Highways & Heatstrokes / Trucker!Ari Levinson x Hitchhiker!Reader

Epilogue

☽☼☾

"I'm not sure if this is the right thing.."

Ari's eyes trail over your face at your confession, your eyes downcast as you stand in front of him.

You're not ready to leave and he isn't ready for you to leave, either.

But you have to.

You're at a rest stop just before the fork in the road; one route leads to New York City, the other leads to where Ari is going. You can see the city from here, the skyline visible in the distance.

Your bag is packed and you're standing outside on the lot, shifting your weight on your feet nervously.

"You'll be okay, sugar," Ari replies solemnly, a comforting hand on your shoulder, "Everything will be alright."

"But.. I just.. I don't know.."

You trail off as you look up at him, your eyes meeting a pair of cerulean ones. They're deep and meaningful, a sadness lodged deep inside them that you've never noticed before.

You want to wrap your arms around him; hold him close and never let go.

But this is the end of the road. This is where you go your separate ways. This is what was always going to happen.

You're a fool for getting swept up in this, in him, when you always knew this was going to happen.

It's time to say goodbye. To part ways, wish each other good luck.

It's time to leave him behind and follow this new path you've created for yourself. And it's time to let him go live the life he's chosen, it's time to let him get back to the way it was before.

Before you and him.

Before any of this.

A couple of days ago you would have never thought you'd be standing here, doubting your decision.

And yet here you are.

Standing in front of a man that turned your world upside down in a matter of days.

And the words are at the tip of your tongue, yet again, as they always are with Ari.

There are so many things you want to say, so many things you wish you could say. And yet you don't.

You stay quiet, silent. Because speaking them out loud would mean risking it all, it would mean risking everything.

It would mean risking your pride, your feelings. Your heart. It would mean risking getting hurt.

And it would mean risking hurting him.

It would mean risking that he would feel guilty and let you stay with him; you know that's what you truly want, you know that's where you truly belong.

You've never felt more at peace, or safe, or happy, as you have these past few days in his presence.

But he's never asked you to stay with him.

He's never asked you not to leave, to give up your path to be with him.

And so, you asking to stay would ruin everything.

Because Ari would say yes; not because he truly wants to, but because he would feel obligated to. He knows you have nowhere else to go. He would say yes out of pity, let you stay with him because he would feel guilty for saying no.

And so you stay quiet.

Silent.

Never speaking the words that forever live at the tip of your tongue.