A Chance Encounter - Collins Key fanfic

Trying Again?

"I'm hungry," I groaned while I was on FaceTime with Collins.

"Then eat something," he replied with a chuckle.

I nodded as I rolled out of my bed and started walking to the kitchen.

Collins was leaving soon. He was going to tour the world with his brother. I wouldn't see him for at least 3 months. He was coming back for a hometown show, but other than that, I wouldn't see him. It was crushing on both of us. We had just gotten together again, and now we were going to be distanced. 

Who's to say that he won't meet somebody better for him while he's out there? Someone prettier, smarter, funnier. Someone more his type. 

I know Collins loves me and I love him, but I've been putting a lot of thought into this. His tour was going to last over the whole summer. Summer flings are a thing. Some people only hook up and others will meet the person of their dreams. 

I don't want to hold him back from someone amazing. 

We just got back together. And maybe I should end it again. 

-- 

"Well, I leave tomorrow morning. Our flight takes off at 7." Collins had his arms around me outside of the car. We were leaning against the car, just trying to soak up the rest of the time we had together. 

When I don't reply he looks down at me. "Okay, what's up with you? You haven't talked much tonight and you just seem distance. Talk to me." 

I'm not ready. I can't break his heart like this. 

"It's nothing. I'm fine. I'm just going to miss you is all." I pull myself closer to his body. If this is going to be the last time I see him, I want to really hold him. 

I'm going to miss that goofy laugh. The way his face gets red when he laughs or when he smiles and his eyes sparkle. His eyes. It's like staring at a sunlit ocean. I could get lost in them if I tried. I loved him and maybe that's why I was going to let him go. 

When we go quiet for a minute, I decide to ask a blunt question. "Collins, do you love me?" 

His chest moves slightly from the light laugh he lets out. "More than anything and anyone in this world." 

His answer strikes me in the heart. Way to make this harder on me Collins. 

"And I love you. Which is why I want you to be happy. And you're going to go tour the world with your best friend in the entire world. And I don't want to just be stuck here wondering when you're going to return." 

Collins pulls back slightly from me to look me in the eyes. I can see the pain slowly building in them. It shatters me. I'm doing this for us. I have to do this. 

"Sarah, where is this going?" 

I sigh and pull completely from the embrace. Gosh, I'm going to miss being wrapped in his arms. 

"Collins, your leaving. You're going to meet thousands of other girls that would kill to be with you. Who's to say that you won't find someone better than me. Someone you like more than-" 

"Sarah, you know that's not possible. There's nobody but you." 

"But you don't know that Collins. And if you do find that girl, I don't want to hold you back. I don't want you to be tied down with some girl back home. I'm going nowhere. I'm doing nothing with myself. You deserve your chance to go be happy and live your dream." 

Watching the tears fall from his eyes, makes my next sentence come out choppy and small. 

"Maybe we should just take a break." 

He brings his hand up and runs his fingers through his hair. The tears still falling from his eyes. He's looking at me confused. "I-I don't know what I d-did." He stutters trying to talk without breaking. 

"Nothing. You did nothing. You're amazing, Collins. This one's on me." 

"We just got back together, Sarah. We just started being happy again and n-now this?" 

Now it's my turn to cry. I can feel my heart collapsing. It hurts. 

"A break. That's all it is. A pause. You get to go see other people and if when you come back you still want to be with me, then we will be. I just think this is a better decision." 

Don't break down. Keep it together Sarah. 

I'm expecting him to yell at me or to just leave, but instead, he pulls me back to him. He crashes his soft lips with mine for a few seconds. I can taste the salt from his tears. Or maybe it's my tears. As we kiss, I know this is the last time and soak it up. 

He pulls apart slowly and looks at me with our foreheads together. 

I'm only able to catch his next words because of how close we are. 

"I'm always going to love you, Sarah. Only ever you." 

He kisses my forehead and pulls away quickly before I can process everything. Then the sound of the car door closing echos through my ears. 

And just like that, he's gone. 

And we're over. 

I crash straight to the ground, my legs shaking so much they couldn't hold me up anymore. My chest was heaving. I don't think I've ever cried this hard. 

It was like my world just came crashing down on me. 

I'll always love you too Collins. Only ever you.