“I got you.” His voice penetrates the quiet room. “There is nowhere I want to be more than I want to be right here with you. No matter what the situation may be, that will never change.” I feel him kiss the top of my head. “I love you, Kensington James.”

I squeeze my eyes closed and fight back yet another round of tears. I don’t know how I am going to move on from him. All I know is that I will cherish every moment I’ve spent with him and pray that it will get me through.

We lay tightly embraced for hours. I’m exhausted but sleep evades me. I know I’m not staying and the ache in my chest from that alone is keeping me awake. Maxton fought it as well. He held me and administered sweet kisses anywhere his lips could reach. I kept my body turned away from his. Getting lost in him is not a risk I can take at this point. I’ve already tried to talk myself out of leaving a million times. I finally hear his breathing even out and I know he has finally drifted off to sleep. He still has a tight grip on me, so I wait. Wait for him to fall into a deep sleep so I can slip out undetected and sever the connection we share. I just can’t be with him, not with Justin in the picture and not with them being friends. I just… can’t.

His hold on me loosens just enough that I think I can slip away. I swallow hard to fight off the tears. I need to leave quickly and quietly. As slowly as I can, I lift his arm and slide out from under him. He grumbles and rolls over. I sit still on the edge of the bed, waiting to see if he’s going to wake up. He doesn’t. Standing quietly, I grab the hotel pad of paper that is sitting on the table and the complimentary pen and write him a note. I don’t want him to worry, but he also needs to realize it’s over. My stomach twists painfully at the thought. Pushing through the pain and the heartache, I write to him.

Maxton-

You came into my life without warning and changed everything for me.

I never thought I could let myself fall in love with anyone, until you.

I’m sorry I slipped out while you were sleeping, but I couldn’t handle the pain in your eyes when you found out I was leaving. When I told you I loved you, I meant it.

You will always be the other half of me. I can’t ask you to choose a lifelong friend over me and I can’t stay and be involved in any part of his life. I need for you to understand that this is what needs to happen. Please let me go. I need you to know that I will cherish every moment, every touch, every kiss, every single memory from our time spent together. Please take care of you.

Love You, Forever and Always,

Kensington

My eyes are blurry from tears and I’m not even sure what I wrote, but regardless, he will get the point. I left and what we had has to end. Grabbing my keys and phone, I stop by his side of the bed and take in the sight of him sleeping. This is the last time I will ever see him this way. The pain is real, the tightness in my chest, the lead weight in the pit of my stomach, it’s real. I’m about to walk away from the best thing that ever happened to me. I place my hand over my mouth to prevent a sob from breaking free. I swallow hard a few times before I’m able to whisper the words, “I love you, always, Maxton Cooper.” Then turn and slip quietly out the door.

Keeping my head down, I’m able to make it to the car without anyone asking if I’m all right. I can only imagine how I look with the events of tonight wearing on me. Then again, it is the middle of the night. I’m sure the night staff couldn’t care less about my broken heart; they are just here to get paid.

The drive home is long. I drive straight through, just wanting my bed. I pull into the apartment at seven; the sun is just starting to rise. I have to muster up the energy to even get out of the car. I’m emotionally drained; my body is weak and I’m exhausted. I just want to sleep and try to block it all out. Knowing I have my bed waiting for me motivates me to exit the car. I stop in the lobby and get the mail, which will save me a trip down later. I’m expecting paperwork from school regarding my externship. Shit! I forgot all about the extern. I make a mental note to talk to my professor on Monday and start looking for a new site.

Once I’m in the apartment, I toss my keys and my phone on the table and sift through the mail. A letter catches my eye. I take a closer look and see that it’s from our attorney. The one Dad hired to prosecute for Mom’s murder. My hands start to shake and my palms are sweaty. My heart feels like it’s about to beat through my chest. As I attempt to open the envelope, I struggle to pull air into my lungs. I fight through the fear and manage to remove the letter. Sucking in slow deep breaths, I unfold the paper and skim the contents. No, Joe, he wants to talk to me. As if this day hasn’t been bad enough. A sob escapes me and I wish more than anything Maxton were here.

I can’t breathe. What could he possibly want to talk to me about? My heart is racing. I reach for the back of the couch to steady myself on wobbly legs, and before I know what happens, my world turns black.

ROLLING OVER, I reach out for Kens and the bed’s cold. My eyes immediately pop open and stare at the empty space in the bed where she should be.

She’s gone.

I can feel it.

She left me.

Throwing the covers back, I jump out of bed and grab my phone. Swiping the screen, I see it’s five thirty in the morning. No messages and no missed calls. I pull up Bright’s name and hit send. Grabbing my shoes, I sit at the table. Holding the phone to my ear with my shoulder, I work on putting on my shoes. It’s the middle of the damn night and she’s alone, upset and not fucking here where she should be. Bright’s phone goes straight to voicemail. Of course, he’s sleeping snuggled up with his girl, where I wish I were in this exact moment. I slam my fist down on the table and it lands on a pen. Looking down, I see a pad of hotel paper with her handwriting. I read her words and a mixture of emotions swamp me.

I’m worried about her driving at night two hours home by herself. I’m hurt that she left me. I’m pissed off that she’s not fighting for what we have. That she’s letting them win. I tear the letter from the pad of paper and hastily fold it and slip it into my wallet. I try Bright again and this time he answers.

“Maxton—” I cut him off.

“She’s gone, Bright. She fucking left while I was sleeping. She was in my arms, where she belongs. I fell asleep and I just woke up and she’s gone. She left a fucking goodbye letter, man. She says it’s over. I have to find her; we have to go.” I ramble on. I know I’m probably not making any sense and I don’t give a fuck. He needs to either get moving or I’m leaving their asses here. I’m going to find her.

“We’ll meet you in the lobby in five,” he says.

“Make it three. I have no idea what time she left, man. I have to find her.” My voice is pleading. That same damn feeling from earlier is back. The same feeling that something isn’t right. It hits me that my feeling of needing to stay with her was because of JT. I’m following my gut this time and going to her. I can only assume that she went home. If she’s not there when I get there, I’m calling her dad. No holds barred. I need to know she’s okay.

“Maxton, you have to calm down. We’ll find her,” Bright tries to reason with me.

“Calm down. I cannot fucking calm down. She left me. She FUCKING LEFT ME!” I roar into the phone.

“She’s upset. I was there, man. I heard her story; I heard about what she went through. I heard her tell us what Joe did to her mother, the letter from JT. She’s been holding that shit in for over three years. She needs to process. She’ll come around; you just need to be patient.”