Close As Strangers

Twenty-Six.

Now Playing... Before The Storm 

It was amazing how a person could change so quickly. Sometimes for better, sometimes for worse. But after New Year's Eve, Wes took a turn for the better. It was like he could finally remove the mask he had plastered on his face and be himself with me again. He could be my Wes.

I laid in bed, staring at the ceiling on the morning of the second semester. The rays of the sun gleamed through the window, stretching across my floor and bed as I breathed deeply, taking in the sound of the morning birds singing their song. I closed my eyes, enjoying the serenity.

"Incoming!" Wes shouted as he ran and jumped on me, and I gasped for air as his muscular body knocked the breath out of me. I hit his chest, glaring, and he cheekily grinned before planting a long, passionate kiss against my lips.

I smiled against his lips, wrapping my arms around his neck. "I'll send you the bill for my broken bones."

He chuckled, burying his head in the crook of my neck as his arms brought my body closer to his. I smiled wider, tangling my fingers in his soft brown hair.

"Can we just skip today? I like this idea way better." He gently kissed my lips again as he flipped us over so I was lying on his chest, and his back was on my bed. I focused on his steady heartbeat, smiling softly.

"I would take you up on that offer if we didn't have to prepare for this project." He sighed, and I rolled off of him as I stood and stretched. "Let me change my clothes, and then we can leave."

A devious smirk played on his lips. "Can I stay for the show?"

I rolled my eyes. "Out. Now."

He busted out laughing before pecking my lips and leaving my room. Once I was showered and dressed, I met Wes at the bottom of the stairs. Once we arrived at the campus, we stopped by the smoothie bar and grabbed a drink before heading to our first lecture. The professor smiled as we sat down, and I watched as the rest of the class filed in. In the beginning, we went over a couple literary lessons, and then the professor allowed us time to write a journal entry. The topic? The moments we took for granted.

They say you never know the value of a moment until it's gone. If I had known all the moments I had with you would be ripped away so easily, I would've tied them to my wrist like that animal balloon you gave me at the age of six, the one I feared losing simply because it was from you, and I would've held them so tightly, my knuckles would've turned white. I never knew the value of having you in my life until you walked out the door without a single word. I never knew how hard goodbyes could be until you didn't give me the gift of having one. All I know now is, if I had known then what I do now, you wouldn't have slipped so easily from my grasp. That precious balloon I held of you wouldn't have escaped and tangled in that tree branch that was just too tall for me to reach. I suppose they were right. I never knew the value of the moment when I had you as my best friend until the moment that was forced into my hand was you as a stranger.

As I lifted my head, I was surprised to find Wes' eyes glued to me. Luckily, my journal was hidden by my hands, and the way I had felt for years was concealed. When I glanced at his page, I found it to be blank, and for a second, my heart dropped. Maybe we didn't have the same idea in mind after all.

Once all of my lectures were over, I parted ways with Wes and headed to my work shift. When I arrived, the place was buzzing, and Evan and I worked hard to keep everyone happy. I was halfway through my shift when I reached a certain table that made my heart drop to my stomach. Sitting at the table was Wes and Olivia. She was laughing at a joke he told her, and his smile-- the genuine smile I hadn't seen in years-- was plastered on his face. My notebook clattered to the floor, and before I could even react, his piercing eyes met mine.

It was always too good to be true.