The Exchange Student, the Pop Prince and the Raffle Tickets

Chapter Forty-Seven: This is the last time

He looked sadly at me.

“This is going to be last time isn’t it?” Jesse asked. ‘I mean I know it is - you’ve done more than enough for us but, to think that you’re probably never going to come back…”

“Jesse, please don’t cry.” I smirked at him over our Starbucks coffee the next day.

He had taken me out to make me feel better about Kevin leaving. I cried all the way home but by the time I arrived at the apartment I knew that it was always going to end up with Kevin leaving me. He laughed slightly.

“It just breaks my heart a little.”

“Oh my. I’ve broken your heart? Quick, someone alert 911!! And the newspapers, the paparazzi. Lil ol’ Eden Lodge has actually broken Jesse Strachenburg’s, the hunky, gorgeous football player’s heart!” We both laughed, he even gave me an award winning smile before getting serious. “What are you going to tell Bindi? Eli? The Moretto’s?”

It was when I woke up the next morning that Kevin had been right, I had to go home soon or I’d be in America forever sorting out differences that weren’t mine to figure out. Yesterday I received everything I needed. Sarah and Joseph would have supported me, they had cared for me and Eli would have stepped up too. I sighed into my Starbucks. But that would have been my life… I would have been a mum to a baby with the guy I loved and a family who would have supported me. Instead I was with a famous footballer who I could safely say was my backbone along with my best friend, who I had found after she ran away, a boyfriend who had left me and now I was stuck on what to do.

I figured I couldn’t complain about my life but it wasn’t what I had planned either. I’d only just realised that I had to leave soon. 

“I don’t know… I don’t know what to do anymore… I’ve figured out the Moretto’s but I haven’t figured out my life.”    

*

My defensive mode was on full mode. The Moretto’s had come from their family dinner and when Jesse, Leanne and I arrived at the house you could feel the laid back atmosphere. That was quickly turned as soon as I declared that I was leaving.

“What do you mean you’re leaving?” Eli replayed my sentence back to me trying to make sense of it. “As in, I’ve done what I wanted to do. You guys are so much better now, you can feel it. There’s nothing more for me to do here and if I’m honest, I don’t know what else I can do.” Bindi looked confused, scared and really angry. What did she expect? “Bindi I had to leave sometime.”

“What about me? Did you think about me?” She retorted.

“What about you? I don’t run your life. You do whatever you feel like.”

Eli butted in. “It’s your birthday in a week or so. We were going to celebrate – it’s your twenty first.”

I laughed saying that birthdays weren’t so much of a big deal for me and anyway, I missed his twenty first looking for Bindi. Bindi mumbled swear words at me, how she couldn’t believe I would leave her. I tried to stress to her that I wasn’t leaving, I was just returning to my life before work sacked me and maybe work things out with Kevin, kill Kristin while I was at it too.    

“Thank you so much for your help Eden. You are welcome to come back whenever you want, I’d love to see you soon.” Sarah smiled at me. For someone who said she had motherly sense with me, she sure didn’t know me very well. Sarah looked longingly at me and I had a small vision of myself falling into her arms in happiness and love as the words finally sunk in. A part of me wanted me to, instead I thanked her. Joseph stood behind Sarah and smiled at me nodding his appreciation. That was such a Joseph thing to do.  

It was the first time in a long time that I felt good about myself, I could take a real sigh of relief. The weight had lifted.

“Wait!” Eli’s voice surrounded me. Jesse got into the car. Eli took my face in his hands; he gave me a deep meaningful heart melting stare. A stare that would probably stay in my mind forever.

“What are you doing Eli…”

“I still need you to forgive me… I’ve already told you that I loved you Eden Lodge. You meant more to me than I realised… I just realised it too late. Way, way too late… and every day I pay for that consequence.”

I didn’t know how to react. He was being sincere and truthful; all I could do was stare, replaying Eli’s words over in my head. It was like a movie and in a matter of seconds our lips rammed together. He entwined our fingers together. I shook my head, trying to free my thought and just listen to my heart. There in a second, it all became oh-so-simple. I let out a sigh of relief because there it was.

“Eli… I… I’m to blame too.”

“You forgive me for everything?” Eli’s eyes stared pleading with me, reminding me of those grey eyes that I had loved so much. I nodded.

“Yes. I really, really forgive you.” He hugged me one last time and then I left.    

*

Jesse asked me if I was done packing. The room was stripped of everything that I owned. I gave Jesse a tight hug, feeling his abs against me I swooned as I always do.

“Man, I am going to miss you and your abs.”

Jesse raised an eyebrow at me. “I do have a fiancée you know?”

I sighed heavily. “Yes, yes I do know. Hearts all around America are breaking right now, teenage, mothers, grandmothers, gay men…” He chuckled hugging me tighter.

Jesse took my face in his hands and before I knew it, a soft kiss was placed on my lips. Oh my. It was like I had been kissed by a God… by Jesse, I automatically went limp, dropping my bag to the floor. My mind was wiped blank.

“Oh my god…” I muttered.

“It’s just a thank you…I was thinking back to us in high school, maybe if things had been different between us, I think I would have definitely asked you to prom. I always thought you were cute... Don’t tell Leanne.”

I stared at him wanting to really give him a proper kiss with tongues and less clothing but I regained my form. “You know it’s a good thing I’m leaving, I’m finally starting to adapt an American accent.”  

Leanne was waiting downstairs in the car. The three of us had lunch at the airport before my departure was called. I didn’t think this day would ever come but now it was here, I felt so many emotions that my brain just couldn’t comprehend them. I wanted to laugh, smile, cry at the loss, cry at the joy that I had done it. I wanted to jump about, shouting but I wanted to scream and beg them to let me stay. We all walked slowly to my terminal.

There, in front of me was the Moretto family smiling, crying silently. I burst out crying. Jesse hugged me tightly into him trying to calm me down and as soon as I did that I collapsed into my Bindi, my best friend. She looked as if she was attending a funeral, in a black dress, black tights, pumps and a small bow headband. Her make-up was minimal and pretty and so grown up of her I cried even more with proudness. She cried harder as we hugged she promised me we would see each other soon – she had decided to go travelling because of me.

“I couldn’t have survived without you.” She sobbed into my shoulder. “I love you Eden Lodge. You did what others wouldn’t.”

Eli put his arms out for me. “Thank you Eden Lodge.”

I admired the boy that I once loved, in a plain white top, burgundy cardigan and jeans. Again his hair was swept back, stubble still there but now he didn’t look so old or upset anymore, he looked back to his old cocky sexy self and I kissed him gently on the cheek. I even gave both the Moretto parents a hug, thanking them for being here to wave me goodbye.

I couldn’t have asked for a better send off. I wiped my tears, smiled at my American family and set off down the terminal.