Vista

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It was about 2 a.m., and everyone started leaving until just Elsa, Tony, Ethan and I were left. Elsa groaned that she was tired, and I felt my eyes failing me too. After preserving the cake Ethan's mum brought for him, I leaned against the kitchen counter, rubbing the back of my neck with my palm and yawning in the process.

"Hey. You good?" I didn't realize Ethan was standing in the doorway.

"Yeah. Just tired."

"Let's get to bed then."

"I'm sleeping with Elsa."

"Tony already is. You know, he knows best how to make her sleep quicker."

"Oh, right. I forgot."

When I changed into my PJs, I got to the bathroom to clean my face.

"Your mood changed since the time I mentioned you going to MIT in my place."

"Yeah, of course. You can't just blurt out something we've not discussed to your teammates."

I was surprised by the anger rising in me. Ethan was more surprised than I was.

I stomped out of the bathroom and tucked myself in my bed. "And you don't expect me to leave you here to go to MIT, do you? Who's going to take care of mum?"

"I will."

"No. Not you."

"Emilia listen to me. Hey," He held my shoulders and looked at me in my eyes. "You have to go."

"Why? No Ethan," I removed his hands from my shoulders. "You're not going because you don't want to leave me, and I do not want to leave you too."

"I have a job."

"Why can't you continue?"

"There's a lot to do, Mily. A whole lot."

I heaved a deep sigh. He was right. He had been right from the very beginning. But leaving meant leaving my family. Leaving meant starting a new life again like I always did. Leaving meant leaving him.

"Do you really have to go?"

He nodded. "No. But I have to choose another person to go for me if I am not."

Before I pulled the covering to my face in denial he'd pulled it away.

"It's hard."

"I'm sorry."

"You really think leaving you is a good idea?"

"No, my dear. It's hard for me too."

"Urgh."

"I'm sorry."

"I still have to think about it."

"Can you look at me? Please."

I didn't want to. My eyes were slowly giving up on me and if I did look at him, I would tear up.

"I'm not leaving Ethan. I can't."

When he didn't reply, I was forced to look at him. His eyes were so beautiful. Looking at him was making everything more difficult.

"You've got eye bags." He circled the lower part of my right eye.

"You're not helping." I wiped the tear that ran down my left eye.

"And I love you."

I sniffled,

"I love you with every muscle in me."

"I love you and I'll love you for the rest of my life because you're the best part of me."