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I take a step back from her, her words punching me in the chest, my body recoiling at her tone. “We can make this work. We talked about this, and you were on board with doing long distance. What happened? Why are you doing this to us?”

I need answers, but she stands there silently, not giving me any. Is she really going to throw all this away? Why? Is she scared about the long distance? There has to be something. As far as I’m concerned, this came out of left field, and I need answers if she’s serious.

My heart needs to know why she would do this to us—to me.

“I love you, Amelia. I love you.”

“I warned you, Henry. I told you not to fall for me, and you did anyway.”

“Because it was so easy to fall, Ames. You made it so easy to love you,” I whisper. I’m staring into her eyes, trying to find any sign of life for us, but I can’t see anything.

I used to be able to read her like a book, like song lyrics spelled out across her forehead, but now, I don't see a thing. Her eyes are devoid of emotion, only tears filling them.

“Forget about me and find a girl who will love you, because I can't, Henry. I told you in the beginning that if you fell, it would only end badly. I’m sorry it came to this, but—”

“You don’t get to break my heart and then apologize, Amelia.

You knew what you were doing when you agreed to make this work.

” I shake my head, my emotions and thoughts running rampant.

I’m normally a cool headed person, but as she breaks us, I can’t think straight.

“I love you,” I repeat, as if that will do anything.

“I don’t love you,” she says, but I know she’s lying.

Her words say one thing, but her actions from the past year say otherwise.

So she didn’t mean she loved me when we first said it to one another in that parking lot?

She didn't love me when I gave her every piece of myself?

She didn't love me when we passed our headphones between one another?

What about when we traded our favorite books?

What happened to every whispered I love you before we fell asleep and woke up tangled with one another?

God, I feel sick.

“It’s over, Henry,” she says with finality before she looks down at her phone. “I have to go, or I’m going to miss my flight.”

“Amelia—” I say, but she only grabs her suitcase and looks at me one more time, as if she’s stopping to memorize me.

Don't go. Don’t leave me here and run like you always do. You’re better than this. I know you, and I know you don’t actually want to break us. You’re scared of something, but I don’t know what.

We can fix this. We can make it work. Please, come back to me.

But she still turns around and walks away, leaving me stuck where I stand, the weight of our conversation making it hard to move.

I feel a pair of arms around me, and when I look down, Paige is giving me a hug. Did she know? Did she know the whole time that this was her plan?

“Get off, please,” I say, the words coming out strangled.

Paige lets go, and the moment she looks at me, her face falls. “What’s wrong?”

“We’re all upset, but—” Grant stops abruptly when he sees my face. “Hen?”

“She—” I can’t say it out loud. I can’t admit it because it doesn't feel real. I feel like I could wake up any moment to find Amelia curled into my side in her bed, and all would be okay.

I just need to wake up. Why can’t I wake up from this nightmare? Surely, it’s a nightmare. This can’t be how Amelia and I end.

“What happened?” Ella asks, concern lacing her voice.

“She broke up with me. It’s over.”

Surprise crosses all their expressions, and nobody says a thing.

I make a split second decision, and before I know it, I’m moving. I head for the elevator, buy the cheapest ticket I can to get through security, and run through the Virginia airport.

I have to see her. I have to talk to her one more time before she gets on that plane and leaves.

Part of me still believes I can change her mind, that maybe if I convince her we can get through the distance, it’ll be okay.

We have to be okay.

I love her, and I won’t lose her like this. If she’s afraid of this, of us, I’ll show her we can survive anything.

Her plane is already boarding, and I see her scanning her ticket at the desk.

“Amelia! Ames!” I shout, but she doesn't turn around. “Mills!”

She doesn't spare me a single glance as she gets on the plane, taking a piece of my heart with her.

The Bolter by Taylor Swift

One Hour Later

How do you leave a place you’ve become so familiar with?

I thought it would be easier. I thought it would be like leaving home and going to college.

But it’s not. It’s different.

When I left home and moved around the corner to Grand Mountain, there was no ache. There was nothing physically or mentally screaming at me that I was making the wrong decision. It’s the surest thing I’ve done—leaving home. I knew I had to do it. It felt right deep in my bones.

But this…this has all my alarm bells going off, even though yesterday, I was adamant this was the right move. This feeling will go away, I’m sure of it. As soon as the plane lands, I’m sure the excitement will kick in, and all these feelings will fade.

I know I broke his heart. I know I crushed him where he stood, and when I said those five words, I knew I couldn't take them back.

I’m breaking up with you.

The look on his face? I almost dropped dead, but it was for the best, for me and for him. How does a plant grow new roots when they already have them? They can’t. He needs to move on with someone better than me, and I need to focus on the next part of my life. It was what’s best. I’m sure of it .

It’s not just about him, either. It’s about everything I’m leaving behind—the memories, the girls, Grant. They won’t be close to me anymore, and all I’ll have with them are phone calls and video chats instead of sitting around in that same classroom, talking about the books we’ve been reading.

I’m going to miss the closeness, but at least phones exist. At least I still have them in the only way I can.

As I stare out of the window, I think about who I was four years ago when I got to Grand Mountain. I wasn’t shy, but I was quiet. I was determined to make it through college on my own, knowing that switching my major would make my parents withdraw their help.

“ You’re destined to be alone, Amelia. ”

Those were the last words my mom said to me before I left. I didn't bother sticking around to ask what she meant by that, but I’m sure my relationship with my family will only become more strained now.

I’m nervous, I’m scared, but this was the right move.

This opportunity was too good to pass up.

Part of me wants to rub it in my parents' faces, because they were wrong about me. They were wrong about me being a lazy, unmotivated kid. They were wrong about me when they said changing my major was a waste of time, that I’d always be behind in life.

But I got this job right out of college. I’m moving to an entirely different country because of it. Despite my parents not believing in me, I did this all myself. I’m proving them wrong, and I’ve been proving them wrong the entire time.

This decision might have been a little impulsive, but everything fell into place after I accepted the offer at the London office.

I felt good about it. I still feel that way; I guess I’m just a little unsure of what my life is going to look like going forward.

These feelings are normal, I’m sure of it.

This is one of those scary, life-changing moments some songs talk about when you finally grow up and head into the real world.

As I look out onto the clouds in the sky, I take a big deep breath, hoping the air will fill my lungs up and I’ll be able to breathe again.

Goodbye for now, Grand Mountain.