Untouchable

Alfie

Author's Note: Massive thanks for sprinkleofzalfie on YouTube for her great video to accompany this chapter. Please go and subscribe! I also hope you enjoy this chapter, it may be the last one and whatever happens, it'll give you all the feels!

**Songs for this chapter - "Patient Love" by Passenger/
"She Left Me by McFly**

The sun was going down, the last few rays casting their deep orange glow on the crashing waves of the Pacific Ocean. It felt almost prophetic; like it was symbolising something. The sun was going down on something - exactly what that was, I wasn't sure yet. My watch read 9.45pm. Still time, Alfie. Still time.

As I sat there I twiddled with the rose in my hands, thinking back through all the stuff Zoe and I had been through. Because I knew that if she didn't turn up today, our friendship would never be the same again. We would both try to stay normal, but we could never go back to the great relationship we shared now. The closeness, the laughter, the way we could tell each other anything. I thought back on meeting her for the first time, after I had very uncooly spammed her videos with comments (cringe). Our first video collab where I had done her make up and made her do that God-awful intro which she had hated, but she'd still done it for me. The weekends we had spent at hers, mine and Louise's. What would this do to my friendship with Louise? And all the others?

I remembered the YouNow videos where hundreds of people had shipped us and we had just laughed it off. The trip I'd taken to Blackgang Chine with Zoe, Joe and her Dad. Taking her round London, our long chats about nothing in particular, just the fun we used to have. I felt very nostalgic but I couldn't cry- I was all cried out.

The time was two minutes to 10. Surely she would be here soon? She wouldn't leave ituntil literally 10? If she was coming she surely wouldn't be late - I said I would be here at 10. I didn't say I would stick around for hours. Although I had a feeling I would. I would wait here for weeks if it meant she would be eventually come to me. But in reality I knew I couldn't do that. I had a flight back to England in approximately eight hours.

10. I looked up and down the beach. Nothing. The sun had gone down behind the horizon now, a dusky sky replacing its presence. Again, it seemed like a symbol. The sun had gone down on any hopes of having anything at all with Zoe. I would wait a tiny bit longer. Just in case she had lost track of time...

Ten minutes came and went and there was still no sign of her. I checked my phone. No messages. No calls. No messages. I breathed in deeply and exhaled loudly. She wasn't coming. I knew it.

With the heaviest heart I've ever experienced, I stood up slowly. I gently dropped the rose into the sand. I couldn't believe it. I couldn't believe that somewhere, deep down in my heart of hearts I'd actually believed she would come here. I was asking her to give up so much. I guess she was happier without me. She'd be fine.

I couldn't hold it in any longer. I felt numb but I broke down in tears, falling to my knees. I had never sobbed so loudly or so hard in my life.

It was then I heard a voice behind me.

"Alfie?"