SMILE ✔︎

(6)

done 😢

He asks, but the tone was more like he knew the answer..

I take a breath in, turning my face toward his. The tips of our noses were touching, his breath cascading along my face. I just shake my head.

I don't know what made him know.. but he found out.

His eyes change, to an emotion I'm unsure of, and he slowly begins nodding. His hand that draped over my chest moved to my cheek, which he grasped lightly. He moved his thumb in soothing circles, taking in the way I felt..

And I tried to memorize the feeling I get when he touches my face.. the butterflies that now were just hornets. If I made one wrong move they'd sting me again with the idea of her.. Koa...

"I knew you were gonna leave.." he mumbles, pressing his forehead against mine, and kissing my lips.

"I'm sorry, Royce-" I start, trying to explain myself but he just shakes his head, "I know, Sweetheart.. there's not a thing you say that I don't understand. I just wish.. I wish I met you when I could've loved you with my whole heart."

"I do too..."

He licks his lips, his hand leaving my face and memorizing every curve of my body. "I'll protect you, okay? Always..."

"How will you, Royce? You won't know where I am.. how I am.. what I'm doing-"

"I'll find a way, and I'll make sure every guy you meet is perfect for you.. and every girl you find is just as special as you are."

I let out a chuckle, running my fingers through his hair. "I have 8 hours.."

"Only 8 hours left with you.." I repeat.

I loved him of course, I just didn't want to. It hurt to love him just how it hurt to pull out a tooth.. but I wanted to do it none the less..

"I can make it worth your while, Kelca.." he mumbles, standing up and throwing on his cargo pants. He tightened his belt, standing above me and admiring me while he chest was still on display.

"We're going out. Go get some clothes on."

-

If you wanted to know what he did.. it was magical.

He took me all around town, to the movie theater and the tattoo parlor, where he got the word 'smile' written on his wrist. I don't really know why..

He took me on the beach, laughing when I kept falling off of his surfboard and showing me all the pictures he took of us with his camera in his locker.

He gave me his key necklace... saying that whenever I came back I should open it up again. I wanted to know what else was in it but he wouldn't tell me..

He took my to the strawberry fields again, and to see Camden. To tell him I was leaving.. but that I would be back.

I didn't want to leave Camden...

And the entire time, he looked at me the same way he did on top of the Ferris wheel. Where he was genuinely happy.. genuinely trying.

Acting like I mattered..

It made me realize how bad he used to treat me, and how somehow I still fell in love with him. I don't regret it though. Every second I would look over and see him looking at me, throughout every attraction we saw and memory we walked down.. he was looking at me. Taking me in, my smell, my hair, my face, the way he felt when I was near..

I sat on the bench, our bodies pointed toward each other.

His hands held mine, playing with the skin on my hands and kissing them every second he could.