Two Masked Hearts - ✓ #WattysShorts

Fifteen

After Miles left and I finished my pancakes, I reluctantly went downstairs to finish packing all of my things that I brought for my trip. First, I checked my phone to see I had a text from my mom.

Please call me when you get the chance. I love you.

Despite being mad at my parents, I did love her very much. And now I was worried that something was wrong.

"Evelyn!" she exclaimed, sounding both excited and relieved when I finally called her.

"Hey, Mom, is everything okay?"

"Oh, yes, we're great!" I let out a sigh of relief. "Your father and I have been talking, and he said that you were pretty upset about selling the house."

"Yeah, I mean I kinda grew up here," I admitted. "Like it was our home-away-from-home."

"I know. And we're very sad about it, but we're still selling it and splitting the profit."

"Oh, that's good," I said bitterly, noting how they hardly cared about my feelings. "I packed up all the things in boxes. Miles helped me put them in my car."

"Thank you for doing that, sweetie. We know you're upset, but we had to make a lot of sacrifices with the divorce."

"I know." I felt a pant of guilt. I had been so consumed with how the divorce was affecting me, I hardly took a second to think about how their twenty-year marriage just dissolved. "I know you're doing the best you guys can."

"We are." My mom sucked in a long breath of air loud enough that I could hear it over the phone. "And we both can't wait for you to come home."

"I'm going to leave soon," I assured her. I was starting to be excited to sleep in my own bed again . . . And eventually my bed at Dad's new house. "I need to finish packing my clothes, and then I'm going to say good-bye to Miles."

"Well, don't keep talking to silly ol' me, then. And bring Miles home with you to meet us."

I laughed. "I don't think that'll happen, unfortunately. But maybe someday."

"All right," she chuckled. "Bye-bye."

"Bye."

I hung up, feeling much better about the situation. I quickly threw all my things together and loaded the car. As I finished, Miles rode into the driveway on his bike. I shut the trunk and waved as he stopped beside the car.

"Hey," he said, breathing heavily. "I got here as quick as I could. Almost got hit by a car."

Miles stepped off the bike and took his helmet off. Before he could put it down, I kissed him. In the past two hours, all I could think about was how badly I needed to see him again. He melted into my touch, leaning into the kiss after the initial surprise wore off.

"Well, hello to you, too." He flashed me a grin, obviously happy to see me, just as I was, him.

"Don't get hit by a car, please. It wouldn't be a good look for you, and that helmet won't do much to protect your face."

Miles laughed. "You like how my face looks?"

"It's okay, I guess," I playfully teased.

"You know you love me," he joked right back, but then we froze, the L-word still hanging in the air around us. "Well, I mean—" Miles scratched the back of his head.

The words were on the tip of my tongue, but they didn't feel right. Too foreign, too soon, and too much pressure. I just laughed it off, playfully pushing his shoulder. "You wish."

"Hey," he stopped me, complete seriousness washed over his face. "Let's talk."

"Do you want to go inside?" I glanced at the sweat on his forehead from speed-biking here. He nodded gratefully.

We went upstairs and sat on the couch in our family room, next to the kitchen. The delicious smell of pancakes still lingered slightly, making my mouth water.

"You're leaving," Miles stated, staring at his lap. I figured he was just as lost about what to say as I was. "For good."

I placed a hand on his leg. "This doesn't have to be the end."

"I don't want it to be." Finally, he looked up at me, sadness in his eyes. "Knowing you has been one of the greatest honors and experiences I've had."

My throat felt tight, tears desperately trying to break through the wall I put up. "Me too," I whispered. I feared that speaking louder would lead to sobs following.

"I've never met someone who's just so unafraid of being herself. It's refreshing, and it's invigorating." He grabbed my hands with his, and he stared through my eyes deep into my soul. "You inspire me to seek adventure. You help me take risks. You simply make me a better person, and I want you in my life. I want to be with you. I want to know everything about you, and I want to love you. I want you to be my girlfriend."

I was absolutely speechless. A million thoughts raced through my head. But the worry at the forefront of my mind was that we might not be able to make long distance work.

"Look, I know it's not going to be easy," he continued in response to my silence, "but I think we'd be stupid not to try. Maybe we're stupid for wanting to try, or at least maybe I am, but I really think we have something special."

"I do, too," I agreed, carefully choosing my words. My heart pounded against my rib cage as I got more and more excited by the prospect of continuing this, whatever it was.

"So," Miles pressed his lips together, awaiting my response.

"Yes. Yes, I'll be your girlfriend."

His face lit up in the brightest smile, and he kissed me. The kiss was pure and perfect, without a trace of doubt or hesitation. It was a good-bye kiss, but it was also the beginning of something greater. Something that excited and terrified me, but it was something that I wanted. I wanted him. I wanted us.

"And we will just. . . ." Miles trailed off.

I finished, "Figure it out."

"We'll figure it out." He nodded in agreement.

We sat in silence, until I finally said, "I should go."

"Do you have to?" He bore a dejected look, but I could tell he already knew my answer. I squeezed my eyes shut and nodded. "Okay."

I knew I already had everything. Before he came, I had circled the house three times to make sure. He took my hand as we made our way downstairs for the last time. I glanced back at the house, a final good-bye to it, before locking the front door.

"This is it," I mumbled, standing at the base of the stairs.

Miles's hands gripped my waist tightly. It seemed to me like he was trying to hold me in place, to keep me here to be with him forever. "This is it," he agreed solemnly.

"I'm not going to school for another year. I can come visit you."

"It's a long drive."

"Worth it," I promised. "Totally worth it."

His eyes were full of sadness, and mine longed for him to stay with me. To come with me, even. But I know he couldn't do that to his family. They needed him as much as he needed them. "Call me when you get home?"

"And every day after that, until we meet again."

He hugged me. His breaths were jagged, and I felt a few wet drops fall on my shoulder. He pulled back, wiping his eyes, and I stood on my tip-toes to kiss him once more. And that was it, that was good-bye. We didn't say a word to each other as I got in my car and turned it on. He stood in the driveway and waved as I pulled out. I waved back, sadly, but happy in a way. Happy that we had something real, something promising, something that gave me hope for a future together.

I didn't cry until he became a speck in my rear-view mirror. A permanent mark in my life: in my past, my present, and my future. I drove away. Away from my past, and into my new reality. One that I was sure would be messy, but would include him, no matter what.