Valerie's Guide To Postponing a Breakup

Missing How You Kissed Me

"Come on," Leo urged as we trekked up the hill. I pushed a stand of sweaty hair away from my face, panting as we reached what looked like the top. "The fireworks are starting soon, and if we don't hurry up, there'll be a..." He trailed off as we both slowed to a stop, blowing out his breath. "Queue," he finished, gesturing towards the line of people queuing up to get into the light show. I felt my heart sink with disappointment. "Oh," I said, my voice dull. "Maybe we should just head back then." "No," came Leo's fast reply, his eyes narrowing slightly with determination. "I'm not waiting in that line!" I argued, huffing as I folded my arms across my chest. "Neither am I," Leo told me, grinning.

I uncrossed my arms, feeling more than a little stubborn. "What do you suggest, then, genius? We can't just make the crowd disappear."

Leo looked around, searching for a solution. Then his eyes landed on a big tree nearby. "Look," he said, a mischievous grin creeping onto his face. "How about we climb that tree instead? We'll have a better view from up there."

I raised an eyebrow, unsure. "Climb a tree? You really think we can see the fireworks from there?"

"Definitely! Trust me," he said, nodding. "Plus, we won't have to deal with the crowd."

I hesitated for a moment. "I haven't climbed a tree since I was thirteen, and that time I got stuck." Leo laughed, but then turned it into a cough. "I'll help you," he told me. "Now come on, Val. We'll miss them if we don't hurry." With a sigh and a playful roll of my eyes, I nodded, following him to the tree. The trunk looked strong, and the branches seemed sturdy enough to hold us. Leo grabbed a low branch and pulled himself up easily. I watched him, feeling a mix of admiration and a bit of fear.

"Come on, Valerie! It's easy!" He called down, his voice cheerful. He even stuck out his tongue at me. I took a deep breath, reached for the branch, and climbed up, feeling the rough bark against my hands. With a bit of effort, I made it after him, laughing as I scrambled to catch up.

As we climbed higher, the sounds of the crowd faded away, replaced by the gentle rustling of leaves and the soft wind. Finally, we settled on a thick branch, our legs hanging over the edge. I looked out over the hill, amazed by the view as the sunset dyed the sky with bright colours.

It looked like something right out of a painting.

"Wow," I said, leaning back against the trunk. "This is beautiful."

"Just wait until the fireworks start," Leo added, practically vibrating with excitement. "We have the best spot! Those suckers down there are on the ground—the ground is completely, utterly overrated. It's for boring people."

I laughed, opening my mouth to reply, but I was cut off by a loud noise as the first firework shot into the sky, bursting into a shower of colours. I felt a rush of exhilaration. A cheer rose up from the crowd watching the fireworks from the hills.

Grinning, I breathed in, allowing the enchanting night to invade my lungs and fill every corner of me. Leo shifted closer towards me on the branch, and his warm hand found mine. I felt giddy with the joy that seeped into my brain like a drug. Another firework went off, bigger than the last. As I looked towards him, I saw that it lit up the side of his face green. "You're my favourite idiot," I told him, laughing. A blush crept across his face just as the green glow disappeared. I laughed again, seizing the chance to tease him as he would often do. "What, are you not used to compliments? Does every girl have this effect on you?" Leo chuckled, tilting his face towards mine. "No," he said, his voice dropping slightly. My heart did a little dance as he stared right at me, his lips dangerously close to mine. "Only you."

His grip on my hand tightened as he leaned in and kissed me gently, softly. The world around us faded, the vibrant fireworks exploding in the sky above us, but all I could focus on was the warmth of his touch and the way my heart raced like a drum. I pulled away from him, just as another firework lit up the sky. Leo's green eyes sparkled as he gave me his huge, childlike grin, his eyes crinkling up in the way I've always loved. Between you and me, from the sudden noise of the firework and the feeling of his lips on mine, I nearly fell from the branch.

___

Apart from when Leo had to attend his cousin's wedding in Scotland (he made the decision of wearing a kilt, and he totally owned it, not embarrassed in the slightest), I have never gone more than a week without seeing him.

Well, until today. Today marks a week. Want to know the last message he sent me, or what the last thing I've heard of him is? You've already seen it; you already know it, because we haven't texted in a week either.

Joy upon joys.

So, I wasn't being dramatic—revoke your prior judgement.

We always see each other.

It's routine— Good morning, how are you? Where shall we meet?

I've never told anyone that Leo became more than my best friend when we were sitting in a tree—because then my friends would serenade me with several rounds of 'Leo and Valerie, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G.' Not that not telling them totally abolished their relentless teasing, but I didn't want to encourage them.

As if on cue, a notification from our group chat on Snapchat came in.

I click on it, opening up the snap they sent me. It's a picture of the four of them eating gelato. There's a caption attached to the bottom of it.

We just went on some gondolas! But don't worry—the gondolier was pretty crap, and we're all damp. And you know how your hair goes all frizzy when it's wet! ;P

I allow myself to crack a small smile, using all of my willpower to not text back the two words that I'm actually thinking (the second word is 'off').

I click out of the group chat, scrolling through all of the stories, videos, and pictures that people are posting of what looks to be the best summer ever. After a few minutes of mindless scrolling, I find myself on my Snap Map. Obviously, there's a big cluster of people all the way in Italy, and a few people spread across different parts of Ireland.

My finger hovers over Leo's bitmoji before I finally decide to zoom in—the teachers in my old secondary school used to call it spying. But I'm an adult now, so in my books, it's totally allowed.

I narrow my eyes, looking at the words for a moment and wondering if they're true. It doesn't take very long for me to see that he's at Rise and Dine. It doesn't take long for me to assume the worst when all of my calls immediately go to voicemail. It doesn't take very long to know that he lied to me about being busy when he's at a brunch place.

I'll give you five seconds to guess what else doesn't take long.

Hint: It's ordering my Uber.