In Five Years

Chapter 17

He follows me up into my room and sits on my bed while I dig in my closet to retrieve the wrapped gift. It's big and heavy as I place it down in front of him, and Cam raises an eyebrow.

"What the hell did you get me?" He asks.

"Just open it," I plead, and it's taking everything I have not to cry right now. I don't want to give it back, but I know that I have to. I know that he'll want it at some point.

Tearing away at the paper, he finally rips it off and blinks a few times when he sees what's before him. It's a huge shadow box with the jersey of his that he gave me years ago.

"I figured if you got drafted that you'd want to hang this up or something," I tell him. "You know, in that big fancy house of yours that you'll be able to buy."

I'm trying to make it light hearted, but Cam's facial expression has hardened, his jaw clenched. "I gave this to you." He says.

I blink away more tears as it registers with him as to why I'm giving it back.

"I know," I whisper.

His eyes meet mine finally before he gulps loudly and looks back down at the frame. "No." He says, and he stares at the jersey like he's making up his mind about something. "No." He repeats.

He flips the frame over and starts to undo all of the locks quickly, shaking his head and blinking away more tears.

"Cam..." I start, but he shakes his head again.

"No." He says. "I'm not accepting it. I'm not saying goodbye to you. I gave this to you, and I'm not-"

"But we aren't together," I reply. "It's been sitting in my dresser for years, Cam, but I couldn't bear to get rid of it until I knew for sure that things between us were done..."

"No." He pleads almost desperately, and the backing to the shadow box falls to my carpet with a loud thud before he practically rips the jersey out from the frame to hold it in his hands again. He rises to his feet and takes two step towards me, his body almost pressed against mine. "You're not giving this to me." He chokes out. "I'm not taking it back."

"Cam, why? What is the point of me keeping it?"

"Because I—" he stops himself, attempting to choose his words, but he eventually gives up and pulls out an envelope from his back pocket. "Open it," he says and passes it over to me.

I turn the envelope around with shaky hands and undo the flap, pulling out a gift card. I'm unsure what it's for until I flip it around and Continental Airlines reads across the front.

"Cam..." I look up at him, breathless from the expression in his eyes. He looks terrified. Like it just hit him that he might lose me for good.

"I never forgot about the five year plan." He breathes out, and a tear slips out onto his cheek. "I may have strayed from it when you didn't call me, but it never left my head. You never left my head, Maddie. I don't know how it hasn't been obvious that I'm still in love with
you."

The air suddenly seems to evaporate in the room. I can't breathe, I can't speak, all I can do is stare into his eyes, completely at a loss for words.

"And so I'm not accepting this." He says defiantly. "Because you're going to use that gift card. There isn't going to be an excuse to not come and see me, or vice versa. I'm going to see you completely naked in this jersey of mine again, and I'll upgrade it to whichever NFL team I sign to if given the opportunity. You're not saying goodbye to me. Not until I at least put up a fight."

I'm crying now, but they're tears of joy. I can't shake the happiness that's coursing through me as he grabs my cheeks with his hands.

"I'm scared as fuck that you'll break my heart again, Maddie." He says. "I've been scared to tell you how I feel, but this is it. I love you, and I am begging you to give this a shot at long distance. We can do it."