B R Y C E P O V:
"Hey, it's me. Guess what I did?" Tyler exclaimed.
My heart skipped a beat when I saw him standing there, his bright, shiny eyes catching the light just as I remembered. "Long time no see, dude" I said looking straight at his hazel eyes. We made eye contact for a moment and he took a deep breath "I-I-I made it to the finals" he stammered." I have been waiting for this moment for a very long time Bryce, I made it". A single drop of tear fell from his eye and it ran toward his chin drifting from his red cheek.
I pulled him into a hug, the warmth of my leather jacket pressed between us. I could feel his heart pounding and his breath getting faster and I tried to catch up with his breath making me breathless in a span of a minute. I took a deep breath, locked my eyes with his, again, and said "I knew you could do it. I'm proud of you".
"He has to go again… and this time he will go so far that I can't see him again" he smiled but my heart sank. "Is this the last union. What if he ran so far that I could never catch up?". Maybe he could sense what I was feeling. His hands touched mine and with a gentle touch he intertwined our fingers as if it was meant to be that way. He gave a smile and pulled me towards him and he started running.
"Where are we going" I laughed following his every step. "Trust me..." Tyler said grasping our hands tighter. I smirked and followed his footsteps. Every step we took was taking us to "our" special place. And when I said ours, I meant it.
He took me to the river side…. It looked exactly the same as the last time I visited. The moonlight shining by the water, the gentle breeze touching our faces. The sound of the birds chirping breaking the silence of the night. I sat on the green meadow on the side of the river and he took off his beige hoodie and his shorts. He jumped into the river splashing the water all over me… "hey weirdo, it's minus three degree. You'll get sick come out" I said pulling him offshore. He waded towards me and put his cold, wet body on my lap. He brushed my hair away from my face giving me a clear glance of his. His eyes locked mine as pulled me into the river.
The icy cold water surrounding me and the deep river swallowing me whole. I held my breath for the moment to come up to the surface. My heart raced as I reached for the surface holding Tyler's wrist. The freezing cold water between us "Are you crazy?" I shouted and a puff of fog escaped my lips. He was smiling, his eyes squinted tiny while he was teasing me. He gave a big smile, his face as mesmerising as the moon. "Damn, he's beautiful" I thought, my eyes gaze lingering on his pretty eyes are so captivating that I want to drown in them. His lips look so kissable, making it hard to resist. And that nose tiny but perfect: "Oh my god, everything about him is just perfect". He leaned towards me, water dripping from his hair. He came close up to my neck "what you looking at Mr Glasses" he whispered, catching me staring. My heart skipped a beat as I looked away, hoping he wouldn't notice the redness on my cheeks. He stepped closer, close enough that shivers ran down my spine completely freezing me in place as his authentic smile held me captive.
My body betrayed me as I swiftly moved towards the shore. With every step, I could feel my disappointment eating me. "Why? Just why?" I clenched my jaw, fury and sadness tightening around my chest. The pain was overwhelming, but a small voce whispered that I had done the right thing.
His presence was neared me again, he placed his hands on me, pulling me closer. his head rested on my shoulder as he whispered "come with me, Bryce. I need you by my side". My eyes widen. I slowly exhaled refusing to meet his gaze. Instead, I turned towards our reflection in the vast dark water. The darkness surrounded me- outside and within. I parted my lips, drawing in a shaky breath, desperate to steady myself. My fingers found their way to his face, tracing the contour that had always captivated me. His beauty overwhelmed me, emotions crashing over me like a tidal wave.
I was not ready for the words that spilled from my lips. "Tyler, I wish I could. but…..."
Before I could finish, he moved closer, silencing my thoughts. His lips pressed against mine. My mind emptied. My emotions stilled. All I could do was wish for this moment to last forever.
"Shhh…. Until next time," he whispered. And then, he ran away. I stood frozen, my fingers still tingling from his touch, my heart screaming for him to stay. But the only sound that answered me was the crashing of the waves. I let him go, even as something inside me whispered back, "what if there is no next time?"