Tangled Affections

24.

Freen's PoV

As I stood in my room, surrounded by the mess of half-packed suitcases and discarded clothes, the reality of what was happening finally hit me. My life was about to change in ways I couldn't fully comprehend. The tears that I had been holding back for so long finally slipped down my cheeks, the pain of leaving Becky slicing through me like a knife. Each item I packed felt like I was sealing away a piece of my heart, leaving behind everything I cared about.

I stared at the empty space on my bed where Becky had sat so many times, her presence a comforting warmth in my otherwise lonely world. I tried to focus on the positives—on the future, on what this time apart could mean for us. I told myself I'd come back stronger, more mature, more capable of giving Becky the life she deserved. But no matter how much I tried to reassure myself, the thought of leaving her behind, of being away from her for so long, made my heart ache in a way I'd never felt before.

The memory of that day in Becky's home came flooding back to me—the day I had read her diary. I hadn't meant to invade her privacy, but when I saw it lying there, half-open, curiosity had gotten the better of me. I remember how my hands had trembled as I flipped through the pages, my eyes widening in shock at the raw pain and suffering she had poured onto the paper.

Her words were filled with a loneliness I hadn't fully understood until then. The things she had gone through, the hardships she had faced—none of it was visible in the brave face she put on every day. It broke me to know that she had endured so much, all while I had lived a relatively sheltered life. My struggles seemed insignificant in comparison, my pain trivial next to hers.

That day had changed something in me. I knew then that I wanted to be more than just her friend, more than just someone who loved her. I wanted to be her protector, her safe place, the person she could rely on no matter what. And I realized that the only way I could do that was by becoming stronger, by growing into someone worthy of her love.

As I zipped up the last suitcase, my thoughts turned to the future. I knew what I had to do. I would go abroad, complete my education, and come back as someone who could stand by Becky's side, not as a burden, but as an equal. I would make sure she had everything she needed to succeed, even if it meant giving her the money my father had offered her. I hated the thought of her struggling, of her going without, and if there was anything I could do to make her life easier, I would do it.

"I'll miss you, Becky," I whispered to the empty room, my voice breaking. "I love you so much. Wait for me, okay?"

The thought of leaving without seeing her one last time was unbearable, but I knew that if I saw her, if I heard her voice, I wouldn't be able to leave. It was easier this way, to slip away quietly, to let her think I was strong enough to do this without breaking down. I had to believe that we would see each other again, that our love could survive this separation.

Before I closed my suitcase, I reached into my bag and pulled out a small photograph. It was a picture of Becky that I had taken from her diary, a candid shot of her smiling in a moment of rare joy. I stared at it for a long time, committing every detail of her face to memory—the curve of her lips, the sparkle in her eyes, the way her hair fell across her forehead. I carefully placed the photo inside my bag, right next to my heart, where I knew it would stay until I returned.

As I finally closed my suitcase and prepared to leave, I felt an overwhelming sense of loss. I was leaving behind the one person who made my life worth living, the one person who understood me in a way no one else ever had. But I had to do this. For her. For us.

The drive to the airport was a blur, my mind too full of thoughts of Becky to focus on anything else. As the plane took off, I looked out the window, imagining that she was down there somewhere, living her life without me. I had to believe that she would wait for me, that our love was strong enough to survive this. But the uncertainty gnawed at me, the fear that time and distance might change us, that I might come back to find that everything had changed.

But no matter what, I knew that Becky was worth the wait. I would wait for her, and I prayed with all my heart that she would wait for me too.

..........