Bobcat

I Promise

Delia's POV:

I woke up to the sound of a steady heartbeat, the chest under my head rising and lowering slowly. Despite my half asleep manner, I couldn't help but smile as I slid my arm around Cole's middle. My eyes fluttered open to see the light sky falling in through the curtains. I pulled away slowly, setting my cheek against his bare shoulder. I looked over his face. Sleep made him calm. The worry and stress lines were relaxed against his light skin. His dark hair laid against his forehead. He was so peaceful, but the sudden thought that he was leaving for Vancouver today left a sincere frown on my face. I wasn't ready for him to leave. It had been a pure month and a half of bliss and peacefulness. We had spent every waking and sleeping moment together, and I had never been this in love with someone before. I wasn't ready to share him with the world again.

I reached down to gently push the dark curl away from his forehead. His jaw tightened slightly as he shifted in his sleep. I glanced at his three suitcases in the corner of our room, feeling my frown only deepen. I didn't have seperation anxiety, but something about Cole leaving and living on what almost felt like the other side of the world while I stayed behind made me start to feel empty. I felt like he was just going to leave me here. The small town house was going to feel so empty even with Dylan around. The flight wasn't for another four hours. He had spent half the night packing and stressing out and pacing, wondering if he forgot anything. I wasn't quite sure how he had fallen asleep after all that. It was like one minute he was throwing random things towards his bags and the next he was passed out on the bed. Either way, it made me not want to wake him even more. It didn't matter.

The slight movements in his sleep seemed to wake himself up. I laid on my side watching him as his blue eyes fluttered open, his lips parting as his brow furrowed. His morning voice was deep and raspy and it was something I didn't want to forget while he was gone. I promised myself that I wouldn't, but what if I did. It was going to be months. What if I started to forget the simplest things like the sound of his voice or how blue his eyes really were? What if I forget what it feels like for him to hold me? What if I forget what his touch feels like? What if I forget?

I didn't realize how deep in thought I was until I felt a gentle touch against my cheek. He had rolled over to face me, his blue eyes were alluring as he watched me with a calm, half asleep expression. He didn't look away from me as a soft frown formed on his lips, his fingers dancing over my skin. We still have a few hours and I wanted to do nothing but cry. He sat up slowly before looking down on me with his own gentle frown. His dark hair fell in his eyes before he looked over at his packed bags.

"Today's the day. I have to go back again. My two days are up," he whispered in the quiet morning in our town house that I knew would soon feel empty. I watched him with sad eyes, holding back the tears that I knew had been so close to spilling. His fingers gently tapped the underside of my chin, causing me to look at him. His voice was gentle. "I will pay for you to come visit me anytime. I'll call you every night-"

He said that but sometimes he forgot to call me for over a week. I know he was busy and that they were filming at all times of the day, but if he had wanted to talk to me, he would have made time. Maybe it was time for us. Maybe it was time for something pure to end.

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Cole's POV:

I knew that Delia was having separation anxiety, but it was getting bad. I had thought about giving up my part so many times, but she had always urged me to keep it. She knew what it meant for me, and she didn't want to get in the way of something I was so proud of. She was more supportive than I ever dreamed, but now that the time had come, neither of us seemed to be able to pull away.

We stood in front of the airport security, not able to look away from each other. I couldn't seem to let go of her hand. I didn't want to. Her big green eyes stared up at me and I felt the lump form in the back of my throat. The silence seemed to get louder and the need to say something, anything, grew into a large bubble in the pit of my stomach. I opened my mouth to say something but no words left my lips. Instead my eyes locked onto hers as I felt a new cold piece of metal weigh into my hand that wasn't there before. Her small hand pulled away from mine. She looked away from my out of the corner of her eye. She wouldn't look at me anymore. My fingers clenched tightly around what I knew was the ring. I nodded slowly before looking towards the gate that was now filling with people. I didn't have a choice anymore. Our lives were starting to become conflicting. It was over at least for now, no matter how bad neither one of us wanted it to be.

Delia was everything to me, and she knew it. I knew she knew it, or she wouldn't have looked like she was on the verge of tears while I stepped even further to the large piece of metal that would take me away from her.

I slid my hand into my pocket a little bit later in the flight, the ring weighing just as heavy as my heart and the emotional wage of the flight itself. I looked at the small ring in the palm of my hand. If she was ring, this is what she would have looked like, felt like, but it didn't feel as alive. It felt cold and empty, like a promise that was miles away.

I put my hand in my pocket again, putting the ring away as I wiped the hot salt that was springing to my eyes. My fingers brushed against something light and folded. I pulled out a small piece of paper. Not a whole lot was written on it. It was written in her elegant cursive, each letter taken care of so thoroughly.

My dearest, Cole;
I'll always love you. I promise.
      Your Delia x