Chapter 29 Last

                                    

                                          
"No way ! I swear Cody is the sweetest little boy I've ever seen !" I said , laughing so hard I could barely breathe! After our talk last night Aiden invited me out to their lake house for a picnic - to which I gladly accepted - I had to get out of this town even if it was just for a day . I kept seeing their faces everywhere and felt guilty even though I had no reason to be. So instead,  I was distracted by stories of Cody's first baseball game from last weekend . 
                          
"Well not in that moment ! He tackled a kid and demanded he throw the ball again saying he threw it skew on purpose! You should've seen it Maya !" Aiden said laughing and trying to catch his breath too. It was nice just laughing and having fun , not having to worry about anything. 
                          
"Wow ! I really needed that good laugh, thanks Aid. " I said with a smile while we both started to calm down. 
                          
"Anytime " he replied, taking two glasses out of the basket along with some champagne. "It's non alcoholic don't worry" he reassured me , almost reading my mind . 
                          
"What's the occasion? " I said , taking the glass from him. 
                          
"Well ," he said while pouring our glasses " I just got an offer this morning to go work at one of the best hospitals in Rochester  Minnesota. " 
                          
"Wow ! Aid that's Amazing congrats ! Did you take it ? I mean of course you took it right ? It's one of the best hospitals in the country!?  I'm so proud of you !" I said , getting all excited and caught up in the moment. 
                          
"Thanks " he said , scratching the back of his neck nervously. And that's when I knew there was more to this picnic than that. 
                          
"What is it ? " I said concerned,  trying to read him but it was no use , he might as well have been a blank canvas. 
                          
"That's almost 2000 miles away babe ... " he trailed off while it snapped me back to reality. 
                          
"Okay um... so I'll fly to you . " 
                          
"Plane tickets are super expensive and if you drive ,the drive alone would take you a little under a day. I can't do that to you ." He trailed off making me want to start tearing up . Was this going the direction I thought it was ?
                          
"W-what are you saying? " I said starting to tear up 
                          
"No , no don't cry baby , I was trying to work up the courage to ask you to come with me - I guess being so vague and dragging it out didn't help - " he mumbled to himself " but I want you to come with me. We can rent an apartment and move in together, you can study there , we could find a new chu-" 
                          
"Aid , I can't. " I said slightly disappointed that those words just escaped my mouth and cut his excitement short. 
                          
"What do you mean ? We could get separate apartments if it would make you feel better ? We could even live in the same complex buildi-" 
                          
"It's not that. It's... my life's here. My friends , family.  I can't just pick up and go ... you know ?" I said a little sad , looking down. 
                          
"I understand..." he trailed off ,making me lift up my head in surprise that he was giving up this easy. 
                          
"What? " I asked in disbelief. 
                          
"I get it. It's your home and they are the people who make you happy. You deserve to be happy Amaya." 
                          
"But Aiden I love you !" 
                          
"And I love you too . A lot. So that's why I have to do this. I can't take you from your home and I can't turn down this once in a lifetime opportunity either." 
                          
"Are you - " 
                          
"Yeah..." he said with a sigh " I have to let you go then Amaya . No matter how much it pains me to do so. " 
                          
"But we can make this work , we can call , text , facetim-" 
                          
"I don't think I'll be able to do a long distance relationship. I'm sorry." He said with despair written in his voice. 
                          
"Please don't do this ... I love you!" I cried out , the tears running freely now. 
                          
"And I love you. That's why I have to do this. For you. You know the saying,  if you love something set it free . I'm setting you free now Amaya . " 
                          
"Then I'll wait for you !" I begged one last time while he took my hands in his ,looking down at me as I saw the tears starting to form in his eyes too. This was really hard on him too... 
                          
"And I can't expect that from you. You have to move on Amaya. If we were God willing meant to be ... we'll find our way back to eachother.  And if we weren't then ... I'm happy to have had you in my life. You've been the best girlfriend I've ever had . I've never loved anyone as much as I have loved you ... to the moon and back. " he quoted our saying for eachother. That just pulled at my heartstrings even more. 
                          
"So... this is ... goodbye ?" I said with a hiccup of tears. 
                          
"I guess so ..." he trailed off , giving me a long lasting hug,  knowing it would be the last time he would hold me like this, the last time I would be in this position. We pulled back as he gave me a kiss , the kiss that said this is it. This is goodbye. The last time I would feel his lips on mine and taste them linger on my lips. This was our last goodbye... 
                          
When I arrived back home,  the only thing I wanted to do was lay in my bed and cry until I couldn't cry anymore . Yet when I saw my mom's face at the door , I broke apart all over again. 
                          
"Amaya sweetie,  what's wrong -" 
                          
"I think Aiden and I just broke up ! " I said through tears as I started to cry again. The sound of my pain and sorrow echoed through the halls of the house summoning my dad and Logan too while my mom tried to console me on the couch. I cried into her arms while she stroked my head and everyone gathered around me . It was only after I told everyone what happend -  and mom apologized that she had work and dad had youth group he would take over for me - that I was left alone with my thoughts for the first time - my tears dry on my cheeks - that everything started to feel surreal. 
                          
"Uh ... Amaya ?" Logan's voice rang behind me and it was like the flood gates reopened just by the pity underlying tone of his voice . "I'm so sorry. " he apologized as I pulled myself into his side , crying into his jacket. Why I did this,  I had no idea. But I knew I needed a friend right now , someone to talk to and if it so happend to be Logan , I'll take it. 
                          
We sat there for a good hour while I cried into his side , him carrying mugs of hot chocolate and tubs of ice cream behind me while I curled up on the couch to Five Feet Apart. He didn't say a word to me after that and he didn't have to, but just knowing I wasn't alone was all I needed right now . 
                          
I'm not crying you're crying !! 😭😭 I'm sorry to all the #Aidenshippers that this had to happen but it's for the best trust me . It hurts me just as much as it hurts you! 😢😢 Remember to leave your thoughts - and RIP to #teamAiden 😢 -  in the comment section below . Doesn't the song above just make you wanna cry even more!? 😭😭 Thank you so much for reading. Until next time,  keep howling my wolves ❤🐺