𝐹𝑟𝑒𝑒 𝑋𝑜𝑛𝑒

𝑋𝑉𝐼𝐼

Emily paused, her eyes searching mine as if she was trying to find the right words. I could feel her heartbeat against my chest, the weight of her body pressing into me, but all I could think about was the possibility of losing her.

I want her back again and now the weight of losing her was over my head, like a cloud. We just move into our first apartment together, I was invited to The Nutty Professor Two movie premiere. we were planning on going together, she was my plus one, until she hit me with the news that afternoon.

She was considering a job with Angie Martinez. She had one of the hottest radio stations, it was an amazing job opportunity for her. A dream job for Emily. The problem was Angie Martinez station, is in New York on the complete opposite side of the country. If she takes this job, she could leave me for good.

"Baby, listen... this opportunity doesn't mean the end of us," she said softly, but I could hear the uncertainty in her voice. "It's just... I've worked so hard to get where I am, and Angie is offering me a platform that could really change my career."

I turned my head, not wanting to meet her gaze, the sting of frustration rising. "But why does every opportunity have to be on the other side of the country? We just got settled here, and I was looking forward to building something with you. Together."

She reached up, touching my cheek, her thumb gently brushing my skin. "I know... I know you were. And I was too. But you know how much this means to me. I've always wanted to work with someone like Angie. And I want you to be proud of me."

I exhaled, the tension easing slightly but not disappearing. "I am proud of you, Em. That's not the issue. It's just... what does that mean for us? I don't want to be one of those couples where the distance just slowly kills us, where we drift apart because we're both too busy chasing our dreams in different cities."

She looked down, biting her lip. "I don't want that either. But maybe we can make it work. We've made it through so much already."

"Yeah, but this is different." My voice cracked a little as I spoke. "This isn't just a few days apart or a weeklong trip. This could be months, years, who knows?"

Her eyes welled up, but she quickly blinked back the tears, trying to stay strong. "I don't have all the answers, but I know I love you. I love us. And I don't want to lose what we have, but I can't turn this down without at least thinking about it."

I swallowed the lump in my throat. "And if you take it?"

She didn't answer right away. Instead, she kissed me again, slower this time, as if trying to communicate all the things she couldn't put into words. And in that moment, I realized we were both stuck between what we wanted for ourselves and what we wanted for each other. Neither of us had the right answer.

But one thing was clear, we were standing on the edge of something, and whichever way we leaned, everything would change. Emily chuckled, her laughter breaking the tension just a little, though the weight of the decision still hung between us. "I guess we do," she said, her smile softening as she rested her forehead against mine. "But seriously, I don't want to lose you over this. Long distance... it could be tough, but if anyone can do it, we can."

I nodded slowly, wrapping my arms tighter around her. "Yeah, I know we could try. But I don't want us to just survive, I want us to thrive, you know?"

Her smile faded a bit, and she pressed her lips together, thinking. "I want that too. Maybe this doesn't have to be forever. Just a chapter in our story."

I sighed, still uncertain but willing to see where it could lead. "I guess we'll take it one day at a time then. No promises, but... I'll try, for you. For us."