Friends Forever, huh?

bonus chapter | their story

The day he came back, I wasn't sure whether my world was splintering into a million pieces or coming together. It's a strange feeling knowing that one person has so much power over you even after their years of absence. I'd never yielded the power to him--never spelled out "you hold the rights to my heart" in any certain terms, but that didn't stop him from pitching a tent in my heart and staying.

I wanted to hate him, the boy that waltzed in and out of my life with ease. He seemed to have no regard for the word 'stay' when truly, that was the one I needed him to add to my vocabulary. People knew how to walk away from me without looking back but no one really knew how to stay. Or perhaps they knew, but never wanted to. Whichever it was, I grew accustomed to  the lack of friends. I grew accustomed to having no shoulder to cry on but my own. It's a lonely way to live, though. Along the way, we begin to adopt the idea that alone we are invincible.

We suppose that self sufficiency can prevent heartbreak. After all, then we're not entrusting our heart to some unreliable human. However, our self sufficiency may serve as a mechanism to break our own hearts. It is a disservice to assume that we will be able to lock our hearts in a box to protect them from damage.

We cause ourself more pain by hoarding our love and using it with caution. Our love is so safe. So hesitant. We're afraid of rejection so we dilute our love, even with those we're closest with. We give our love in fractions because it's far less frightening than being whole in our love.

I set myself up for heartbreak so easily that I was reluctant to let anyone in. He came back with walls as tall as mine. We were two people frightened at the prospect of love. We knew how to run but we had to train ourselves in the art of staying.

Staying is a unique kind of lesson to learn, one that requires vulnerability. Honesty. It requires us to banish fear and set our sights on purposeful love.

The man I've addressed throughout this narrative is the one who taught me to stay. Perhaps that's an odd title to assign to someone but there's something beautiful about the way I can look into his eyes and feel the desire to run ebb away. There something beautiful about the fact that I can pinpoint him as the man who asked me to stay. And perhaps he can pinpoint me as the girl who stopped running long enough to say yes.

[An excerpt from When Life Gives You A Second Chance by Ashley Brighton]

It was about a year into their marriage when Cole noticed Ashley was acting strange. She was always typing away on her computer and sometimes he woke up in the middle of the night to find her spot beside him vacant.

Cole trusted his wife, of course, but her odd behavior gave him reason enough to become suspicious. So one day, while she was away, he caught sight of an open Word document. Intrigued, he pulled it up and began to read.

Ashley's descriptions were vivid, her words heartfelt. He'd learned her heart over the years. He'd seen her writing before. But this, this was a beating heart translated into ink.

The world needed her words, he was sure of it. He wanted to be selfish. He wanted to hoard them for himself, to stow them away where no one else could see them. But he couldn't be so selfish.

"I want to shake the world someday," She'd told him as a child, an unusual sort of vulnerability in her words, "With my words, that is. I'm not bold enough to make some dramatic step that will cause change...but I have my words, right?"

It had been on the tip of his tongue to tell her she was absolutely correct. She would shake the world with her words, he was sure of it. But then she'd laughed nervously, waving a hand to nullify her words, "But those are just unrealistic dreams. Sorry for making you listen to that..."

He'd frowned, disappointed with the lack of faith she had in herself.

And all those years later, that conversation stuck with him. He'd wanted so badly for her to prove herself wrong. He'd wanted her to see that her lack of faith was not justified--not in the least.

So he sent the manuscript to a publisher. And months later, when he received a reply that her book was to be published, he didn't feel a hint of surprise. He hadn't doubted her for a millisecond.

The night he received the email, he'd taken Ashley into his arms with a wide smile on his face and whispered the news into her ear. She'd wrapped her arms around him tightly and let out an excited squeal that warmed his heart.

"You did this for me?"

"You told me you wanted to shake the world with your writing someday," Cole kissed her cheek, enjoying the sight of her incandescent happiness, "Did you think I was about to let your dream die?"

"Thank you," Ashley murmured, "thank you." And then she'd held onto him so tightly that he felt he could scarcely draw a breath. He didn't mind.

"You know when you once asked if we'd be okay..." Cole began, his voice warm, "I think we're doing okay, aren't we?"

His gentle teasing coaxed another smile out of her, "I think we're more than okay."

***

This is the last chapter of this story. Ever. And I really want to cry because I've become so attached to these characters and this storyline and their struggles. I've poured so much of my time and love into this story and the fact that I have to end it breaks my heart. However, it would be unwise to continue dragging this story out just to have a few more moments with my beloved characters. So yes, this is the end. I'll still be editing, I'll still be adding scenes I didn't think to add the first time around. But this marks the end of my storytelling about Cole and Ashley.

I'm sad. But I'm thankful for the journey this book has taken me on. And guys, if you want to "read Ashley's book" I can actually make it a thing. I can write it. But only if you want me to.

Thanks for your support. I love you all.

-J