chrissdrug

#Introduction

rae. 17. chris girl. im kinda boring

masterlist—click me!

meet your characters!—click me!

posting schedule—Thrusdays @ 8am and 5pm

#Rules

be appropriate on my blog; anything negative or harmful will not be tolerated. i am not afraid to block you.

do not rush me please.

my writing may not be for everyone so if you don't like it scroll.

if you like my content please stay!

anything disgusting kink and writing wise is not welcome on my blog.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN— Keeping a Secret

Long distance was harder than I ever imagined.

Not because Chris and I stopped talking.

If anything, we talked more.

Every morning, I’d wake up to a “Good morning, Em.”

Every night, we’d fall asleep on FaceTime more often than not, one of us eventually waking up at three in the morning to a screen full of darkness and muffled breathing before hanging up.

It became our normal.

Still…

No amount of phone calls could replace him being here.

⸻

Three and a half weeks after Chris left, I was on my lunch break when my phone buzzed.

Matt: Don’t tell Chris I texted you.

I smiled immediately.

Me: That’s a terrible way to start a conversation.

Matt: Serious.

Matt: Can you talk after work?

I frowned.

Me: Everything okay?

Matt: Yeah.

Matt: We just have an idea.

We?

That could only mean one thing.

Matt and Nick.

⸻

That night, I answered the FaceTime call expecting to see all three brothers.

Instead, only Matt and Nick filled the screen.

“Where’s Chris?”

“Editing,” Nick answered.

“He thinks we’re watching a movie.”

I laughed.

“So…you’re lying to him.”

“We prefer ‘strategically withholding information,” Matt corrected.

“I don’t think that’s better.”

“It sounds better.”

I shook my head.

“You two are unbelievable.”

“We’ve been told.”

Nick leaned closer to the camera.

“Okay, serious question.”

I sat up a little straighter.

“Okay…”

“If there was nothing holding you back…”

“Would you ever move to L.A.?”

The question hit me harder than I expected.

I looked down at my lap.

“I’ve thought about it.”

“Recently?” Matt asked.

I nodded.

“A lot, actually.”

“But?”

I sighed.

“No buts.”

I looked around.

The same apartment I’d lived in since I was nineteen.

The same streets.

The same routine.

The same everything.

“I just never had a reason to leave.”

Matt exchanged a look with Nick.

Then he smiled.

“What if now you do?”

⸻

That conversation stayed with me for days.

Not because of Chris.

At least…

Not only because of Chris.

The truth was, I’d wanted a change long before I met him.

Meeting him had simply made me realize how small I’d let my world become.

Work.

Home.

Repeat.

There had to be more than that.

⸻

A week later, I finally opened my laptop.

I updated my résumé.

Added my latest serving experience.

Requested a recommendation from my manager.

Then…

I searched.

Restaurants hiring in Los Angeles.

My heart raced as dozens of listings appeared.

It suddenly felt real.

⸻

Keeping it from Chris was harder than I expected.

Especially when he’d ask questions like—

“What’d you do today?”

I’d smile.

“Nothing exciting.”

Technically true.

I just left out the part where I’d spent two hours applying for jobs.

⸻

One evening, I got a phone call from a restaurant in Santa Monica.

“Hi, is this Emmi?”

“Speaking.”

“We received your application and would love to schedule a virtual interview.”

I nearly dropped my phone.

“Really?”

“Would tomorrow afternoon work?”

“Yes.”

“Perfect.”

When the call ended, I sat frozen on my couch.

A real interview.

An actual opportunity.

I wanted to tell Chris so badly.

Instead…

I texted Matt and Nick.

Me: I got an interview.

Less than ten seconds later—

Matt: LET’S GOOOO.

Another message.

Nick: Proud of you.

Then one more.

Matt: Remember…Do this because you want it. Not because of Chris.

I smiled.

That had become their rule.

Every time we talked about moving, they reminded me that this had to be my decision.

If I came to California…

It had to be because I wanted the adventure.

Because I wanted to build a life there.

Not because I was chasing someone.

Oddly enough…

That made me want it even more.

⸻

A few nights later, Chris called while sitting on the balcony outside the apartment he shared with Matt and Nick.

The Los Angeles skyline stretched behind him.

“You would’ve loved the sunset tonight,” he said, turning his phone toward the orange sky.

“It was beautiful.”

“I’ll have to show you one in person someday.”

Someday.

I smiled to myself.

“I’d like that.”

He had no idea.

No idea that my interview was tomorrow.

No idea that I’d already started setting money aside.

No idea that Matt and Nick had become my partners in keeping the biggest secret I’d ever kept.

As we talked about our days, my eyes drifted to the sticky note taped to my laptop.

In neat handwriting, it read:

If this is your dream…don’t be afraid to chase it.

I smiled.

Maybe…

Just maybe…

The next time Chris said he wished I could see a California sunset…

I’d be standing beside him instead of watching through a screen.

CHAPTER TWELVE— The Plan

content warning: none, fluff, angst

Three weeks.

It had been three weeks since I’d watched Chris disappear through airport security.

Three weeks of late-night FaceTimes.

Good morning texts.

Pictures of sunsets from Los Angeles.

Videos of my coworkers doing something ridiculous during slow shifts.

It wasn’t easy.

But somehow…

We were making it work.

Still, every night after we’d say goodnight, my apartment felt a little quieter.

A little emptier.

⸻

“He’s smiling again.”

Nick’s voice crackled through my phone speakers.

I laughed as Chris rolled his eyes dramatically from somewhere off camera.

“I always smile.”

“No,” Matt said, suddenly appearing beside him. “This is different.”

Chris sighed.

“You two are unbelievable.”

“It’s because of you,” Nick said, pointing toward the camera. “He’s disgustingly happy.”

My cheeks warmed.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Liar,” all three brothers said at the same time.

I couldn’t help laughing.

Over the past few weeks, FaceTime calls with Chris had slowly turned into FaceTime calls with all three triplets.

Sometimes Matt or Nick would steal Chris’s phone.

Sometimes we’d all end up talking for an hour before anyone realized how late it was.

It felt…

Natural.

Like I’d known them longer than a few weeks.

⸻

A few days later, my phone buzzed while I was on my lunch break.

Matt: You busy?

That was unusual.

Matt usually just sent me memes.

Me: Just eating. What’s up?

A few seconds later, another message.

Matt: Can you keep a secret?

I frowned.

Me: Depends…

Matt: Serious question.

Curiosity got the better of me.

Me: Yeah.

Almost instantly—

Matt: Chris misses you more than he’ll admit.

I smiled at my phone.

Me: I know.

Another message appeared.

Matt: Have you ever thought about moving?

My heart skipped.

I stared at the screen for nearly a minute before answering.

Me: …To L.A.?

Matt: Maybe.

⸻

That night, after my shift, Matt and Nick called me.

Just the two of them.

Chris wasn’t there.

“I feel like I’m being interrogated,” I joked as I answered.

Nick laughed.

“Relax.”

“We just wanted to ask you something.”

I curled up on my couch.

“Okay…”

Matt leaned closer to the camera.

“If you could move…”

I blinked.

“…Would you?”

The question hung in the air.

I’d thought about it.

More times than I wanted to admit.

Usually late at night.

Usually after hanging up with Chris.

“I don’t know,” I answered honestly.

“My whole life is here.”

“My apartment.”

“My job.”

“My friends.”

“My family.”

Nick nodded.

“That’s fair.”

“But…”

I smiled a little.

“If I ever did…”

“It’d be because I wanted a fresh start.”

Not just because of Chris.

Because I’d always wanted to see more than the town I’d grown up in.

Because I’d talked myself out of trying something new for years.

Because maybe…

I was finally ready.

Matt exchanged a quick glance with Nick.

Then he smiled.

“What if we told you…”

“…we could help?”

⸻

The next few weeks became a whirlwind of secrets.

Every afternoon before work, I’d sit at my tiny kitchen table with my laptop open.

Texting with Nick and Matt that they’d help me move in secretly.

Updating my résumé.

Every evening after work, I’d call Chris like nothing had changed.

He had no idea.

“You look tired,” he’d say.

“Busy week.”

“Restaurant?”

I nodded.

“Something like that.”

Technically…

It wasn’t a lie.

⸻

Matt and Nick kept me grounded.

“We’re not letting you move here unless it’s what you want,” Matt reminded me during one phone call.

“This isn’t about surprising Chris.”

“It’s about your life too,” Nick added.

“If you come, it has to make sense for you.”

Their words stuck with me.

So I started doing things the right way.

I applied for serving jobs in Los Angeles.

I calculated how much I’d need in savings.

Some nights, the numbers scared me enough to close my laptop.

Other nights…

The possibility made me smile.

⸻

One afternoon, my manager called me into the office.

“Everything okay?” she asked.

“Yeah.”

“You’ve been asking about transferring references.”

I nodded slowly.

“I’ve been thinking about moving.”

She smiled.

“You’ve earned a great recommendation.”

Relief washed over me.

“Really?”

“You’ve worked hard here, Emmi.”

“You deserve to see what’s out there.”

For the first time…

The idea didn’t feel impossible.

It felt…

Real.

⸻

Later that night, Chris called while walking through the streets of Los Angeles.

The city lights blurred behind him.

“I wish you could see this sunset,” he said, turning his phone toward the sky.

“It looks pretty.”

“It’d look better if you were here.”

My heart squeezed.

“I know.”

He smiled.

“I miss you.”

“I miss you too.”

He kept talking about his day, completely unaware that my laptop sat open on the kitchen counter behind me.

A folder labeled L.A. Applications.

And a sticky note that simply read:

Don’t tell Chris.

Not yet.

Because if everything worked out…

In just a few more weeks…

I wouldn’t have to tell him.

I’d get to show him.

No post tomorrow or Monday, sadly sorry guys!!! I’m pretty busy, wait till tuesday!!!

CHAPTER ELEVEN—The Hardest Goodbye

content warning: none, fluff, angst

I barely slept.

Every time I closed my eyes, I checked the clock what felt like five minutes later.

2:17 a.m.

4:03 a.m.

6:11 a.m.

By the time my alarm went off, I was already awake, staring at the ceiling.

Today was the day.

Chris was leaving.

I sat on the edge of my bed for a long moment, trying to convince myself to get up.

Instead, I reached for my phone.

There was already a text waiting for me.

Chris ❤️:

Morning, Em.

Come over whenever you’re ready.

I swallowed the lump in my throat.

Me: I’ll be there soon.

⸻

The drive to his mom’s house felt shorter than usual.

Almost unfairly short.

I parked along the curb and just…sat there.

My hands gripped the steering wheel as I watched people walk down the sidewalk like it was any other morning.

For everyone else…

It was.

For me, it felt like everything was changing.

I finally took a deep breath and climbed out of the car.

Chris opened the front door before I even knocked.

“Hey.”

His smile was soft, but I could tell he’d barely slept, too.

“Hi.”

Neither of us moved at first.

Then he stepped forward and wrapped me in a hug.

I buried my face against his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart.

“I’ve got you,” he whispered.

For just a second…

I let myself believe that was enough.

⸻

His suitcase was waiting by the front door.

Seeing it made everything feel real.

I tried to look anywhere else.

“You packed.”

“I had to.”

“I know.”

He reached for my hand, intertwining our fingers.

“I wish I didn’t.”

I smiled sadly.

“I know.”

⸻

The drive to the airport was quieter than any drive we’d taken together.

The radio played softly in the background, but neither of us paid much attention.

Every traffic light felt like borrowed time.

Every mile brought us closer.

Chris reached across the center console and squeezed my hand whenever we stopped.

Neither of us wanted to be the first to mention what happened next.

⸻

Inside the terminal, people hurried in every direction.

Families hugged.

Kids laughed.

Suitcases rolled across the tile floors.

It felt strange that the whole world kept moving when mine felt like it had stopped.

Chris checked his bag, then turned back to me.

There was still a little time before security.

Not much.

But some.

“So…” he said quietly.

“So.”

I tried to smile.

It didn’t last.

Without warning, tears blurred my vision.

I looked away, embarrassed.

“Em…”

“I don’t want you to go.”

The words came out in a whisper.

“I know.”

“I know this is your life, and your job, and everything you’ve worked for…”

I wiped at my eyes.

“But I don’t want you to get on that plane.”

He stepped closer.

“I know.”

Another tear slipped down my cheek.

Before I could stop myself, the words tumbled out.

“I want to go with you.”

The silence that followed felt impossibly heavy.

“I know I can’t just…leave everything behind,” I said quickly. “I have work, my apartment, my whole life here. I know that.”

My voice cracked.

“I just wish I could.”

Chris’s eyes softened.

He gently cupped my face, brushing away a tear with his thumb.

“If it were that simple…”

“I’d already be in the passenger seat,” I finished with a watery laugh.

He smiled sadly.

“Probably.”

“I hate this.”

“I do too.”

For a moment, neither of us spoke.

Then he rested his forehead against mine.

“Listen to me.”

I nodded.

“This isn’t goodbye forever.”

I closed my eyes.

“It doesn’t feel that way.”

“I know.”

He took both of my hands in his.

“I’m coming back.”

I looked up at him.

“As soon as I can.”

“And until then?”

“Until then…” he said, giving my hands a gentle squeeze, “we call each other too much.”

I laughed through my tears.

“We already do that.”

“We FaceTime.”

“Every night?”

“Every night.”

“You’ll send me random pictures of your day?”

“Even the boring ones.”

“I want the boring ones.”

He smiled.

“And you have to promise me something.”

“What?”

“You keep living your life.”

I frowned.

“Chris…”

“I’m serious.”

“I don’t want you putting everything on hold waiting for me.”

“I won’t.”

“I want to hear about work.”

I smiled a little.

“Even when customers are awful?”

“Especially then.”

“And I want to hear about L.A.”

“You’ll probably get sick of hearing about it.”

“I don’t think that’s possible.”

A voice echoed through the terminal, announcing that boarding would begin soon.

Neither of us moved.

Neither of us wanted to acknowledge it.

Finally, Chris wrapped his arms around me again.

This hug was different from all the others.

Longer.

Tighter.

Like we were both trying to memorize what it felt like.

“I’ll miss you,” I whispered.

“I’ll miss you more.”

“You don’t get to win this one.”

He laughed quietly.

“I had to try.”

When we finally pulled apart, he pressed a gentle kiss to my forehead.

“I’ll call you as soon as I land.”

“You better.”

“I promise, I love you.” he said then kissed my forehead.

“I love you.”

He picked up his backpack, took a few steps toward security, then turned around one last time.

I lifted my hand.

He smiled.

“I’ll see you soon, Em.”

This time, I believed him.

Because even though watching him disappear around the corner hurt more than I expected…

It didn’t feel like the end of our story.

It just felt like the first chapter we’d have to write from two different places.

CHAPTER TEN—One day

content warning: none; fluff slight sadness

One day.

Twenty-four hours.

That’s all I had left.

My suitcase sat open on the floor of my childhood bedroom, only half-packed. Hoodies were folded into neat piles, chargers were tossed onto the bed, and a pair of sneakers leaned against the dresser.

I’d packed a hundred times before.

This time, I couldn’t bring myself to finish.

A knock sounded on my bedroom door.

“You alive?” Matt called.

“Barely.”

He stepped inside, taking one look at the suitcase before letting out a quiet sigh.

“You haven’t packed much.”

“I know.”

He sat on the edge of my bed.

“You don’t want to go.”

It wasn’t a question.

I zipped up one of the side pockets just to keep my hands busy.

“It’s weird.”

“What is?”

“I’ve always been ready to go back.”

Matt nodded.

“But not this time.”

I looked down at the floor.

“No.”

He was quiet for a moment.

“You really love her.”

I laughed softly.

“Yeah.”

⸻

My phone buzzed.

Em ❤️:

I’m off work.

Meet me?

I smiled before I even realized I was doing it.

⸻

The beach wasn’t anything fancy.

Just a quiet stretch of shoreline about twenty minutes outside the city where hardly anyone went after sunset.

Chris had found it a few days ago.

Now it felt like it belonged to us.

I spotted his car before I even parked.

He was already sitting on the hood, hands shoved into the pocket of his hoodie.

The second he saw me, he smiled.

“There she is.”

I walked over, stopping between his knees.

“Hi.”

“Hi.”

Neither of us moved.

Neither of us seemed interested in breaking the silence.

Finally, he reached for my hand.

“I missed you.”

I smiled and kissed him.

“We saw each other yesterday.”

“I know.”

“And texted all day.”

“I know.”

“You called me on my lunch break.”

“I know.”

I smiled.

“I missed you too.”

⸻

We walked along the shoreline with our shoes in our hands.

The water lapped gently against our ankles every few steps.

“I don’t want tomorrow to be weird,” Chris said.

I looked down at the sand.

“I’ve been thinking the same thing.”

“I don’t want us crying all day.”

I nudged his shoulder.

“You think I’m going to cry?”

He looked at me.

“I think I’ll cry first.”

I laughed.

“You?”

“I have feelings.”

“Barely.”

He gasped dramatically.

“That was mean.”

“You’ll recover.”

“I don’t know if I will.”

⸻

As the sun began to set, we found a spot in the sand and sat down.

Chris leaned back on his hands, staring out at the water.

“I wish I’d met you sooner.”

The words were so quiet I almost missed them.

I turned toward him.

“So do I.”

“Maybe if I’d come home more often…”

“Chris.”

He looked at me.

“You can’t do that to yourself.”

“I know.”

“You didn’t know.”

He nodded slowly.

“I just keep thinking about all the time we missed.”

I reached over, threading my fingers through his.

“We found each other eventually.”

His thumb brushed across the back of my hand.

“I guess we did.”

⸻

The sky faded from orange to pink to deep shades of blue.

Neither of us paid much attention to the time until my phone buzzed.

9:14 p.m.

“We should probably head back,” I said quietly.

“Probably.”

Neither of us stood.

Chris laughed under his breath.

“We’re really bad at saying goodbye.”

“I noticed.”

“I think we’ve been leaving for ten minutes.”

“At least.”

Finally, he stood, offering me his hand.

“Come on.”

⸻

He drove slower than usual.

Not dangerously slow.

Just…

Like he wasn’t in a hurry for the night to end.

When we pulled up outside my apartment, he turned off the engine but didn’t unlock the doors.

I looked over at him.

“You okay?”

He nodded.

“Yeah.”

He wasn’t convincing.

“I’ve been thinking about something.”

“What?”

“When I get back to L.A…”

I waited.

“I don’t want this to become a memory.”

My chest tightened.

“I don’t either.”

“I want the phone calls.”

I smiled.

“The FaceTimes.”

“I’ll answer.”

“The random texts.”

“You already send me enough of those.”

He laughed.

“I do.”

“And I’ll still answer.”

His smile softened.

“I know long distance isn’t easy.”

“No.”

“But…”

I took his hand.

“I think you’re worth trying.”

For a second, he just looked at me.

Like he wanted to memorize every detail.

Then he leaned over and wrapped me in the tightest hug he’d ever given me.

“I was hoping you’d say that.”

I closed my eyes, holding onto him just as tightly.

“We’ll figure it out.”

“Together?”

I smiled against his shoulder.

“Together.”

When we finally pulled away, neither of us said anything.

We didn’t need to.

Tomorrow would be hard.

There was no pretending otherwise.

But for the first time since we’d started counting down the days…

Tomorrow didn’t feel like the end.

It just felt like the beginning of something that would take a little more work.

CHAPTER NINE—Two Days

content warning: none fluff, angst

Two days.

I hated that number.

It followed me everywhere.

It was there when I poured my coffee that morning.

It was there while I folded laundry before work.

It was there every time I looked at my phone and saw another message from Chris.

Two days.

I was trying so hard not to let it ruin the time we still had.

But it was impossible to ignore.

⸻

By the time my shift ended that evening, I was exhausted.

The dinner rush had been nonstop, and all I wanted was to kick my shoes off and crawl into bed.

Instead, I stepped outside and immediately spotted Chris’s car parked across the street.

The sight of him leaning against the driver’s side door somehow made the entire day feel lighter.

He looked up from his phone as I walked over.

“There she is.”

I smiled.

“Hi.”

“You look tired.”

“I am.”

He opened his arms.

“C’mere.”

I didn’t hesitate.

I stepped into the hug, wrapping my arms around his waist as he rested his chin lightly on top of my head.

Neither of us spoke for a minute.

The city buzzed around us—cars passing, people talking, music drifting from a nearby bar—but everything else faded into the background.

“You smell like coffee,” he mumbled.

“I work in a restaurant.”

“I know.”

“I’m just saying.”

I laughed quietly against his hoodie.

“And you smell like laundry detergent.”

He looked offended.

“That’s incredibly specific.”

“I notice things.”

He smiled.

“I guess I’m rubbing off on you.”

⸻

Instead of going anywhere fancy, Chris drove us to the overlook just outside town.

It wasn’t much.

Just a quiet place where you could see the city lights stretching across the horizon.

He parked the car, and we climbed onto the hood, sitting side by side.

“This is where I used to come when I needed to think,” he said.

“It’s pretty.”

“It is.”

The sky was painted in shades of orange and pink as the sun disappeared.

Neither of us felt the need to fill every silence.

It had become one of my favorite things about us.

Being quiet never felt awkward.

It felt…

Safe.

⸻

“Can I ask you something?” Chris said after a while.

“You just did.”

He laughed.

“You know what I mean.”

“I know.”

I tucked my knees up against my chest.

“Ask.”

He looked out over the city instead of at me.

“Are you mad at me?”

I frowned.

“What?”

“For leaving.”

The question caught me off guard.

“No.”

“You hesitated.”

“I was surprised.”

He sighed.

“I keep wondering if you wish we’d never met.”

I turned toward him so quickly he finally looked at me.

“Chris.”

“What?”

“I could never wish that.”

His shoulders relaxed slightly.

“I just…”

He ran a hand through his hair.

“I hate that this is happening now.”

“So do I.”

“If I’d come home a month earlier…”

“If I’d picked up an extra shift that night…”

“If your mom hadn’t made you go to dinner…”

He smiled faintly.

“I guess we wouldn’t be here.”

I shook my head.

“Maybe we would’ve met some other way.”

“You believe that?”

“I like to.”

⸻

The breeze picked up, and I rubbed my hands together.

Without saying anything, Chris slipped off his hoodie and held it out to me.

“What about you?”

“I’ll survive.”

“You’ll freeze.”

“I’ll survive while freezing.”

I smiled before pulling it over my head.

It smelled exactly like him.

Comforting.

Familiar.

Dangerous.

Because I knew I’d miss it.

⸻

“I’ve been thinking,” he said quietly.

“Uh-oh.”

“Don’t make fun of me.”

“I haven’t yet.”

He smiled.

“I don’t know what this looks like after I leave.”

My chest tightened.

“But…”

He reached over and took my hand.

“I know I don’t want this to end just because I’m getting on a plane.”

I looked down at our hands.

“You mean that?”

“I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t.”

I swallowed.

“I’ve been scared to ask.”

“I know.”

“I didn’t want to make things harder.”

“They’re already hard.”

I laughed softly through the lump in my throat.

“That’s true.”

He squeezed my hand gently.

“So…”

“So?”

“We’ll figure it out.”

I searched his face for a moment.

There wasn’t certainty.

There wasn’t a perfect plan.

Just honesty.

And hope.

For now…

That was enough.

⸻

When he drove me home later that night, neither of us rushed to say goodbye.

The engine idled quietly outside my apartment building.

“I work tomorrow,” I said.

“I know.”

“But I’m off after six.”

“I’ll be here.”

I smiled.

“I know you will.”

He leaned over, pressing a soft kiss to my forehead.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Em.”

I rested my hand over his for just a second.

“Tomorrow.”

As I climbed out of the car, I glanced back one last time.

He was already watching me, waiting until I reached my front door before pulling away.

I stood on the porch long after his taillights disappeared around the corner.

Two days.

Soon…

It would be one.

And somehow, time had never felt so unfair.

CHAPTER EIGHT— Five days

content warnings: none, fluff

Five days.

That number had been stuck in my head since I woke up.

Five days until Chris got on a plane back to Los Angeles.

Five days until everything we’d been building over the last week would suddenly have an ocean of miles between us.

I hated how often I thought about it.

Even more, I hated that I hadn’t said anything.

⸻

My shift ended just after six.

I had barely untied my apron before my phone buzzed.

Chris: Outside.

I smiled to myself.

He’d started doing that.

Instead of asking if I was almost done, he’d just wait. Sometimes he’d bring me a coffee. Other times we’d drive around with no destination in mind.

I grabbed my bag and headed outside.

Sure enough, his car was parked near the curb.

He rolled the passenger window down.

“Hey, stranger.”

I laughed as I climbed in.

“We literally saw each other yesterday.”

“I know.”

He shrugged. And leaned in to kiss me, it was soft barley rushed.

“Felt longer.” He said pulling away.

“You are so dramatic.”

“I’ve accepted that about myself.”

⸻

The evening sun painted everything gold as we drove through town with no real plan.

Chris rested one hand on the steering wheel while the other tapped along to whatever song was playing through the speakers.

“So…” he said.

“So?”

“I have an important question.”

I looked over at him.

“Should I be worried?”

“Very.”

I gasped dramatically.

“Oh no.”

“Pancakes.”

“…Pancakes?”

“For dinner.”

I stared at him.

“That’s your important question?”

“Answer carefully.”

I laughed.

“I mean…”

“They’re acceptable.”

His jaw dropped.

“Acceptable?”

“They’re breakfast food.”

“They’re an all-day food.”

“They’re breakfast.”

He shook his head.

“I don’t know if this is going to work.”

“Oh?”

“I don’t think our values align.”

I couldn’t stop laughing.

“Pull over.”

“So you can leave?”

“So I can push you out of the driver’s seat.”

⸻

We ended up at his mom’s anyway.

Chris made pancakes.

Just to prove a point.

He looked entirely too pleased with himself when he finished them.

“I’d like you to know these are incredible.”

“I’m sure they are.”

“You want a bite.”

“I don’t.”

“You do.”

I sighed dramatically.

“Fine.”

He held his fork out toward me with a grin.

“See?”

I took one bite.

“…Okay.”

He smiled wider.

“I hate that you’re right.”

“I know.”

⸻

After eating we watched a movie in the living room, cuddling together.

We watched a random movie and ended up falling asleep against each other.

The sun was set and the night sky light barley peaked through the curtains.

The movie credits rolled, we were still asleep.

It was peaceful being together, not moving, just touching each other, in the moment.

Chris slipped his hands around my waist in his sleep pulling me closer.

About an hour later we had woken up and went to the kitchen, I sat on the counter, he leaned on the counter across from me and we ate more pancakes in the dark.

“You know…” he started.

“What?”

“I forgot how much I missed this place.”

“You miss Boston?”

“I do.”

“Then why’d you leave?”

He looked ahead for a second before answering.

“I needed something bigger.”

“L.A.?”

He nodded.

“It gave me opportunities I never would’ve had here.”

“Worth it?”

He smiled.

“Yeah.”

Then, after a pause—

“But home is still home.”

He sat down his plate.

“I get that.”

Another few seconds passed in silence.

Comfortable silence.

Until…

“You’ve been quiet.”

I glanced over.

“I have?”

“Mhm.”

“You notice everything.”

“I notice you.”

My heart skipped.

I laughed softly, hoping he couldn’t tell how much those three words affected me.

“I’m just thinking.”

“About?”

I hesitated.

“You leave in five days.”

He looked up at me and walked up in front of me, placing his hands on either side of me, resting his head on my shoulder.

“I know.”

“I wish I hadn’t counted.”

“So do I.”

The smile I’d been wearing all night just disappeared.

“I don’t want things to get weird.”

“They won’t.”

“But…”

“What?”

“What happens after?”

He didn’t answer right away.

Instead, he closed the distance between us until we were standing only a foot apart.

“I don’t know.”

It wasn’t the answer I wanted.

But it was honest.

“And I’m not going to lie to you, Em.”

I nodded.

“I know.”

“I just know…”

He reached over and gently tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear.

“…that I don’t want to spend these next five days worrying about saying goodbye.”

His voice was quiet.

“I’d rather spend them making the most of the time we have.”

I felt my eyes sting.

Not because I was crying.

Just because I hated how right he was.

“I love you”

He smiled sadly.

“I love you too”

We made eye contact and then kissed softly, feeling the sadness in the room. He pulled away and rested his head on my shoulder again.

“Then let’s make the next five days count.”

His smile returned.

“Deal.”

We stayed in the kitchen for a bit.

No big speeches.

No impossible promises.

Just quiet together…

Before going to bed in his room upstairs.

We cuddled, not letting go of each other.

Not for the rest of the night.

And for the first time since I started counting down the days…

Five didn’t feel quite so small.

CHAPTER SEVEN—Morning After

content warnings: none, fluff, one mention of sex

The sunlight spilling through my bedroom curtains was enough to wake me before my alarm.

I groaned, rolling onto my back and staring at the ceiling for a moment.

Last night replayed in my mind like scenes from a movie.

Dinner.

Laughing until my stomach hurt.

Chris insisting on paying no matter how many times I reached for my wallet.

The sex before we went home.

The drive home with the windows down, music playing softly through the speakers while we sang along to songs neither of us knew all the words to.

And the way he’d looked at me before dropping me off.

The butterflies came back instantly.

I buried my face in my pillow.

“This is embarrassing,” I mumbled to myself.

My phone buzzed on my nightstand.

I reached over without looking.

Chris – 8:03 a.m.

Chris: Morning, Em. Hope you slept okay.

A smile spread across my face before I could stop it.

Me: I did.

Three dots appeared almost immediately.

Chris: That’s good.

Chris: Good luck at work today.

Chris: Don’t let anyone give you a hard time.

I laughed quietly.

Me: I’ll do my best.

I set my phone down and finally dragged myself out of bed.

⸻

Work days always followed the same routine.

Shower.

Hair.

Makeup.

Coffee.

Try not to be late.

I tied my hair into a loose ponytail while balancing my coffee mug in one hand, nearly dropping it when Maya wandered into the kitchen.

“Morning.”

“Morning.”

She studied me for a second.

“You look…happy.”

“I just woke up.”

“Mhm.”

She leaned against the counter.

“So?”

“So what?”

“How was dinner?”

I couldn’t help smiling.

“It was really nice.”

“Just nice?”

I laughed.

“It was…really, really nice.”

“There she is.”

I rolled my eyes.

“You’re impossible.”

“And yet, I’m right.”

⸻

By the time I arrived at the restaurant, it was already starting to fill with the lunch crowd.

I tied my apron around my waist and grabbed my order pad.

“Morning, Em,” one of my coworkers called.

“Morning.”

“Ready for another exciting day?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be.”

She laughed before disappearing toward the hostess stand.

I took a deep breath.

Back to reality.

For the next few hours, it was the usual rhythm—greeting tables, carrying trays, refilling drinks, and trying to remember who ordered extra ranch.

But every now and then…

My phone would buzz in my apron pocket.

I never checked it while I was with customers.

Still…

Just knowing Chris had texted made the shift feel a little lighter.

Maybe Maya was right.

Maybe I was happier.

And maybe that was the scary part.

Because every day I spent getting to know him…

Was one day closer to the day he’d have to leave.

I tried not to think about it.

Instead, I smiled at the family I was serving, picked up another tray, and reminded myself to enjoy the time we had.

One day at a time.