“I’m older than you, Raine,” Landon said.
“Yeah, but you’ve always acted like a little shit,” she replied. She turned toward Mima and Landon’s Mom to offer an apology for her language. “But anywho, I wanted to say I’m proud of you. We all are. And now, I’m not one to ever get involved in anyone else’s lives—”
“CoughLIEScough,” Hank hacked up a lung, making everyone chuckle.
Raine rolled her eyes. “Anyway. I just wanted to give you a few tips on your journey in California that will help you along the way. Number one: don’t get plastic surgery, you already have a solid jawline. Number two: if you run into George Clooney, give him my number. He’s my freebie in mine and Hank’s relationship. Number three: Don’t become a beach bum. I’ve seen you in the sun before. You’ll burn. Number four…” Raine cleared her throat and her eyes watered over as she grew a little somber. “Call your sister and your brothers whenever you need us. Day or night. We’ll answer. Well, maybe not Eric at night because he’s a heavy sleeper. Number five—don’t lose your asshole charm. It’s what makes you…you. Number six—and this one is the most important one of them all—don’t forget we love you. I know life can get crazy, and we’ll all be busy with crap, but know that no matter what, the love is always there. We’re always here. Even if we are miles apart.” She wiped a few tears from her eyes and held her glass up. “Here’s to you, Land. We love you, we’re proud of you, and you’re going to do great things in this world.”
We all cheered and wiped the falling tears from our own eyes.
After everyone left, Landon and I headed over to his house for our final goodbye. My mind had been spinning all afternoon knowing that this moment was growing close. Before heading into his house, I went and grabbed a wrapped gift from my car. Then, I met him in his living room.
We sat on the couch, and stare at one another for a while. Unsure what to say, unsure how to start.
“I don’t want to sit here crying all night,” I joked, nudging him in the arm. “So, let’s just make this a happy moment, okay?”
“Okay.”
“Here.” I handed him the gift and he raised an eyebrow.
“You didn’t have to get me anything.”
“Yes, I did. Open it.”
He ripped the paper open to find ten new notebooks.
“There’s about twenty different questions in every notebook. I figured it could help you figure out some of your thoughts when you’re struggling.”
“It’s perfect,” he said with a genuine smile. “You’re perfect.”
He kissed me and I loved it.
I loved him.
“You know what I want to do right now?” he asked.
“What’s that?”
“Watch a few episodes of Friends with you in my arms.”
I smiled. “Perfect.”
As we lay against one another, Landon pulled out two pieces of Laffy Taffy from his pocket and handed me one.
Banana-flavored—obviously.
We watched the show, we fell deeper in love, and when it was time for me to go, I held on a little longer.
He walked me to my car and held the door open for me.
“I don’t want to say goodbye,” I told him. “I never want to say goodbye.”
“Then let’s just say goodnight.” A small smirk fell to his lips as he spoke to me. “Good night, good night. Parting is such sweet sorrow.”
My smile grew, and the butterflies he’d always delivered me came back in full force. “That I shall say good night till it be tomorrow,” I finished the Romeo and Juliet line.
He leaned in and kissed me. “No regrets?” he whispered against my lips.
“No regrets,” I replied.
I drove home with tears rolling down my cheeks, but they weren’t sad tears. They were tears filled with hope for Landon. He was going to be okay.
Then, he’d come back to me.
Landon left a few days ago to head to California. He and his mother packed their bags and headed toward his future of healing. While he was gone, I was working on my own healing, too. Mom and I had some damage to our relationship that needed to be talked about. We had to go deep with one another in order to heal from what my father had done to the two of our lives.
But we were both willing to try to repair our connection, because our love was stronger than our struggles.
Landon made me promise him that I’d continue on with my life, too. So, I did exactly that. I made an attempt every single day to write new words toward my manuscripts. I began applying for scholarships, too, with the help of Eleanor. And each day, I found a reason to smile.
If the past few months had taught me anything about life, it was that it wasn’t always easy, but there was something beautiful to be seen in every situation.
Every now and then, I’d receive a message from Landon, asking me about my heartbeats, and I’d shoot him my reply. Then, he’d do the same.
I tried my best to not dread the fact that he was gone. I tried to not overthink when—if ever—he’d come back to me. A part of me knew our story wasn’t over. A part of me knew we’d only tapped into the beginning of the Landon and Shay story.
So, I could only do one thing. I was forced to take the same advice I’d given Landon when we sat near those two willows. I went slow with life, taking it all in and never rushing through my personal growth. Still, the thought of Landon and I together as one always seemed to cross my mind.
Even though we didn’t carve our names into the willow trees, I knew his initials were forever imprinted against my heart. And whenever it beat, it was beating for him.
To Be Continued…
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The Elements Series by Brittainy C. Cherry
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The Air He Breathes
The Fire Between High & Lo
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The Gravity of Us
Also by Brittainy C. Cherry
Art & Soul
Our Totally, Ridiculous, Made-Up Christmas Relationship
The Space in Between
Loving Mr. Daniels
Behind the Bars
Disgrace
About the Author
Brittainy C. Cherry is an Amazon #1 Bestselling Author who has always been in love with words. She graduated from Carroll University with a Bachelor’s degree in Theatre Arts and a minor in Creative Writing. Brittainy lives in Brookfield, Wisconsin. When she’s not running a million errands and crafting stories, she’s probably playing with her adorable pets or traveling to new places.
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Landon & Shay - Part One: (The L&S Duet Book 1) Page 31
