The aftermath - Part 3 Of "Time is passing by, but forgetting you I could never"

How hard it is trying to forget the one you love

Magnus had first considered driving to the airport and catching the next best flight to San Francisco and then taking the bus to Stanford, but what was he going to do with his car?

He drove to the nearest internet cafe to research how long it would take him to get from New York to Stanford if he drove himself.

When he saw the route in front of him, he knew instantly that he was going to drive. Once completely across the country, hoping to forget, to leave his old life behind and start anew at the other end.

Magnus knew only too well, however, that a new beginning did not always mean that one could forget what one had left behind.

He had experienced it before, only this time he was the one who made the decision and was not forced to do so.

That should probably make it easier for him to leave, but that was not the case. His heart longed to stay in New York and it took all his willpower to leave the internet café and get back into his car.

He had printed out a route and already marked cities and sights he might visit along the way. Which was probably not such a bad idea to distract him from his thoughts.

So he set off on a journey that would lead him to Stanford in the end. Hoping to forget along the way.

He wanted nothing more than to forget, to overcome the pain he had felt deep inside since the moment Alexander had yelled at him and he had run away.

But the look in Alec's eyes, Magnus would never be able to forget it, no matter how hard he tried.

∞

Magnus had decided to take the "Northern Route" and his first stop on his journey to Stanford was Niagara Falls, probably the view from the Canadian side would have been more impressive, but he had a tight schedule, as he wanted to arrive in Stanford in seven days at the latest, so he would settle for the American side of the falls.

At some point he would come back here and spend more time here.

Magnus didn't allow himself to dream about visiting again for too long, as these thoughts led him to an idea he couldn't think of without feeling that indescribably deep-seated pain again. A visit with Alexander, the very idea of it was almost unbearable, but Magnus was aware that it would never happen, especially not after he had disappeared from New York without a word.

He looked at his mobile again, but none of the Lightwoods had responded to his post, but what had Magnus actually expected Alec to try and stop him?

Maybe, maybe when he had posted the picture, he had fervently hoped that Alec would call him, ask him not to go.

But deep inside he had known that he had ruined the friendship with Alec and what could have become of it the moment he had turned his back on Alec and left.

Why hadn't he stopped, why hadn't he tried to talk to Alec, to explain to him that Camille meant nothing to him?

Magnus hoped that his road trip would give him a chance to change his mind, to come to terms with the period of his life in New York, and then to start anew at Stanford.

But all the beauty he found on his journey only reminded him of what he had left behind in New York and he had only just begun his journey.

All in all, he spent eleven days on the road, his very tight schedule already thrown to the wind after the second day, preferring to take a little more time to enjoy nature and all the other sights along the way.

The next stop after Niagara Falls was Cleveland, because he really wanted to visit the Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame, but he only spent a few hours in the city and then drove to Chicago to spend the night there, but one night turned into two, there were just too many things he wanted to see in Chicago.