Three Years Later | ✓

34 | Moving On

MY HAND IMMEDIATELY DROPPED from my ear to my side, tightly clutching my phone. Without looking back as Ava stood up and shouted my name, I ran off to the nearest flight information display screen and quickly scanned down the list for any flights leaving to New York.

"Come on," I anxiously whispered as I waited for the next page of flight details to appear, which would show all flights heading to the East coast. The names of the different flights flipped and showed all departing and incoming flights.

Sandwiched in the middle of listed flights, I found a flight listed for New York, which had a gate that was nearly on the opposite side of the airport and was leaving in ten minutes. Adrenaline pumped furiously through my veins as I sprinted like my life depended on it, dodging out of people's way while some glared at me.

And to be honest, I didn't know where I was going half the time, solely relying on signs hung overhead that pointed the direction of the  different gates as I made a mad dash.

After running down one last hall, I turned the corner and ran to the gate that was listed on the screen, 40F. Hardly able to breathe from sprinting, which didn't help as my anxiety made it hard enough to take a breath, I looked around the waiting area, which was completely empty.

I looked out of the giant floor to ceiling window and saw the plane pulling out. I sunk down in defeat in one of the chairs closest to me, feeling a wave of strong nausea hit if I didn't sit down.

This was it, there was no way I could stop Milo at the last second from boarding that plane.

As my hands trembled, I dialed Milo's phone, hoping that he hadn't turned on airplane mode yet. The line was silent before it began to ring a few times, causing a swirl of emotions in me.

In the middle of the second ring, it cut off and his voicemail immediately came on, indicating that he purposely declined my call. Tears welled in my eyes as I heard his smooth, calm voice, speaking as if everything was alright as his voicemail played.

I brought my knees to my chest as my elbows rested against them, the heels of my palms digging into my eyes as I let out quiet sobs.

He told me he didn't want to lose me again. He told me he loved me. How could he let me go?

∞

"NATALIE INVITED us to a get together with some of our old classmates for this afternoon. Do you wanna go?" questioned Ava as she peered up at me from behind her phone.

I shrugged, playing with the scrunchie around my wrist as I let out a deep breath.

Before I could think about what I was doing, I opened the Photos app and scrolled through the pictures of Milo and I in the special album I made with pictures of us together. He deactivated all of his social medias a couple weeks ago and wouldn't answer any of my calls or texts, so these were the only memories of Milo I had left.

Without even realizing that the raw emotions were evident on my face, my lip quivered as tears began to blur my vision.

"Stop torturing yourself," Ava scolded gently as she snatched the phone out of my hand, closed out the app, and placed my phone face down on the nightstand beside my bed. "I know you're hurting and all you want to do right now is stay in your room all day, but as your best friend, I won't allow you to do that."

"Please, Ava, just let me stay in," I groaned, turning over so that my face was fully squished into my pillow, the tears in my eyes getting it wet.

"No, you've been stuck in here for weeks when you should be out at the beach or doing anything else because it's summer."

"It's only been three weeks," I deadpanned.