A Match Into Water (Fuenciado)

Epilogue

The inside of my car smelled like sweat and fast food. Although now that I thought about it, it was probably because I'd been practically living in the vehicle for the past three days. Aside from the cheap motels that I'd stayed at overnight, I'd spent every second behind the wheel. Not that I minded. Every hour that I spent driving, jacked up on large coffees from drive-through windows, meant that I was closer to my destination.

That I was closer to him.

God, I missed him. It had been a year, a whole fucking year, since I'd heard the sound of his voice. His real voice, not the static that came through the phone. I just wanted to be near him again, to be able to reach out and for him to be there.

We still talked almost every day, but it just wasn't the same. Some nights, I was able to close my eyes and imagine that he was there with me. That he was lying next to me, actually whispering in my ear instead of through a piece of plastic.

But that was why I was taking this trip. Because those whispers had been enough to get me through another hellish year of high school and to a diploma. To college, after this summer. Whenever I heard Jaime's voice, no matter from how far away, I knew that things would somehow be alright.

As I slowed to a stop at an intersection, I consulted the directions that I had pulled up on my phone. They read that I was almost at his house. I was so lucky that Jaime lived in the suburbs, because it would've taken me months to find him in the city. As it was, I'd already had to call his aunt multiple times for the address. She seemed nice enough. She'd even agreed to keep the visit a surprise; a fact that I was now regretting.

I could feel my heart pounding loudly in my chest, my hands starting to shake a little. I'd been so excited while the drive had lasted because I was going to see Jaime. But now that I was actually here, I was scared shitless because...well, because I was going to see Jaime. Talking on the phone was one thing; what if once he saw me in person, he didn't think of me in the same way?

No. I couldn't think like that. If these past few years had taught me anything, it was that I actually wasn't as pathetic as I thought I was.

I bit my lip as I turned onto the final street in the directions, driving slowly so that I could see the numbers on the houses. This was it. Stopping in front of a modest beige house, I pulled into the driveway. Anxiously thrumming my fingers on the wheel, I turned off the engine, the slightly annoying radio station that I'd been listening to quickly quieting. I glanced at the time on my phone. Ten at night. Jaime's aunt said he'd be home now. Which meant that he was only a few steps away.

Pocketing my phone, I pushed open the door to the car and locked it behind me. After taking a breath to steady myself, I made my way up the pathway to the front door. There were flowers planted on both sides of it, and the little metal garden decorations made it seem like somebody actually lived in this house. It was kind of unnerving, how different it was from Jaime's old home. I hoped he was happy here, I really did.

I balled my hand into a fist, shakily knocking on the wooden door. I shifted awkwardly on my feet as I waited for someone to answer the door, running through things to say if it was Jaime who opened it. Instead, it was his aunt, who greeted me with a huge smile.

"I'm so glad you made it safely," she said, and I nodded. I was too anxious to bother with pleasantries.

She turned away from me, leaving the door propped open with her foot. "Jaime!" she called up the stairs behind her. "Someone's here to see you!"

"Just a sec!" came a voice from above, and I felt a smile playing at my lips. He was really here.

I heard the sound of footsteps, and then a gasp. "Vic? What're you doing here?"

He sounded breathless, like he couldn't believe his eyes. I blushed a little, my eyes tracing his the shape of his body. He'd somehow managed to grow even taller, and I could see muscles bulging underneath his black t-shirt. He rushed forward, wrapping his arms around me and pulling me into his chest. "I've missed you so much," he murmured into my ear.

"Me too," I said, although it was muffled by the fabric of his shirt.

He pulled back after a moment, as if to look at me. It seemed as though he was debating with himself about something. Was he...was he deciding whether or not he still wanted me?

Then he suddenly leaned forward and pressed his lips against mine. Warm and familiar, even after all this time. Soft, sweet, like an unbroken promise. Like a love that had never gone away.

When his lips left mine, I could see that look in his eyes. That one of kindness, that one of love. That one that I thought of constantly, that got me through the day. Seeing him here, right in front of me-- it made all of those horrible nights spent alone worth it, if only just to get to this moment.

"How long are you staying for?" Jaime asked, searching for my hand and squeezing it.

I shrugged. "I'm not sure, I'll try and find a place to st--"

"Nonsense," Jaime's aunt cut in. I hadn't even realized that she was still listening, but now she walked in from the connected kitchen with a hand on her hip. "You'll be staying here."

"What?" I asked, shocked to say the least. I barely knew the woman.

"Of course. I can't have you paying to stay somewhere when we have room here. I'm sure you wouldn't object to staying in Jaime's room?" she continued.

"Um, no, but you really don't have to--"

"My pleasure," she said, smiling. "Really."

"Oh, well, thanks," I said, smiling.

She nodded. "Just remember that I can pop in at any time," she said with a smirk, returning the kitchen.

When I turned to look at Jaime next to me, he had the biggest grin on his face. "C'mon," he said, taking my hand and tugging me up the stairs.

I laughed as I followed him into one of the various doors on the second level, which he closed behind him. "I still can't believe you're really here," he sighed, sinking down to sit on the edge of his bed.

"Me either," I said, taking the spot next to him.

"Did you really drive all this way? That's like," he paused, doing the mental math in his head. "Four day's worth of driving."

"Yeah," I answered, leaning to lay my head on his shoulder. "But you're worth it."

I could tell he was smiling over my head even though I couldn't see it.

Jaime moved to lie down on the bed, and I rested my head on his chest. He wrapped his arms around me, pulling me close to him. As I lay there, safe in his embrace, I listened to his heartbeat. Slow. Steady. Seemingly infinite.

"I love you so much," he said softly.

"I love you too," I replied, tilting my head up to gently kiss him. "And I always will."

A/N: Surprise, bitch! I bet you thought you'd seen the last of me. So due to popular request, I've written this lovely (if you could call it that) epilogue. I think that this is really going to be it for this story, I don't have any plans for a sequel. I'm actually currently writing another fic which you can find here: http://www.wattpad.com/story/12161220-bite-my-tongue

Also you can message me on tumblr if you want: http://hella--butts.tumblr.com/

Well I really think that's all, hope you enjoyed. Hasta la pasta.