1.1 | When In Rome ✓

10 | luneur

1 0

l u n e u r

It was a month later and Alan and Olivia were finally dating. And, Olivia couldn't be happier.

Yes, she still loved Jackson. But at this point, she had learned to accept that he was gone, and part of her past, and remember him as someone that she loved, and kept all the happy memories. In other words, she did basically everything that Alan said would get her past Jackson. Almost everything.

"Alan, where are you taking me?" Olivia laughed, letting the grinning boy lead her to a random place. She couldn't see anything because she was blindfolded, but Alan was holding her hand and trying to direct her.

"You'll see in a minute!" Alan said, sounding excited. "Okay, open your eyes... now!"

Olivia pulled off the blindfold and letting out a laugh as she saw they were at the entrance to an amusement park. "You brought me to," she squinted at the sign, trying to make out how to pronounce it. "LunEur?"

Alan smiled at her, his dimples showing. "Well, I found this place last Sunday when I thought that this might brighten your day. Even though it's mostly for little kids."

Olivia smiled at him, looking up at his aqua eyes. "I love it."

For once, the first thought that came into her head wasn't about Jackson, and how his sister and Olivia used to go to places like these all the time. The first thought that popped into her head was about how much she loved this boy, and how she would absolutely love to spend a day with him doing nothing.

Alan laughed. "Well, I'm glad to hear that."

For an hour, they went on a bunch of different rides, like a carousel, the spinning swings, and a bunch of other rides, eating cotton candy and popcorn, and just lazing through the park.

About an hour before the park closed Alan suggested that they should go on the Ferris Wheel. It would've been a good idea. If they hadn't had to wait for a long time.

Olivia craned her neck, trying to see the front of the line, then gave up and looked back at Alan with a sigh. "How long has it been?"

Alan laughed at her. "Livs, it hasn't even been 5 minutes yet."

"What?" Olivia screeched. Alan smirked at her, then patted her head, treating her like a child. "It's okay Olivia, I believe in you!"

Olivia pouted. "Not funny, Alan."

After what seemed like a billion years for Olivia, they were finally up at the front of the line. "That took so long!" Olivia said.

"That wasn't even 15 minutes," Alan said, smiling at her as they both got in the car.

"Pshh, same thing," Olivia said, waving her hand, as she burst out laughing. Alan smiled at her, the corners of his eyes crinkling.

They sat in the car in peaceful silence for a while until they reached the top. "Wow, it's so beautiful," Olivia said breathlessly, looking down at the glowing park.

Alan leaned over and kissed her. It laster for a while, a sweet kiss that tasted like cotton candy and popcorn, one of affection and adoration instead of lust as passion. Really, it was the perfect type of kiss for this setting.

They pulled away and Alan smiled at Olivia. "I'm so happy that you've finally accepted Jackson's death, and are at peace with it. You completed his dying wish."

It was true. Almost. Yesterday, Olivia finally accepted everything she needed to, and kept everything of Jackson's in her past. Everything except his phone, which was still in her purse. Alan could tell something was wrong, and he looked at her, concerned. "What's wrong, did I say something inconsiderate?"

"It was nothing like that," Olivia reassured him. "It's just... I haven't gotten rid of everything that belonged to Jackson. I still have his phone I just wanted to hang on to something of his."

Alan nodded. "I get that."

"But, I'm ready to now." Olivia finished, looking kind of unsure.

"Olivia, you don't need to if you don't want to," Alan said, looking at her sideways.

"No, I can do this. I should accept it. He wanted me to." Olivia said firmly.

Alan grinned at her. "Great, let's do it!" By the time Alan had said that their Ferris-wheel car had touched the ground, and the doors opened.

They exited the park after one last sparing glance, and Olivia walked to the nearby pier, pulling out Jackson's phone.

Alan started walking with Olivia but then held back as she got closer to the ledge. "I'm going to let you have your privacy."

Olivia nodded and smiled nervously at him, before heading for the railing, clutching the phone in her hand tighter.

She stood there for a second, staring at the crashing waves down below, at the people on the beach, and at the silver iPhone in her hand. And with a sad smile on her face and tears in her eyes, she let go, and watched the phone splash into the ocean, before sinking and being swallowed up by the blue-green water, the same color as Alan's eyes.

"Goodbye, my love. I'll miss you." She whispered, watching the place where the phone landed, before turning away from the water. She walked towards Alan, smiling at him.

"Ready?" He asked, searching her eyes.

"Ready." She said and took his hand. And together, they walked off into the sunset, and away from everything that Olivia just let go.

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