Six Months Later

JOHN'S POV

I woke up with a funny feeling in my stomach. It was as if my brain had travelled to the future and knew what was ahead of me. Knew who I was finally going to see.

Moving in with my dad had been a rough journey. For the first few weeks we seemed to butt heads on everything, even the smallest things. He'd neglected to tell me about his girlfriend of two years, a woman ten years younger than him who was nicer than she looked.

Eventually I'd adjusted, made friends and friends with benefits. I had tried to forget about Chloe by getting over her with another girl. Unconsciously I'd looked for her in every girl I'd encountered, trying to find someone who looked and acted like her.

Unsurprisingly, I had come up short.

I began to accept the fact that my heart belonged to a girl who loved someone else, until a dark-haired beauty caught my eye.

She was sat in the back of the classroom of my maths lesson, looking like she didn't hold a single care about the world. I wondered how I'd missed her but realised why - she was the exact opposite of the girl I'd loved.

I approached her after school with arrogance clinging onto me like cologne. She'd given me one uninterested glance which bruised my ego badly but that's when I knew I had to have her. I asked around for her name, wanting to know the identity of the girl who'd slowly taken over my thoughts.

Jessica Silantro.

"John, you're going to be late!" Avery, my dad's girlfriend, called from downstairs, disrupting my thoughts. I grabbed my backpack and headed down the staircase to stop your yelling.

"Alright, alright." I mumbled, offering a small grin when she rolled her eyes. She tossed me the car keys.

"Get the car started, I'll be there in a minute."

I did so, waiting in the passenger seat and scrolling through my phone. Soon enough Avery entered and we hit the road, about to undergo a three hour drive.

I slept for half of it and the other half was spent thinking about how Chloe would react when I saw her. Over the months we'd had limited contact, only a few texts here and there to be safe. It was very hard at first but eventually life took over and I became to distracted with school, friends and a girl I wanted to be more than friends with.

A few weeks ago I received a text from an unknown number - I found out it was Benjamin. He'd offered to arrange a meeting for Chloe and I if it was safe enough.

I'd been suspicious at first, we weren't exactly the best of buddies so why would he do that? He revealed he and Chloe had gone through a rough patch due to his actions and this was an attempt to make it up to her. Cute.

I didn't pry, because I knew if I did I'd sound like a jerk. Which wasn't wise since Benjamin was the reason I was seeing one of my favourite people.

Over the span of a few days we finalised plans and it was agreed I'd meet her in a park thirty minutes away from the city. I was practically shaking with excitement as we got closer.

At one point Chloe was the last thing on my mind as I drifted off to sleep and the first thing in the morning. Even though my romantic feelings for her had faded, my love for her hadn't.

"So I'll meet you here later?" I told Avery, my hand on the door handle. She nodded.

"Send me a text when you're done. Good luck, John." She said but I knew wouldn't need it. I exited the car, walking to the nearest bench and bringing out my phone.

I'm here, near the swings. I texted Benjamin. He didn't respond. Five minutes had passed when I started to think I was being screwed over.

Then I heard a light giggle that made me heart stop.

I looked up, standing when I saw Benjamin and Chloe approaching. He had his hands over her eyes and was slowly leading her in my direction.

"We've been walking for like five minutes, are we not there?" Chloe asked with a small laugh which Benjamin smiled at. His eyes met mine and he gave me a nod which I reciprocated.

"Yeah, we're here." He said, removing his hands. Chloe opened her eyes, blinking and looked around, seeming to miss me. She turned to him with an unimpressed expression.

"A park, Benji?"

Benjamin smirked and nodded in my direction. "Look behind you."

Chloe spun on her heels and we made eye-contact. It was like the world around us froze. I couldn't hear the rustling of the leaves in the trees, the birds chirping or the excited squeals of the children. I only saw her.

Her blonde hair that blew around her gently. Blue, surprised eyes. And pink lips that curled into a smile.

"John?" Chloe asked, bewilderment lacing her tone. I smiled, taking a step closer. She turned to Benjamin and gave him a kiss on the cheek before running towards me.

I caught her when she launched herself at me, we were both laughing with pure joy. "I can't believe you're here!" Chloe said once we pulled apart, looking up at me with a big grin.

"I can't believe it either." I admitted.

"So, are you moving back here or is this just a visit?" She asked.

I rubbed the back of my head. "Just a visit. My life is in Manhattan now."

Chloe looked a bit disappointed but recovered. "Guess we have to make the most of today then!" She turned to Benjamin and quickly jogged up to him, wrapping her warms around him in a warm embrace.

I waited for the familiar pang of jealousy but it never came. I never imagined I'd be okay with Chloe being with someone else. But somehow, I was.

I meant what I wrote to her in that letter, all those months ago. How if she didn't love me back, I would still be okay.

And as I watched her approach me with a smile that rivalled the glow of the sun, I was more than okay.