Three Years Later | ✓

《 Bonus: Milo's POV 》

MY LEG FIERCELY BOUNCED up and down as I clutched my phone tightly in my hand, nibbling on my bottom lip. As I sat at the edge of my bed in the apartment I was barely able to snatch up for rent, my mind went crazy going over the pros and cons as my finger hovered over the screen.

"Screw it," I said to myself, sighing as I shook my head thinking I had nothing to lose. Before I could back out, I pressed on the call button and brought the phone to my ear, the sound of the other side of the line ringing loudly.

Just when the line was on its last ring and about to go to voicemail, a deep pit forming in my stomach, the ringing cut off abruptly.

"Hello?"

My heart rate spiked as I heard her voice, sucking in a shallow breath. This was it.

"Hadley?" I breathed, although it came out as more of a question due to the tension swelling in my chest and surprise that she had picked up. A smile beginning to play at my lips, I added, "I didn't know if you'd pick up, but thank god you did."

"Milo?" It was evident that she was just as shocked as I was that I called after months of avoiding each other.

"Yes, Hadley, it's me. I'm still in New York, but I called because," I paused, my heart accelerating so fast in only a way she could cause, "I missed you, I missed you so much."

For a few moments, it was silent. The ecstasy I felt started to diminish as dread began taking over. This was it, I screwed up and now she was going to tell me that she's moved on, I thought.

"I...I missed you too, Milo," said Hadley tranquilly, a lightness in her tone. My lips rolled in as a giant smile spread across my lips, looking up at the ceiling as I suppressed the urge to jump for joy at the sound of those words coming out of her mouth. "But I don't think things can go back to the way they were."

I looked down at my feet as a heavyweight loomed on my chest, wanting to get out what I've been wanting to say to her for weeks now, "I know and I was an idiot for letting you go again. I told myself that I wouldn't let you go the first time, but I did it anyways because I thought it was better that way. But it's not, and I want to make it up to you, to us, give us another chance, Hadley."

She was silent again, processing all of what I said. With every second that passed, I could hear my heartbeat getting louder and louder, the feeling of my heart palpitating vibrating throughout my whole body.

"But we're so far away, and—"

"Move to New York with me," I blurted out quickly, not even thinking before speaking. Even though she hadn't given a definitive yes, I knew that it wasn't a no, and that's all I wanted, to at least have the idea entertained in Hadley's head as she considered it. "Move to New York with me," I repeated again more slowly, calm and confident as I smiled at the thought of Hadley and I living together, or even being together at that matter.

"I-I can't, Milo. I just started at Berkeley, and I like it here." Her voice began to sound panicked, stuck in a dilemma.

"Well when you're finished with college, do you think you'd consider moving to New York?" I didn't want to pressure her into moving here with me if she didn't want to, only wanting it to come off as a light suggestion.

"Maybe," she paused as she thought about it and continued, beginning to sound a tad excited, "I mean, there are many opportunities there, and it would be amazing if I somehow got to dance on Broadway."

"Then that's okay, you don't need to move to New York now, or ever if that's what you decide in the end, I'll still wait for you," I replied, dopamine flooding my brain as Hadley stayed silent. "We could try long distance for now."

Seeming hesitant, Hadley tried to convince me as well as herself, "But what if the same thing happens again and we're separated? Waiting until I graduate is a long time from now, don't you think you'll get tired of waiting for me?"

"I don't care how long I have to wait for you. You're worth waiting for."

The heavyweight that was on my chest vanished, feeling euphoric that I finally voiced all of the words and thoughts I wanted to spill to Hadley. I could tell she was deep in thought as my pulse never dropped, already knowing deep down what her decision was going to be. I knew it, she knew it, we both knew it; nothing was going to break us apart no matter what life threw at us.

Because we were meant to be.

She exhaled a deep breath, "Let's do it."