A/N: There is a slight chance that this final part might break your heart so I'm apologizing in advance... Also, I recommend listening to the song above toward the end of the chapter.
(Goodbye Part IV)
Three Years Later
Y/N POV
Ever since Lauren and I ran in to each other my life has changed drastically. This time when Lauren and I parted it was on good terms and I promised to stay in contact, which I did. In fact, a couple weeks after the girls left I decided I was ready to move back to LA, so I packed up all of my stuff and headed home.
One day I decided to surprise the girls at their album release party. When I told them that I had moved back for good they were all overjoyed, especially Lauren. After the party Lauren and I went back to my place and had a long, much needed heart to heart. We both agreed that before we started anything else between us we needed to build back our friendship, so that's what we intended on doing.
For the next few months we spent lots of time together just enjoying each other's company in a non-intimate way. We would go to concerts and amusement parks, check out all kinds of museums, and even just hang out and have lazy movie days. It was amazing just getting to be around her again, I truly did miss her the entire time we were apart. Although I loved being around Lauren, I knew we both longed for something more.
Six months after spending the majority of my time with Lauren I finally decided to ask her to be my girlfriend.
Flashback
Right now Lauren and I were currently sitting in my favorite coffee shop listening to people perform while enjoying our hot beverages in between casual conversations. Yes, the same one where I asked her to be my girlfriend the first time. It gave me a sense of nostalgia me, so it only seemed fitting to ask her out here again.
Lauren was currently engaged in a very animated conversation, but I couldn't even tell you a word she said because I was too distracted by her beauty. I just sat there taking in every little detail about her from the curve of her eyebrows, to the small barely even noticeable freckles on her nose, to her soft cheeks, to her sweet lips. Every part of her was perfectly sculpted by God himself. I couldn't take it anymore, so I cut her off.
"Lauren, I can't do this anymore" I quickly interrupted her.
"W-What do you m-mean?" she asked with a shaky voice.
I saw a hurt expression flash across her face and I automatically felt pain in my chest. I could tell she was trying to hold back tears, but I hoped that what I was about to say would change her mood drastically.
"I can't do this friends thing anymore. I can't go on pretending that this..." I motioned between both of us, "is okay with me. I can't go on knowing that what we used to have is not the way things are now. I can't go on being around you every day..."
I saw her bottom lip begin to tremble and she bit back on it trying to keep herself together, so I quickly continued.
"knowing that you don't belong to me..." I added.
She sniffled and furrowed her eyes in confusion encouraging me to go on.
"I can't go on without touching you like I used to. I can't go on without holding you like I used to. I can't go on without kissing you like I used to. I can't go on without calling you mine like I used to. But most of all, I can't go one without showing you how much I love you like I used to..." I reached across our table and took a hold of her hands and gave them a gentle squeeze. "So Lauren, will you be mine? Again..." I asked timidly as I smoothed my thumbs over her knuckles.
