Forever Yours

Chapter 22

Chapter 22 *Final Chapter*

My pen hovers over the piece of paper, not sure how to word the next few, and possibly last, sentences that I'll ever make to Haley and Lucas. Once I think of the right words, it suddenly isn't enough and I toss the draft to the trash. I sigh slightly frustrated and scratch my forehead. I'm not getting anywhere with this but I need it done. After listening to my favorite song, Never Too Late, I finally find the right words to say and write it down.

I sign my name on the button and place it underneath her phone in her dresser before walking away from her room. On the way to the living room, I pass by the hall where Cassandra places her framed photos of us and stop, smiling at a familiar photo.

It was during our sophomore year. Haley, Lucas, and I had a paintball war that day. We're all covered head-to-toe in different colors with silly grins on our faces. We look so different, so young, so happy...

Oh how times have changed.

I hold back my tears and move on to the picture next to it. It was during Easter, and Haley and I were wearing bunny ears and making the duckface at the camera, while Lucas was behind us with a straight face probably questioning our sanity since I think that was the year when he first started hanging out with us.

The next picture after that makes me choke up on a sob. It was the start of our senior year. All three of us were posed outside of the school in our backpacks with goofy smiles on our faces, completely naive on the events coming up. What makes a tear slip out is the engraving on the frame.

Born on different sides of the world, joined together and will never part.

It hurts knowing I was about to break the last part of the quote.

I take my phone and and take a picture of every framed picture on the hall before putting it back in my pocket. Yeah, I might die but in the rare chance that I don't I want to be able to have something to remember them by. Something to remember them by...

I walk back into Haley's room and look around her study table. After searching for a few seconds, I finally find the ring that Haley had outgrown but still fits me and slip it on. For Lucas, I grab one of his beanies I find on the floor and place it on my head. He has a lot so I'm pretty sure he won't mind losing one.

Now's the hardest part of the entire mission, sneaking out. Before I can make it out her room, my phone vibrates in my pocket so I take it out to check the message.

Hey cutie! I'm going on a date with Lucas so I'll be back round noon, see ya then!

~Haley

I smile against the tears fighting to escape and place the phone back in my pocket. Since they're gone, it'll make getting out of the house a lot easier. I walk all the way to the living room and make a move to open the door when a voice stops me. "Braska!" Oh please not now.

Turning around, my strong front wavers seeing Jason's smiling face. He's looking up at me with nothing but joy in his eyes, thinking in his little mind that everything is okay in the world, that everything is perfect. My heart starts to crumble knowing that I'm about to leave the little guy.

The main reason for me losing sleep the other night and during my nap was because I was trying to figure who was going to watch over Jason. I probably won't survive, so I need someone who can watch over him that he trust. That person is going to be Haley.

She loves children but doesn't have any siblings. Plus whenever we hang out she's been fantastic with Jason, and I know she'll be a lot less strict on him that I ever was. She also has a car with a license so I don't have to worry about him waking anywhere anymore. Another thing is that she also lives with her mom, so Jason will experience what it's like having a full-time mom around.