(Connor's POV)
"Kevin! There's someone on the phone for you!" I called.
Kevin quickly jogged over and I handed him the terribly old phone, "Hello?"
I started to walk towards the living room where the other missionaries were, along with Nabulungi.
"Oh, hi!" I couldn't help but eavesdrop on Kevin's phone call, trying to make out what was happening even though I could only hear his half of the conversation.
"Is something wrong?"
"What?"
"No, no, no, you can't do that!"
"I can't just abandon my mission-"
"Well I don't want to be transferred anymore! You can't just-"
Kevin sighed, "Yes... I understand."
"Okay... Bye," Kevin put the phone down and immediately shuffled to our room.
I quickly followed him inside, curious about what happened during the call, "Who was that?" Kevin slumped onto the floor, leaning his back against the side of the bed, "What's wrong? What happened? Are you okay?" I asked question after question, quickly sitting down next to him.
Kevin pulled his knees up to his chest and simply shook his head.
"Kev.. what's wrong?"
Kevin hesitated before muttering something too quiet for me to understand.
"Kevin, you can tell me, no matter what it is just-"
"I'm being transferred okay!" He blurted out, his voice faltering a bit.
"What? You can't- Who.. why...?" I couldn't quite find the words.
"We shouldn't have stayed here."
"What do you mean? You were so determined to stay here and do something incredible, what happened?"
"We were never meant to do something incredible here, none of us."
"I know our mission didn't go as planned but we still changed people's lives, isn't that incredible enough?"
"No you.. you don't understand. Our mission was such a disaster because the church.. they sent all the worst missionaries here on purpose. And our missions went terribly and we all got excommunicated just like they wanted," Kevin explained.
"No.. that's not possible."
"Well my dad just explained it to me on the phone. That's why he wants me back home, so I can go back to the missionary training center, start a new mission, and forget this ever even happened."
"But.. you.. you have less than a year left on your mission anyway, and only a few months until I leave. If you get transferred then we won't see each other for two years at the least! Your parents can't force you to transfer, can they? They're all the way back in Utah! I mean unless you want to transfer, I'm not gonna stop you. If you just want to forget all of this and go back to being the perfect Mormon again, I get it, I'm not worth-"
My rambling was interrupted by Kevin pulling me into a hug, "Connor, I promise, I'm not leaving you. I would never-"
"But wouldn't you be happier? I-I don't want to hold you back if you could be happier.. without me, if you left all of this behind and got your old life back," I muttered almost to quiet for Kevin to hear.
"Do you really think I'd leave?"
"I just- I want you to be happy and if that would make you happy I don't want you to stay because of me," I started rambling again. I desperately don't want Kevin to leave but I can't help but think he might be better off without me.
"Con, calm down, it's alright," Kevin spoke slowly and clearly, "I'm not transferring and I promise I'm not leaving you."
"But your parents-"
"I'll figure something out. I'll call them back and sort everything out. I can't let this happen, I won't. I'm the happiest I've ever been in my entire life, why would you think I'd be happier without you?"
"I don't know. I just- I'd rather have you be happy than stay here, stuck in Uganda with me," I don't know what I want. Kevin could be happier without me but I'm too selfish to let him go.
"But I am happy, I'm better than happy, I'm in love with you, and I wouldn't trade you for the world. And nothing is going to change that. I'm staying right here in this spot, whether you want me to or not."
AN: I know I had one if these in the last chapter but this book just hit 4k reads so thank you again!! ♥ 🌈