Always There - Part 2 || Greta Van Fleet

Chapter 217: In Time

I had lost track of how many hours we had been driving, but suddenly the overwhelming cityscapes became sparse, engulfing us within the familiar woods and greenery that always let me know that I was almost home.

Peeking over, Josh stayed focused on the road, his eyelids heavy, but insistent on never switching. We had talked for hours, so much so where it really felt like there was nothing left to say, and I was happy with where we were now, but I knew there would always be a small part of me that would wonder what forever looked like with us.

He had "set me free," but I really didn't know what that felt like, because for my entire life, I had never truly been free, enchanted under the spell of both of them, never knowing who I was without them.

And I finally wanted to meet her.

But I couldn't deny the excitement that grew within me the closer we got to home, knowing that I would be seeing Jake again, and this time, under different circumstances. I felt a little better knowing that he already knew about me and Josh, but even still, that didn't mean I was entirely ready to just jump back into where we left off. A lot had happened between us, and I think the last thing I needed to do was dive headfirst into the one who had hurt me the most.

And who's to say that was something he would even want? I couldn't help but smile at the thought, knowing that he probably wouldn't need much convincing. But even still. Maybe Josh was right. This time was for me, and I knew that I should fully embrace it for what it was, and I think I needed to embrace it alone.

"Are you sure you don't want me to drive?" I asked, reaching over, touching his arm. His smile grew as he shook his head, peeking over at me.
"I'm okay. We're almost home anyway." He said softly, his voice raspy and lower than usual, something that always happened when he was really tired. I always loved it.

"Are you excited to see everybody?" I said, catching myself as I instinctively started rubbing his arm, quickly pulling my hand away. He nodded, giggling to himself, thankfully ignoring my touch.
"Yeah." He sighed. "But.. I'm really excited to sleep in my own bed again." I nodded, trying my best not to take it personally, having shared a bed with him for the past few months. But I knew what he meant. I had missed having my own room too, my own bed to crawl into at night, though I wasn't sure how well I would sleep now, having gotten so used to him there within arms reach whenever I needed him.

Finally, he turned down our street, and even in the muted darkness of the summer sky, I could still make out the details of every house perfectly.

Nothing had changed, and yet everything felt so different.

I couldn't get out of the car fast enough when it finally stopped, hearing him laughing as I closed the door behind me. He followed, going into the backseat and pulling out both of our suitcases, carrying them up the driveway. I quickly made my way, reaching out for mine.

"I got it, don't worry." He said simply, leaving his behind as he helped me carry mine up to my front door. Once we reached the top of the steps, he handed it off to me, lingering at the bottom. I stopped, holding my stare on him, searching for the words, as I'm sure he was too.

"So, I'll see you at the party tomorrow?" I asked. He nodded, trying his best to force his eyes open.
"Yeah.. it should be fun." He said softly, now shoving his hands into his pockets. "Tell your mom I said goodnight, and that I'll see her tomorrow?"
"Will do." He nodded again, hesitating for a moment before finally making his way back to his house. I didn't want him to leave, not like this, but.. there was nothing left to say. And it was better to leave it like this than to say too much and ruin everything we had finally settled into. It hurt, but I knew that we would be okay.