City Lights, Country Nights

52.pain of life's crossroads

The bright sun shined down, a light breeze blowing as Liora sat in the car, her eyes looking over the trees and mountains that flowed by. Her gaze was distant, caught between the life she was leaving behind and the unknown that lay ahead.

"Hey," Jackie said, breaking the silence and making her look over to her sister. "You know it's a good thing, right? Get some time away, clear your head, get to go back to New York like you wanted," she said, but Liora just looked down. Jackie had left little choice in it.

Liora knew it wasn't forever, but she couldn't shake the feeling that Cole wouldn't wait. Doing this, leaving like a thief before dawn without telling anyone, was bound to leave a scar.

"He's never going to talk to me again," Liora mumbled, her gaze shifting back to Jackie, then to Danny who was sitting in the front seat by their uncle.

"He'll understand, Rory, okay? Just like Alex will have to," Jackie reassured her. Liora bit her lip, looking back out the window. She had yearned to return to New York a few months ago, but so much had changed since then.

As they pulled into the airport, Liora pulled herself out of the car and walked to the back to retrieve her bag.

"You alright?" her uncle asked. Liora gave him a smile and nodded as she grabbed her bag.

"Yeah, I'm okay. Just late night, early morning," Liora answered, her eyes looking down.

"Well, you can get some sleep on the plane, okay?" he said. Liora smiled and turned away to look at the airport before walking to stop next to Danny, who glanced over at her.

"I'm glad you came, Rory," he said. "Now you can drag me around New York." Liora nodded.

"Yeah, I can," she said softly, as Danny looked down at her with concern.

"I know something happened between you and Cole last night," he said, making Liora's eyes snap up to meet his. "He was too happy for something not to have happened. But Rory, whatever it is, you guys can work it out. You always do," he reassured her. Liora shook her head.

"I didn't tell him I was going," she confessed, her voice barely above a whisper. Danny nodded.

"Do you think... he will..." she started but trailed off, unable to finish the sentence.

"I don't think he'll be too mad, Rory," Danny said with a gentle smile. "He always knew you might go back, so he really can't be mad at you for it," he reasoned. Liora nodded, trying to find comfort in his words.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Liora said, though her heart was far from convinced as they started walking inside.

Just then, Liora's phone buzzed, halting her mid-step. Cole was calling her. Her heart raced with indecision.

"Hello?" she said as she answered, her voice trembling.

"Rory? God, where are you?" Cole's voice came through, frantic and concerned. Liora rubbed her lips together.

"The airport," she mumbled, stopping her walk entirely.

"Okay, look, I know you're confused about last night. I get it, it happened fast, but you don't need to leave just—" Cole's voice was rushed, "Just let me come and get you, and we can talk, okay?" he pleaded.

Liora let out a breath, her eyes moving to Jackie, who was standing with their uncle, a few steps away, oblivious to the call. The weight of her next words could tip the balance of her entire future.

"Cole, Jackie's going," she said, her voice a mix of resignation and defiance. She heard Cole let out a huff on the other end of the line.

"You can stay for you, Liora. Just because Jackie is going doesn't mean you have to, okay?" he asserted, his tone softening. Liora knew that Jackie would be just fine without her. Cole's words echoed in her mind, a tempting offer to stay and face the aftermath of their last encounter.

"Just let me come get you," Cole repeated, his voice steadier now, filled with a quiet strength that always seemed to anchor her.

Liora stood there silently, her thumb hovering over the end call button. Her mind was a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions. Could she really just walk away from everything—her sister, her plans, her dreams of New York, for the uncertainty of what lay with Cole?

Her hesitation was palpable, even to Danny, who gave her a knowing look, one that said he'd support her decision, no matter what it was.

The bustling sounds of the airport seemed to fade into the background as Liora wrestled with her decision. The final boarding call for their flight to New York echoed through the terminal, a stark reminder that time was slipping away.

"Rory?" Cole's voice came through again, tinged with anxiety. "Are you still there?"

Liora's heart pounded in her chest. She could tell him she was coming back, turn around and face whatever their relationship had become. Or she could hang up the phone, step onto that plane, and fly toward the future she'd planned before everything changed.

She looked at Jackie, who was laughing at something their uncle said. Then she glanced at Danny, the ever-present rock in her turbulent sea of life. He offered her a small, encouraging smile.

Liora's finger hovered, the call connected, Cole's breathing just audible on the other end. The announcement rang out once more, the final call for passengers.

"Cole, I—" she started, but the words wouldn't come. Her decision hung in the balance, the outcome a mystery to even her.

The line crackled with the silence between them, a bridge neither fully willing to cross just yet. Liora's eyes darted between the entrance to the gates and her phone. The choice was hers, and hers alone.

In that moment, Liora realized the beauty and the pain of life's crossroads. No matter what she chose, there would be a cost and a consequence. The story of her and Cole, their laughter and fights, their whispered promises in the dark, it all came flooding back.

She know what she should do but that thing is would she?