When I finally let go, Josh backed away, staying put, clearly in no rush to leave. But I didn't mind, always wanting our time together to last as long as possible, even despite how cold it was. I slowly reached out for his hand as my fingers gradually started to loose feeling. He didn't hesitate to take hold, gently intertwining them.

"So.." He said, stalling as much as he could. "Can I see what you've been working on?" I felt my face get hot, unable to contain my grin. I had always shown Josh what I wrote, but now.. things had changed, just like what I wrote about.

"Maybe." I said, smirking up at him.

"You know, we have to submit them soon." He said, his smile growing. I nodded.

"I know."

"So, are you gonna show me before you submit them?" He asked. I shrugged.

"Are you gonna show me what you did?" He bit down on his lip, holding his stare on me, eventually nodding.

"I will, if you show me."

"Deal."

I don't know what it was, maybe he was just prettier in the moonlight, his eyes twinkling like our favorite constellations, but it was hard to believe considering just how much I loved looking at him when he glistened in the sun. All around, he embodied the universe in such a way that I knew I would be forever drawn in by his fierce gravitational pull.

No matter what happened with us, a part of me would always be his.

"Josh, did you really mean it? When you said that.. you were letting me go?" I asked, as the night slowly but surely kept coming back to me. He had let me go, and I just said.. okay. When I knew that wasn't what I wanted, so why was I always so afraid to dive into him headfirst?

Maybe it was because in my head, he was perfect, but if something ever happened to prove me wrong, I don't think I could handle it. And maybe that's why Jake was actually the safe choice, because I think there was a part of me that was just anticipating the day he would hurt me; it wouldn't be a surprise. It would hurt, but.. I always knew it was coming.

But I spent my entire life sure that I would always be safe with Josh. Once we were finally together, that would be it. I wouldn't have to worry about anything because I knew that from then on out, we had each other, and that was more than enough.

And anything that wasn't, I wanted to figure out together.

He sighed, his face dropping as he held his stare on me before reluctantly reaching up, caressing my face. I moved in closer, gently grabbing onto his jacket, pulling him in towards me. He gently rubbed his thumb across my cheek as his lips slowly curled into a shy grin, eventually shaking his head.

"No." He mouthed, his eyes moving down to my lips. My heart jumped. I knew what I wanted right now, but that didn't change the fact that I had asked Jake to take me back last night, and I despite everything, I couldn't do this to him.

Especially not after what he had just told me.

I knew how much it took for him to confess something like that, and it wasn't that my feelings for him weren't real, but they were different. And I wished I had realized it sooner, how much deeper you could fall in love with someone when you felt comfortable enough to jump off the ledge, and not cling to it for deal life, praying they would catch you.

Josh was my parachute, always ready to guide me through the air and make sure I landed safely after I took the plunge.

And if I was going to have a family with anyone, I needed to be sure.

"I didn't want you to." I said softly, reaching up and holding onto his arm, instantly feeling him flex at the slightest touch. I couldn't help but smile, him now flashing me an embarrassed grin in return, accepting that I had noticed.

"You didn't?" He asked, his eyes lighting up. I shook my head.

"No, I.. I mean, I.. I kinda thought that.. something was going to happen last night."

"Are.. you saying that.. nothing did?" He asked. I felt my face get hot, knowing fully well what he was asking. I shook my head, looking down to avoid his eyes.

"Nothing happened." I whispered. He nodded, hesitating for a moment.

"So.. are you saying that.. something would've happened with.. us?" He asked reluctantly. I could feel my heart beating faster at just the thought of something happening with him again.

"If you wanted it to." I muttered. He bit down on his lip, his smile growing.

"But.. did you want it to?" He asked. I nodded, peeking back up at him.

"But.. the way you were looking at him-"

"I know, and.. I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me, but.. honestly, seeing you with Evalyn, and.. just the idea of us together, and.. what you said about your family, and asking about us and.. I'm sorry. I just.. I got scared." His face dropped.

"Jaime, you have nothing to be scared of, not with me."

"I know that now." I whispered, my smile growing.

"We can be anything we want to be, Jaime."

Anything we want to be.

Suddenly with him, it all felt possible.

Like we would get out of here, we'd go to school together and do what we've always dreamed, and when it was time, when we were both ready, we'd start the next part of our life together, whatever that looked like for us, wherever this life took us, and I knew that every step of the way would be incredible.. if it was with him.

"But.." He added. "Only if you're sure about me. Because.. I know that I'm sure about you, I always have been, and.. I deserve that too."

"You do, and.. I'm sorry I haven't been able to give that to you. But.. I want to." He nodded, and then leaned in, gently kissing my cheek, giving me a gentle smile before finally moving away.

"Jaime, you know that I would wait forever for you, but.. please don't make me." He held his stare on me for a moment before finally heading back over to his house, peeking back at me one last time before going back in.

I made my way back inside, quietly shutting the door behind me, letting out a deep sigh. I knew that all I had to do was wait, but I didn't think it would be so soon. And to think that that whole time she really was thinking of me?

And then my stomach dropped as I heard footsteps coming down the hallway, Jake eventually making his way into the kitchen.

"Where were you?" He asked, going into the fridge. I shrugged, casually heading towards the stairs when he stopped me.

"Did you see Jaime when you were out there?" I felt my body go cold. He knew. He had to have known. There was no point in lying to him now. It would only dig me into a deeper hole.

"I did." I finally said, avoiding his eyes.

"We're back together, you know." He said, his voice now more stern. I nodded.

"I know." I muttered, heading back towards the stairs, wanting to be anywhere else but here right now.

I missed how we were before all of this. But too much has happened now, and it was going to be a long time until things were back to how they were with us.

I thought I was in the clear when I heard him behind me again.

"How do you do it?" He finally asked. I stopped, turning to face him when I noticed he now sounded much more uneasy.

"Do what?"

"With her, how do you do it? How are you two just.." He shrugged, his voice trailing off. But I knew what he meant.

Everyone saw it. What Jaime and I had, you just couldn't explain it, and that's how I knew.. despite everything, it was always going to be us. We had what no one else did it. What we shared was magical, having created our own little world where words became meaningless and all we needed was each other to know that everything would be alright.

"You'll figure it out." I sighed, finally making my way upstairs knowing that it was only a matter of time before he realized.. he wouldn't.