We Were Strangers| Completed

part 41

I paced back and forth in front of my door, nervous to say the least. I linked my fingers to the doorknob, twisting it to open the door. I started downstairs as soon as I left my room. I gathered my thoughts and looked over at the dining table, where Wendy, Dan, and Alex were eating dinner.

With an open seat next to Alex, I moved closer to the dining room. They all lifted their heads from their food to look at me. When Alex saw me, he smiled and motioned for me to sit. I took a plate and sat down. It was the first time I had sat down to have dinner rather than sneaking down here for the food.

I took the bowl of pasta and placed it on my plate, along with some mashed potatoes. Wendy and Dan resumed their conversation as I took my first bite of the food. Wendy ranted about how a client was rude and walked out mid-meeting. I moved the bland food around the plate, listening intently to what she had to say.

"Mommy, I was at school." Alex began talking about his day at school, detailing everything he did. He was finished and excused himself, hurrying off to his tablet. I remained seated, my tongue hanging out, wanting to spit out the real reason I had gone downstairs.

Wendy went off to speak about her upcoming OBGYN appointment.

"I can join you." "I don't work that day." Wendy nodded as they exchanged longing smiles.

I coughed and set my fork down before blurting out the next few words.

"I purchased a ticket." Everyone jerked their heads back, and Wendy furrowed her brows as Dan remained as cold and emotionless as ever.

I looked over at Dan with hazy eyes. "I want to see my mom." His lip twitched downward at the mention of the word "mom." Dan averted his eyes, scratching his temple.

"Ok." I let out a breath of relief; I had expected him to protest, asking me why I had bought a ticket without asking him for input beforehand. But then the unexpected happened, and he didn't fight it. I nodded, a small, tight-lipped smile on my lips. I couldn't wait any longer to return home.

***

I had spent the previous day packing my suitcase. I rummaged through my closet, deciding what to keep and what to leave. My hands skimmed over this black sweater, and as I turned it around, I pulled the sleeves up, raising an eyebrow.

 I narrowed my brows at the oversize hoodie until it dawned on me who the hoodie belonged to. The name Valore was written on the back. I tossed it to the other side of the room and put it in the pile of things I wasn't going to take with me.

I packed a few more essentials in my luggage. With only a carry-on, I quickly filled it up and was surprised to find that most of what I needed was in there. My phone beeped, and when I turned to look at it, I saw that my boss had texted me back. I had sent a text explaining not to schedule me for this week or the next week.

 The response was a quick yes. Moving past my message app, I looked down at the time, realizing I needed to leave before it got any later.

I looked around my room, making sure I had everything, and then I pulled out the handle from my luggage, opened the door with my open hand, and lugged it all the way downstairs.

"Are you leaving already?" Alex asked, looking up from his tablet.

I nodded. "Yeah, I'm about to leave right now."

"Oh, Mila," she said, "I completely forgot about your flight today." Wendy explained as she walked downstairs in a dark purple robe.

I nodded. "Yeah, I'm about to leave. "All I need to do is call a taxi." As I began to take my phone from my pocket, I opened my mouth to say

"Don't be silly." "Dan can take you." She smiled as Dan's footsteps echoed behind her.

They both continued downstairs until they arrived at the bottom floor. Dan adjusted his tie as he began to button his shirt cuffs.

"Let me just find my keys." Dan continued walking over to the wall hooks where the keys were hung. I turned to face him, and he nodded while jiggling the keys. I looked down at my bag, drew the handle further out, and started walking out of the house.

I was outside when the cold air hit my body, causing chills to run up my spine. As I waited for the trunk to open, I shivered. I pushed the bag in and pressed the handle down as I carried it up. I shut the trunk once it fit and was secure. As I got closer to the car, I noticed Wendy and Alex standing outside.

With teary eyes, Alex covered his blue eyes. "You're coming back, right?" He murmured. My heartstrings were pulled as I saw his lip wobble and a single tear fall from his cheek.

"I'll be back." I reassured him as I opened my arms and wrapped my arms around him in a tight hug.

"All right, buddy, you're going to make her late." Wendy raised her voice from beside him. He giggled, wiped his tears away, and sniffled.

"Enjoy your trip." Wendy smiled softly, and I returned the smile and nodded.

"We should go." Dan's voice could be heard calling out from the door. I looked at the time and realized I needed to leave right away. I said a quick goodbye, and as I turned around, my gaze was drawn to someone I didn't expect to see.

As Nico walked out of his house and attempted to get into his car, our eyes met. I turned my head away from his intensely burning gaze.

My hands moved over to the door, where I sighed and quickly buckled up in the SUV.

Alex waved as he wiped his tears, and as we slowly reversed out of the driveway, my thoughts were cut short by a notification. I turned my phone around to see who it was and decided to ignore it after reading the name. I silenced my phone and leaned my head against the window as we began our drive to the airport.

The drive was mostly silent, except for the sound of the radio. It took us 40 minutes to get there. Swaying through the traffic, I looked up at the signs, looking for the closest door to my terminal.

"This is it." I told Dan, who slowed down and put the car in park before pressing a button on his key fob, which opened the trunk, and I opened my door as I walked over to the back. Dan dashed over, grabbed the suitcase, and placed it on the ground.

I took the luggage from his grasp and turned my gaze to the glass door. I quickly looked at Dan, who kept his eyes fixed on me.

My lips parted. "I should probably start heading inside."

He nodded before taking a step forward, pressing his lips together, and tilting his head. I stood there in silence, my fingers sweating and becoming clammy.

He forced a smile on his face, which I returned before it faded away. I nodded, grabbed the handle, and spun around, heading toward the doors.

I feel overwhelmed, brimming deep with emotions that I want to let out.

"Mila," he called out, causing me to come to a halt. I turn around, my brows furrowed, and raise my head.

I knew I was short on time, but I still walked back to hear what he had to say.

He stayed silent for a bit before he finally said it.

"You're not coming back, are you?" His words caused me to tilt my head and widen my eyes.

"What?" I acted surprised.

"No need to lie, I know." He admitted it.

I looked down at the floor, and, when I finally met his gaze, I shook my head. That was the plan. I had to get away from this town in order to keep my sanity.

He did the unexpected by opening his arms and pulling me into a strong embrace. When I finally let go of my pent-up rage, let my emotions out, and let myself feel, I returned the embrace.

At that time, when it finally dawned on me, my heart began to race as I realized time was running out. When I heard several beeps from nearby cars, I dropped my hands, as did Dan.

I took a step back, swallowing the lump in my throat, as I spun away from him, heading for the wide doors and entering the airport. I waved one more time, his eyes gleaming as we both realized what this meant—that this would be the last time I saw him.