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RACHEL
Ican’tbelievethree weeks have already passed us by. I wipe the tears from my eyes as I watch Hunter check his bag and grab his tickets. He turns around, smiling at me, yet there’s sadness in his eyes as he stares at me. I force a smile, not wanting him to see me being a big cry baby. Lucas’s hand is on my shoulder while Seth and Alex both grab my hands, squeezing them tightly. It’s a good thing I have such an amazing support system, otherwise I don’t know what I will do.
“Well,” Hunter says as he strides toward us. “Looks like I’m all ready to go.”
My bottom lip trembles. Don’t cry, I tell myself. You don’t want the last thing he remembers is you being a sobbing wreck. Despite that, tears still stream down my cheeks as I stare up at him.
“Oh, don’t you start,” says Hunter while catching one tear. He rubs my cheek, his eyes glimmering in the light. “If you start, I might start, and then what will I do.”
I giggle and slide my hands away from Seth and Alex, wiping my face and forcing a bright smile. “I will miss you,” I say shakily.
“We will all miss you,” says Lucas while giving Hunter a hug, patting him in the back before Seth and Alex copy the same gesture.
“Why don’t we let the two of you say goodbye,” says Alex while nodding toward the small cafe behind him. “We’ll wait over there. Do you want any coffee?”
I nod, not trusting my voice.
“When does she not want coffee?” Seth says while rolling his eyes at Alex, yet there is no bitterness in his tone. He gives me a nod before saying, “Take your time, okay?”
I seriously have the most amazing boyfriends any girl could ever ask for. Hunter takes my hands, lifting them and kissing my knuckles. “So we’ll try long distance,” he says, his tone lacking all the uncertainty I feared before.
I nod. “Yes. Let’s.”
“I will call you or text you every chance I get,” he says with a smile. “I want this to work, Rachel. You know that, right?”
“Yes, I do,” I say, quickly swallowing the sob building up. “I want this to work, too.”
Hunter nuzzles his nose against mine. “Okay. Then we will try it. Every chance I get I’m going to try to visit.” He sighs. “I’m really going to miss you, Rachel. I don’t want to say goodbye.”
“I don’t want to either.”
We stand together, holding each other’s hands, are foreheads pressed together. I don’t know how long we remain like that, simply holding each other, but it’s Hunter who finally lowers my hands and straightens to his full height.
“I should go,” he whispers, a lone tear streaming down his cheek.
“Don’t you start,” I whimper while catching his tear with my finger. “If you start, I know I won’t be able to stop.”
Hunter chuckles and wipes his eyes. He smiles back at me, but his brows are tented with worry. “I will talk to you soon, alright?” He says while slowly turning around, looking pained.
I nod. “Looking forward to it.”
I watch him walk toward security, wishing I could run after him and tell him not to go. But that would be selfish. I’m not going to ask him to stay for me. I’m not going to ask him to give up his career, everything he’s worked hard for, for me. However, I’m really going to miss him.
I sigh as Hunter disappears into security, knowing it’s time for me to go, but I can’t seem to get my feet working. I can’t stop the fear building inside me saying that this might now work. This long-distance thing might be a terrible mistake.
But you never know until you try, I think while slowly turning around and stepping toward Alex, Seth, and Lucas waiting at the cafe. Alex holds a cup of coffee for me, while Seth closes the distance between us. I don’t realize I’m crying until he pulls me into his arms.
“It will be okay,” he whispers while stroking my hair. “Don’t cry. It will be alright. You have us.”
I nod. “I know.”
“We’ll always be here for you.”
I nod again, allowing Seth to steer me toward Lucas and Alex. I have no clue what the future holds, but I pray Hunter and I make it. I hope that nothing terrible will happen to him in Chicago, and I hope our relationship can stand the test of time and distance.
But who knows what the future holds?
