author’s note final chapter!!! Please review, let me know what you think of this chapter, this story... suggestions for improvements (or new stories!)

expect a new story from me sometime soon, I think I’m going to try to write several chapters before I post so that way there wont be such long gaps between my updates because I’m just really sucky at updating regularly... but annnnyways...

thank you to all of my reviewers, hope you enjoyed the story and again...

review review review review!

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As I shifted to follow their gazes, I came face to face with the last person I expected to see.

Blake!

I immediately froze, not knowing what to do. Robbie, noticing that I had stopped dancing, looked up. Seeing Blake, he smiled and kissed my forehead.

“He’d have been crazy not to come back for you,” he whispered, letting his arms fall my waist to his side. I stood hesitantly still, knowing that I wanted to run into his arms, profess my love to him, and dance the night away in his arms. Instead, I turned to face him,

“Hi Blake.” I said coolly, but with my nerves clearly showing through.

“I love you,” he said, producing a large bouquet of red roses from behind his back.

“Why are you here?” I asked as he held out the roses for me to take. I ignored his extending hand.

“Can we talk?” he asked.

“I think that’s what we are doing.”

“No Joey, really talk, please?”

“Yeah, alright.” I conceded. I turned to tell Robbie that I would be right back, but before I could speak, he nodded his head and smiled understandingly. I took the roses from Blake and set them at our table as we walked towards the doors.

When we were outside, I sat down on an iron bench facing the water and a moment of silence ensued as Blake paced in front of me.

“I’m sorry,” he said finally, “I am so sorry Joey, I treated you horribly. I just got scared... I didn’t know what to do,” he paused, looking for me to say something. When I didn’t he continued, “I mean, my best friend, and roommate, was into you, he walked in on us, freaked out, and I got scared, I didn’t want to screw things up with him... I mean, I do live with him and I didn’t want to-“

“Right, I get it. So instead you told me you loved me and then basically said you never wanted to talk to me again.”

“No, Joey, it wasn’t like that!”

“Yes Blake, yes it was.”

“I just got so scared Joey... I barely knew you and I was in love with you... that’s just not normal. And I knew I was leaving soon and that would just end with more heartbreak and I didn’t want to-“

“Then why are you here Blake?” I asked as he shoved his hands into the pockets of his worn blue jeans, “If you don’t want to have to deal with the heartbreak, then why are you here?” I asked again, wishing he would look at me, but his back remained turned to me.

“Because I love you Joey, because I can’t be without you, I don’t want to be without you. Everything about you is amazing, and I know I treated you horribly, but I’m begging you, you have to give me another chance, please! There is no point in me trying to justify treating you the way I did. It was horrible, I was horrible, and I probably don’t deserve a second chance and I would understand if you won’t give me another chance, but I just could not let myself get on that plane tonight knowing what I could be leaving behind.” As he spoke, I stood silently right behind him.

“Turn around Blake.” I instructed him. He turned slowly, almost regretfully, and looked up sadly. Taking a step forward so that our bodies were almost touching, I pulled him towards me and pressed my lips against his. He stood for a moment, completely unresponsive, before his arms rose to my waist and pulled me even closer. I smiled as the kiss deepened.

“I love you too.” I told him as we broke apart. I shivered as the ocean breeze picked up speed.

“C’mon, let’s get you back inside,” he said and I smiled as he wrapped his arm around my shoulder and we walked towards the door.

“There’s something you should know though Joey,” he spoke as we walked slowly.

“What?” I asked nervously.

“I do have to go home for a little while. All of my things are already back there for the most part, I had them all shipped a few days ago...” his voice trailed off, “but only for a week or two. I’ll be back for your graduation, I just need to take care of a few things at home, spend sometime with my folks, drop the news that I put in for a full transfer of credits to Yale from Oxford a few months ago...”

“But you’ll be back?" I asked, afraid of the answer.

“Nothing could keep me.”

The End