A/N
This one is a bit different. I'd really appreciate any feedback y'all have!
The pref catch ups are coming. They're taking me a bit of time. Thanks for the patience.
I hope you enjoy this part! ♥️
--------------
2:35am
Joey: im here
I slipped on a light jacket and made my way silently downstairs. The door was shut quietly behind me as I stepped out into the night. My excitement grew with every step I took towards Joey's car. I leaned into his open window to kiss him. He giggled against my lips. I pulled back with a smile. After walking around to the other side and getting into the passenger, Joey took my hand.
"Ready to go?"
"Always."
With that, we were off. He drove out of my winding neighborhood and through the farmlands. The windows were rolled down, letting the summer air blow through against us. The radio was just loud enough to be heard. I stared up at the starry sky.
"How many more days?" I asked.
"5." I swallowed the lump in my throat. He squeezed my hand tighter.
Joey was going off to college this weekend. I'm a year younger than him so I still had another year of high school to get through. I was so excited for him to go to his dream school. He truly deserved it. But I couldn't help but be sad. I would miss seeing him just about every day. I would be worried about him finding someone better.
The city lights came into view ahead of us. A small smile played at my lips.
"What are we thinking for tonight?" Joey asked, turning the music down a bit.
I thought for a moment. "Let's go to the park."
He glanced at me for only long enough to smile before returning his attention to the road. He traveled along empty roads between towering buildings. The road curved up through some hills. We parked along a tree line.
Joey got out of the car first, grabbing a blanket from the back seat. He laid it out in front of the car, facing the city we had just left. We both laid down. I held his arms around my waist as if they were going to disappear any moment.
"Hey," he said, his voice soft against my ear. "You know that I love you, right?"
"I know," I replied. I turned to look at him. "I love you too." He dipped his head so our lips connected for a moment.
"I know you're scared and upset. I am too. It's a lot. But we're gonna be great."
"Are you sure?"
"Of course I am! Nothing can get in our way, (y/n)." He placed another reassuring kiss to my forehead before looking up to the stars.
~
I had just changed into my pajamas when I got a phone call. I hurried to turn off the ringer and looked at the caller ID. Joey's name was displayed over a picture of us from my birthday party. It was a FaceTime call.
I pressed the green button and waited for it to connect. His pretty face appeared with a smile.
"Hey," he whispered. "I just got home."
"Okay!" I set my phone up against the mirror and continued my bedtime routine.
This was so normal to us now. Whenever we weren't together, we were texting or snapping or talking on the phone or FaceTiming. He was the only person I could never get tired of. Sometimes we wouldn't even be talking about anything. We just loved having the other with us. I wished I was graduated too so we could just live on our own together. I wanted to fall asleep in his arms instead of on the other end of a screen. But the latter would do for now.
I carried my phone out of the bathroom and into my bedroom. After plugging it into the charger, I set it up in its usual way. I shut off all of the lights except for my string ones that gave my room a gentle glow. Once I was comfortable in my bed, I looked at Joey.
He was packing. It made my heart hurt all over again. Everything was really happening. It wouldn't be so hard if he wasn't going so far away. All the way from California to Michigan.
He started playing some music quietly from his laptop. It was a playlist that we made together. I didn't know how late it was, but I was tired. My eyelids grew heavier but I tried to keep them open.
"You can sleep, baby. I'll talk to you in the morning." Joey's voice was smooth and perfectly sweet. I hummed in response. "I love you."
"I love you, too."
I drifted to sleep with our songs playing.
