separation//[t.j.]

when he left.

a/n: basically, here's how exactly it went down when you and tyler broke up.

15 years ago

"y/n, we can't be together anymore." tyler blurted out. i snapped my head around to look at him. did i hear that right?

"what?" i asked. surely he had to be joking, right? we were in love.

"i have a scholarship for UCLA. i'm going there because i want to pursue basketball. i leave next week and i don't want us to struggle with long distance. so i think we should break up."

"why would- we can make long distance work. we're in love right? we've been together for four years, we can do this."

"it never works. you've seen the movies. just- if we break up now, we'll have more time to heal. this is for the better."

"please don't leave me." i pleaded, a thump forming in my throat and tears stinging at my eyes. tyler simply walked towards me and kissed my forehead.

"i love you. i always will. someday i'll come back to columbus and we can be together again. but for now, i need this. i need you to be understanding, y/n."

i didn't want to be understanding. part of me wanted to scream and cry and hold onto tyler so he could never leave.

but we we're adults then. we should've known that after high school we wouldn't last. that's what a lot of people said. i hated for them to be right.

fighting against my thoughts in my head, i simply nodded.

"i- i understand. just don't forget about me when you're in the NBA." i told him. tyler smiled and wrapped his arms around me.

"i could never forget you. not even if i tried. you're the light of my existence." he replied. i buried my head in his shoulder. i couldn't cry. not yet.

"i love you, tyler. so much."

"i love you too, y/n. you have no idea.

...

i promise we'll be together in the future. somehow or some way."