𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐃𝐈𝐆𝐀𝐍 ― s. harrington ³ ✓

| fourteen

The door opened, and Serenity turned back to see Lucas, Erica, and Max getting out. Serenity wasn't ready to go into the house yet, though. She needed to do a couple of things first.

She got up from her seat and immediately walked over to Dustin. He had been sitting in the very back next to Eddie and near Robin. There was a grave expression on his face, and when he looked up at her, the edges around his eyes started to brim with tears.

"Hey, none of that," Serenity told him quietly, holding back her own emotions for his sake. She crouched down in front of him, her hands resting on his knees. "You stay safe down there, okay?"

"I don't want you to go," Dustin admitted, his voice shaking like he was little again.

She gave him a sad smile. "I'm not going anywhere." She squeezed his knees before standing back up, pressing a kiss on the top of his head. "I love you."

"I love you too, Renny. I'm sorry I never said it that much before, but I do."

Serenity shook her head, blinking back tears. "It's okay. I knew." She then turned to Eddie. "Play your heart out."

Eddie offered his fist to her, and Serenity bumped hers against his. "Will do."

Serenity then looked at Robin. "I know he doesn't want to admit it, but Steve really cares for you. Just . . . do me a favor and stick by him, okay?"

Robin offered her a smile. "Just for you, I will."

Serenity nodded once before going up to Nancy, glancing from the gun in her hand back to her face. "Please—"

"I won't miss," Nancy stated firmly. "I promise."

"Good."

Serenity then reached out and grabbed the lantern and the bat by her chair. She let out a deep breath and walked out of the camper. The others were waiting on the stairs, but the one person she truly wanted to see before all of this was standing on the street. Serenity felt herself get choked up, and she put her things back down before walking up to Steve.

Steve reached out and grabbed her hands, tightly interlocking them with his. He leaned down and rested his forehead against hers. They stood there for a moment in the orange glow of the sunset, neither of them saying a word.

"I have to go," Serenity whispered once she felt the silence start to stretch out. "You have to go."

"I don't want to," Steve replied. "I don't want to leave you."

"I know." She squeezed his hands once before letting go, and picked up her forehead to look at him. "I don't want to leave you either."

"How are you sure your happy memory will be enough?"

"Because you're in it," Serenity answered simply. "You always manage to save me."

"Steve," Nancy voiced from inside the camper. "We . . . we need to leave."

He looked down at her. "Guess that's my cue."

"Wait," Serenity stated. "Take this."

She reached up and unclasped the necklace around her neck — the very same one that she had gotten at the mall last summer, a gold one with the letter S and star charms. Serenity placed the necklace in his palm. She closed his fingers around it, causing him to make a fist. Serenity then held her hands over his fist tightly and looked at him strongly.