The Distance Between Our Love

Vera.

2;07 pm.
The car came to a stop, I lifted my head, peering out the window, we were here, They Grey's Lakehouse.
I poke Noahs shoulder. No response.
I shook him lightly, still out cold.
" Noah! Cmonnn! We're here! Wake up!"
His eyes opened, focusing on me.
" Finally! Cmon!! We're here!" I sat up, grabbing my bag from the floor. I slipped out of the car, looking around. A 2 story wooden cabin, nothing but forest surrounds the front side of the house. the driveway is also surrounded by trees, the middle of nowhere. Noah caught up, grabbing my bag from my arm. He led me inside, I looked around. Rustic, but still amazing. Ive never been to this house. They go every year, usually me and my mother go out to dinner or something, but this year I decided I would take the offer and come, I'm glad I did.
" Here, Our beds are down the hall." He pointed to an open hallway right off the kitchen. I followed him down the hall, he set my bag on a bed.
" This will be your room, Mine will be next door, grab your sneakers, ill show you around in a few."
He continued down the hall to his room.
I looked around the small room, everything was wooden, the pictures on the wall were of the lake, all framed in black and white frames.
I slipped my sneakers on and walked back to Noahs room, the next door down.
Noah saw me waiting, he walked over, taking my hand. He pulled me out the back door and out into the back yard. Through the forest and around a large rock we stopped. The lake was ahead, we followed the trail that had said so. We reached the doc, staring on it, glancing at our reflections in the water. I noticed something in mine, Noah was no longer beside me, I turned around, confused. He popped up suddenly.
" Boo!!" He jump scared me.
I stumbled back, falling into the lake.
It was freezing. The lake in October. Cold.
He watched, laughing. He then jumped in so that I wouldn't be the only one walking back cold. We'd be cold together. How sweet.
I splashed him.
" Hey hey! That isn't fair!!"
" Says the one that pushed me in the water!"
We laughed.
After a moment he had grabbed the doc, pulling himself up, then he had turned around and offered me his hand. I took it, he pulled me back up.
The air was like a slap to the face. A shiver sent through me.
"Race you back." He turns to me.
" Oh- it is SO on!" I bursted into a sprint, making a run back down the trail we had came from.
He ran behind, I could tell he was letting me win, he just liked trashtalking and letting me talk back to him as I beat him. It boosted my confidence in myself, that was his goal. I knew that's why he had done it, I didn't say anything about it. I thought it was sweet. It always brightened my day.
By the time we had gotten back, the sun was starting to set, Noahs mother was at the stove, cooking something.
We stepped in the front door, dripping wet, our sneakers covered in mud.
" You guys are back!" She turned.
She looked us both up and down.
We were out of breath, panting heavily.
" You guys are- a mess- what Happened?!"
" Well- Noah here-" I worked around, turning at Noah. "practically shoved me into the lake. Then felt bad for doing so, isn't that right, Noah?"
He nodded, smiling.
" don't forget the part you trashtalked me when I asked about running back- and still lost."
" I SO won!"
" In your dreams, darling." He laughed.
" Well, I guess I'm living in my dreams." I turned back around dramatically.
" I- anyways- dinner will be ready soon, go get cleaned up." His mother stared, we agreed, kicking our shoes off so we wouldn't trail mud through the house.
. . .

6:18pm.
We all sat at the table, Noah and i across from another, Noahs father next to him, Noahs mother next to me.
" Vera, darling, how have you been since we've last seen you? I feel like Noah always comes to your house, so we don't ever really see you two." Olivia had spoke in a sweet tone, mother-daughter bonding? Had she missed that?
" Oh, yeah. I've just been hanging in there." I smiled, not really a happy smile, more of like a " I'm doing fine, but not actually, but thank you for asking!" Kind of smiles.
Everybody ate, all except for me. I sat there and stared at my food. If anybody would have asked. I would tell them I wasn't hungry. I couldn't eat. I had no desire for going near food. The thought of eating makes me feel nauseous.
Noah noticed, he stared at my food, then at me.
He nudged my leg with his foot under the table.
I glanced up at him, curious as to if it were an accident or not.
He gestured at my plate, I shook my head.
I could see the diss appointment in his face. He wasn't forcing me, I could just tell by the way his face had set in that he wanted me to eat, he notices when I don't. He knows somethings up. Somethings wrong. Somethings off. He just cant put his finger on it.
He stared at my plate.
I took a deep breath, picking my fork up.
I forced myself to eat a few bites. It's not that the food was bad, I love Olivia's home cooked meals. It's the food part in general, the idea of eating makes me sick. I felt sick to my stomach now.
I could see the way his face lifted when I took a few bites, I couldn't let him down, I took a few more.
The table was quiet. Both his parents focused on themselves as they are, he focused on me to make sure I ate.
" Vera, have you been accepted into any universities?" Malachi had tried to make conversation, filling the quiet room with his voice.
" well- no. I didn't apply to any least year. I'm going to work at my mothers business."
" Ohhh! That's nice! Noah made it into New York State University!!"
My heart dropped.
Noah was leaving.
He didn't even tell me.
" N-new y-York-?"
" Yep! He starts in a couple weeks!!"
He was leaving in a matter of days and he still hadn't told me. How could he? Did  he just plan on leaving me behind? Not even telling me?
Noah gulped, he felt ashamed with himself, sinking lower into his chair. He avoided eye contact with me, he knew I was upset. I don't know who wouldn't be.
My chest felt heavy, it felt hard to breath, everything felt overwhelming. I felt sick to my stomach. I couldn't be here. Not now.
" Please excuse me for a moment." I threw my napkin down onto the table and ran off to the bathroom at the end of the hall.
Noah had chased after, he watched over wver motion carefully. He knew what was happening. He understood.
" Vera, please let me in. I know what's going on. I can help you. Please just let me." He knocked. I turned and unlocked the door. He walked in, sitting beside me. I leaned back holding my own hair back, I felt like I was about to  throw up.
He grabbed my hair from me, then he grabbed the hair tie from my wrist, throwing my hair up into a ponytail. It was out of the way.
He the scooted closer, pulling me onto his lap. I relaxed back; we were propped up against the wall, waiting for me to not feel nauseous.
" h-how long-?" I tried to distract myself.
" Since I've known it until I'm leaving?" He knew what I was talking about. He was disappointed in himself for not telling me sooner, I could see it on his face.
" Well- I've known almost a month. I applied last year, but I got the letter 3 months ago. I accepted it last month, then I'm leaving in 2 weeks."
2 weeks ?!
14 days?
The thought of Noah not being here made me dizzy. I leaned over, throwing up dinner.
Noah sat up, rubbing my shoulders and patting my back.
" You're okay. You're okay." He mumbled.
I could tell he hated this. He hated seeing me in pain: suffering.
I wiped my mouth, leaning back into his arms.
" I- I cant talk about this. I'm sorry Noah, I really am- I just- can't right now. C- can we sleep- or go do something else? Please?" I felt bad.
" oh- yeah. Of course! Anything! What do you want to do?"
" I'm exhausted."
He agreed.
" Cmon.." He grabbed my hand, helping me back to my feet. I felt like the room was spinning, my head was pounding.
He walked me over to my room.
I threw myself onto the bed.
" Vera, are you alright,..?"
" Yeah, I just ate something bad??" I brushed it off.
" No, like- in general. I noticed you're- kind of- slimming down a bit.. don't get me wrong! You're still beautiful! It just isn't- too healthy for you- and you wouldn't eat- and now- it just worries me, that's all."
"I'm fine, thank you!" I flashed him a forced smile for a moment, then pulled the covers over myself.
He saw past the act, he couldn't get me to talk though.
" Goodnight, Vera."
" Goodnight." I couldn't manage to say his name, I was too upset with him. I loved him so much that it angered me that I couldn't be upset with him because  I'd instantly forgive him.