Imagination: The True Magic Carpet

The Way They Leave

"The way they leave tells you everything."

Dance10alex

"So what, we're finished?" Jenna said quietly as she looked at her boyfriend of 6 months. They had been sketchy for the past 3 weeks just having a hard time finding time for each other. Between work and life and just everything, their relationship had fall to the wayside. It resulted in them having to have a pretty serious conversation.

"I...well...that's kind of what we both said. We don't want someone we have to scrounge to find time for." Val said from his place on the couch. It wasn't what he wanted. He wanted to continue this with her however, this stress wasn't working either. This option seemed to be the best option possible.

"Right." She nodded as she looked at the floor.

"I'm going to get my stuff." He said softly not really sure what to do. He realized from the shock in her voice that he was going to have to be the strong one in this case, even if it was breaking him as well.

"You're going to take your stuff?" She said so bewildered at the moment. She knew the choice they were making but this was making it so final.

"Yeah." He said as he stood and left the room. Tears immediately filled Jenna's eyes as she watched his retreating figure. She sat there just starting as she listened to the dresser drawers open and close followed by the closet and then a zip of a suitcase. He reappeared in the living room as he looked at her. He started toward the door and she stood up and followed him.

"Val." She said grabbing his hand. He stopped and turned and looked at her.

"Yeah Jen?" He almost reached up to brush the tears off her cheeks but stopped himself just in the nick of time.

"We can still be friends right?" She asked sounding like a little lost child.

"Always." He said as he relented and wrapped his arms around her. She sunk into him and he felt her tears soak through his shirt. "Take care of yourself Jenna Johnson."

"You too Valentin." She said as she let him walk out the door. She slid to the floor as her tears streamed down her face. Little did she know that the second he hit his car, his face looked the same.

The days and months continued on after. The promise of friendship didn't really happen because honestly, who remains friends with their ex. Their friends told them they could have made it work but stubbornness and self-preservation pushed them each to defend their choices. They each began to date other people. People who were closer to their schedules and their seemingly similar but equally different lifestyles. Both seemed happy as could be except for those close to them, they could see them both falling deeper and deeper into a whole. The people they did date didn't last for long because even though Val and Jenna were respectfully great people, they just weren't themselves.

"You know she's coming right?" Maks said to Val as they got ready for his and Peta's engagement party.

"Who?" Val said looking at his brother like he had grown a 5th head.

"Jenna."

"Oh, yeah, I figured as much. Her and P were always close."

"Why don't you talk to her?" Maks pressed.

"Maks, how many times do we have to go over this? We decided we wouldn't work. Can't you all just respect that and leave us be?"

"NO! We can't. Haven't you ever heard, the way they leave tells you everything? You were both a freaking mess when that all went down! And not normal break up mess, you were both worse and we all knew it. We all wouldn't push you both on this if we couldn't see right through you both. That was 2 years ago Valentin. You were both young and stupid, heck you're both still young and stupid but either way, you've both changed. Your lifestyles have changed. You're both miserable and that's not fair to yourselves or the people you keep failing at dating."

"I've done fine in the dating world."

"You want to be married to someone you are considering as doing fine with." He shot back.

"Whatever."

"Exactly, talk to her. I didn't say marry her. I said talk to her." Maks said before leaving the room. He needed to find Peta since they had to wait until everyone was in to join the party. Val was left there to contemplate his brother's words.

Later that night, Jenna was leaning against the wall talking to Keo when Val appeared next to them. He was holding a drink and handed it to her.

"What's this?" She asked softly looking at him with such apprehension.

"Your favorite, sprite, two cherries, a lemon, with a splash of lemon vodka." He explained. She loved cherry lemonade. One night back when they were dating, he became determined to find her an alcoholic drink that would semi match. He had found something that was almost the same and she ended up loving it.

"Oh, thank you." She stammered. Keo decided to leave the two of them be.

"I miss you." He blurted out and then groaned at his lack of composure.

"Excuse me?" She said in shock. They basically hadn't talked in over a year. And prior to that year it had been minimal since the breakup.

"I...wait, can I start over?"

"Yeah."

"So we can talk?"

"Yes." She said laughing lightly.

"Sorry, nervous. So Maks wanted me to talk to you and as always I got grouchy and yelled that we had it figured out. He said that clearly we didn't because we've both been miserable. And I yelled that we were both dating and doing fine. And he asked if I really wanted to be "doing fine" whoever I married." He paused knowing what was coming next.

"Are you just replaying your conversation with Maks with me? Or is this going somewhere?" She said in a slightly teasing tone. The comfortability with the teasing at first scared her but at the same time, she relished in the fact that something she missed so much was suddenly present in her life.

"It's going somewhere. I promise. But so when he said that it kind of hit me. I'd never tell him this but he's right. I don't want to marry "Just fine." I want to marry someone that makes my heart race, someone that makes my palms sweat, and someone that when I'm away I miss. And I realized exactly why I've been so miserable lately. I miss you. I miss us." He said looking at her. She remained silent for quite some time, in fact it ended up being so long that Val began to panic. He was trying to figure out how to fix or take back some of what he had said. Something that would fix the situation when she finally spoke up.

"I miss you too." She turned her body away from his but moved closer on the wall. He watched her perplexed as he tried to figure out exactly what she was doing at that moment. Then he felt her fingers lace into his gently. She looked at him tentatively trying to figure out if what she was doing was okay. He smiled and nodded, adjusting their grip and squeezing her hand lightly.

**Not gonna lie, you guys are challenging me with the Valenna requests. Not that I don't like them but I've never really written them. Soooo let me know how I've done. :) Hope you liked it! Don't forget to like it up and let me know. Love you guys!