Laylis & Jason

Chapter TwentyThree

 When I got to our spot, Aspen wasn't there yet. I go and stand in the center to wait for him. I try to focus on other things but it's impossible. All I can think about is him. Has he changed at all in the past year? Why does he want to see me? Has he not moved on? Why does he want to see me? What should I say? Why does he want to see me?

I pace in a circle for a while wondering where he is. The anticipation was killing me. Finally, I stop and stand in the middle again. Of course I knew why he'd want to see me.

Letting my face fall into my hands, I wonder if this was a mistake.

"Laylis." I hear from behind. It was like a whisper. Like he was holding his breath and it escaped when he seen me. Like his exhale was naturally the sound of my name. I hear footsteps running up to me and right when I turn around I'm enveloped in his strong embrace and my feet aren't on the ground anymore. At first, I'm still but then I feel something wet hit my shoulder. A tear and not my tear. I hug him back and my heart finally slows to where it seems it might stop altogether and a tear slides down my cheek as well.

We stay like that for what seems like an impossibly short amount of time when really, minutes had passed. I had to admit to myself, it felt like home being so close to him. It felt.... Safe. Like everything else melted away. That's why I had to pull away. I couldn't just run back to him. I had Jason now. Or at least I thought I did. I wasn't sure.

I didn't breath when I seen his face. The face I never thought I'd see again. His thick brown hair stuck out from his beanie and his icy blue eyes bore into me. I remain looking up at him, not saying a word, taking in every detail of his face. His jawline, the beauty mark on his right cheekbone, that look he always has in his eyes when he sees me, his soft but strong pale pink lips, everything.

I notice that his hands are resting on my waist and I look down. Jason. I think to myself and rest my hands on his and lightly push them away. He doesn't seem to take it the wrong way. He simply lifts a thumb to my cheek and brushes the tear away.

"I can hardly believe it's you." He breathes. "It hasn't even been a year but it feels like a lifetime."

"Aspen, I-" I try but he steps closer and takes my hands.

"I thought you'd forgotten me. When you never responded to any of the times I tried to reach out, I didn't know what to do. I felt.... Like I had lost you. But you're here. God, Laylis.... I've missed you so much."

Not knowing what to say to him, I turn and go to sit down on a tree stump. When I sit and look at him again, he looks confused. I felt bad but what could I say? I was with, well, sort of with Jason now. I knew I would have to tell Aspen this but first, I wanted to know if I wouldn't have to be the first to give that sort of news.

"So, uh, tell me about Georgia. How was it? Did you meet anyone special? What happened that you had to come back?"

"Laylis," He says walking over and kneeling in front of me. "I don't want to talk about me. Are you okay? I haven't seen you an almost a year and it seems like you're not.... I just thought that maybe you'd react differently."

"I'm fine, Aspen. I'm happy to see you. Truly. I'd just like to know about your time in Georgia."

He sighs, "It was okay, I guess. A lot different than living here. I was never really there though, not completely. I felt like I was missing something the entire time. Like I had left something incredibly valuable back here." He waits for me to say something but I don't so he continues, "Well, I left because my dad was moving again. He lied when he said that he was done moving and was staying in one place. He can't help himself. He gets in some type of trouble everywhere he is so I just told my mom I was coming back, took my car and left."