't expect yesterday to turn out like this." He paused, suddenly remembering that Emily had disappeared from his life again. "Where is she, Mabel? Where's Emily?"

He rushed to her room, but the space was empty, her side of the bed made, the room looking strangely untouched. His heart sank into his stomach, and panic washed over him. Where could she have gone?

Finally, he found a piece of paper on the kitchen table—a letter from Emily.

Dear Y/N,

I'm so sorry I had to leave without saying goodbye properly. I hope you had an amazing birthday and that you'll always remember how much you mean to me.

I'm going to visit my parents for a while, and I'm not sure when I'll be back. I need to figure some things out, things I've been hiding from you. I never wanted to hurt you.

Please know that I care about you more than I can express. But right now, I need to do this alone.

Take care of yourself, Y/N. I'll be thinking of you always.

With all my love,
Emily

Y/N read the letter, his heart breaking into a thousand pieces. Her words felt like a cruel joke. She cared about him, but she was leaving. She was always leaving. His eyes filled with tears as he sat down on the edge of the table, feeling a wave of cold wash over him. The fever, the cold, the exhaustion—none of it mattered anymore.

He clutched the letter in his hands, his heart shattering with each word she had written. The reality of it was too much to bear. She was gone.

Just like that.

(...End of chapter 24...)