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Song of the chapter/ Photograph by Ed Sheeran
Three Years Ago...
It was a warm summer morning, the kind where the sun spills over the hills and into the forests, filling the world with its golden glow. Dianna Taylor stood by her bed, clutching her phone as she paced back and forth, dialing her brother.
The phone rang three times before a voice answered, lightening the tension in her chest. "Hello?"
"Where the hell are you, Zach?" Dianna shouted, tossing a red crop top into her suitcase and flopping onto the bed with a frustrated sigh.
"Hello to you too, little sister," Zach teased, his voice dripping with sarcasm. She could almost hear him rolling his eyes.
"Little sister, my ass," Dianna huffed. "Do you know what time it is? My flight leaves in three hours, and you don't even care!" she complained.
"You know that's bullshit," Zach shot back. "You're my favorite girl in the world."
A faint smile tugged at Dianna's lips. "Be careful. If Mom and Ashley hear you say that, you're dead."
Zach's chuckle traveled through the phone. "Everyone knows it's true. I'm not in trouble."
"Well, if you really care, where the hell are you?" Dianna pressed. "I need to be at the airport an hour before takeoff."
"I know, I'll be there in twenty," he promised.
"Where are you?" she asked.
"I'm with Asher. He wants to buy you a gift, and I'm helping him pick it out."
Dianna's heart skipped a beat. Her pulse quickened. "Uh, okay...," she managed, her voice betraying her nerves.
"Hello? Dianna? Don't tell me you hung up on me," Zach said, his voice suddenly serious.
"No, I'm here," Dianna replied, shaking her head to steady herself. "So, Asher wants to buy me a gift?"
"Yeah," Zach confirmed.
Dianna released a breath she didn't realize she had been holding. She had been keeping her feelings for Asher hidden for so long. No one knew how deeply she had fallen for her brother's best friend—not even Asher.
"Don't tell me what it is," she said, trying to sound casual. "I want to be surprised."
Zach laughed. "Alright, see you soon."
She hung up, placed the phone on the bed, and finished packing the last of her things. It was hard to believe she was really leaving. Dianna was moving to France, having been awarded a scholarship to one of the country's top universities. It was an opportunity she couldn't pass up, but it also meant leaving everything behind—the life she had known, her family, and most of all, Asher.
Zach and Asher had been so supportive, helping her plan her move. But as excited as Dianna was about the future, she couldn't help but feel a deep ache at the thought of not seeing Asher every day. She wasn't sure how she would cope without him around.
Her family had always been her world, but now she was stepping out of that comfort zone. She would be on her own, and while she was determined to handle things herself, part of her wished that Asher cared more about her leaving.
A knock at the door interrupted her thoughts. Ashley entered with a tearful smile and wrapped Dianna in a hug. "I'm going to miss you so much."
"I'm going to miss you more," Dianna sniffled, her own tears starting to fall.
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Rainbows after Hurricane
Romance"I believe, every cloud has a silver lining, and every hurricane has its own rainbow."-That's Dianna Taylor. Normally, people describes hurricane as a strong wind that tends to destroy lives and properties on its wake but Dianna sees a glimmer of ho...