FALLING AROUND YOU ➵ DANIEL SEAVEY ➵ SEQUEL

13 ➵ Three AM & You're Still On My Mind

"Let me kiss you one last time. Let me see your smile. Let me hear your laugh because I know once I leave I might never come back. It's all because I know how much it'll hurt. Oh, I don't care if it'll hurt me, my love. I'm afraid it'll hurt you."

—

It's been one week.

It's late. It's so incredibly late that it's already early, and the only thing that I find myself doing is writing. I wrote about him and what happened between us, and I write about the way he could still easily ignite butterflies into my soul. I keep thinking that maybe if I write enough about him, then he'll surely wind up next to me, but I know that was all just a fantasy. Or maybe it was just a really terrible nightmare to keep hoping.

Three AM.

The bags under my eyes were easily dark and my mind just lingered upon our past memories that made me smile. It was the little times when things felt more simpler. It was the times he would pick me up late at night to grab food, but we wouldn't really eat anything because we were too busy talking. Then, it was the times where we would argue about which is better: apple juice or chocolate milk.

Things were so simple back then. How could things change so quickly? A little piece of me thought that if I never became quite well known for my book, then maybe I would still have a chance — any chance. It was horrific to think that a small part of me would be willing to give up my passion and my creativity to have a chance to blossom with the Seavey boy once more.

"Sienna? You in there?" I heard a faint knock on the door, "Christina let me in."

Quickly, my eyes darted to my clock. It was now seven in the morning. Again, time had played its rigid trick on me, and I finally noticed that I've been writing for over four hours. It's amazing how there could be so much inspiration in the smallest of moments.

I smiled looking behind me at the boy with the chocolate locks. He held a reusable bag in his hand giving a small grin before setting it down on the table. I have him an odd look before opening the bag before noticing some to-go breakfast from our favorite spot.

I looked at the french toast before looking back at him, "You're too sweet, you know that right?"

Charlie chuckled, "You weren't answering your phone and I figured I would stop by to see if you were doing okay," he paused, "I mean, after that night."

Charlie was such an innocent little puppy. After that night, I got into Charlie's car and just cried. I just sat there allowing myself to be seen in a fragile and broken state. The best thing he did was not say a word. He waited. He waited until I was ready to tell him for myself. He waited until I needed a shoulder to weep on. He waited until I was ready.

That was all I could truly ask for.

And that night, he just held me in his arms and let me cry. That's when I knew he was important to me. I don't let many people see me in such a raw state, but his presence has always been one to comfort me.

He doesn't know what actually happened that night. I just told him that Daniel and I were completely over and it felt so wrong to say. There was a lingering poison on my tongue when I said that, but it was more than true. I didn't want to tell him about Daniel's speculations of us being together — it would just make things much worse. I've already lost someone important to me, I don't want to lose Charlie too.

I pulled a strand behind my ear, "You really know how to make a girl smile," I ate a piece of my meal in satisfaction.

"I still can't believe you're leaving in two weeks," he spoke shifting the subject, "It's just going to be so different without you here."