Realize That It's Gone

Chapter Fourteen

Warnings: Angst

Word Count: 1829

Author's Note: I hope you enjoy this chapter! :))

*     *     *

"I should probably get going," I said.

The sky was starting to grow dark, pink just barely visible on the edges of the few clouds that dotted the sky. Y/N and I were still in the same spot on the porch, plates and all. We had spent the last few hours just talking, although after Y/N had brought up her date with Josh, we had decided to stay away from any more serious topics.

"Already?" she asked.

"It's getting late."

She started to protest, but eventually closed her mouth and nodded. I leaned forward and stood up, dusting a bit of dirt off the back of my - well, Carter's - shorts. My arm felt cold where it had been pressed against Y/N's.

"I'll walk you to the door."

I held a hand out to Y/N and helped her stand up. She collected the plates that we had left behind and led me inside. While she put them in the sink, I pulled on my shoes and grabbed my keys from where they were beside the door.

"Don't leave yet, Ty!" she called from the kitchen.

"I'm not!"

She came down the hallway a few moments later, hastily wiping her hands off on her shorts.

"I just wanted to say thanks for coming over today," she smiled. "I had a really nice time."

"I did too," I said, returning her smile. "And I'm sorry about earlier... you know, with the-"

"It's fine. I'm just getting in my own head about this whole situation when really it's pretty simple."

My stomach twisted a little, "Right."

"Um, so I'll see you soon?"

"Yeah, I'll see you soon."

I held out my arms. Y/N looked at me for a second before her mouth curled into a smile and she happily crashed into me, wrapping her arms tightly around my torso. All the worries that had been bothering me just seconds before suddenly seemed to disappear as I held her close to me.

"Drive safe," she mumbled into my shoulder.

"I always do."

She finally let go of me and opened the front door, letting in a gust of warm air. I slowly made my way down the path that led to the driveway, letting all of the day's events play out in my head again. It was impossible to keep the smile off my face.

*      *      *

The apartment was empty when I arrived home, making the front door echo an eerie amount as I shut it behind me. Josh had left a note on the counter, saying that he had gone out with some friends and would be back late. I couldn't help the small smile that formed on my face. Although I liked living with Josh - at least, when he wasn't making a move on Y/N - I had missed having an apartment to myself to work on music or do whatever my heart desired without anyone else making comments.

My first order of business was changing into my own clothes. Having a pair of Carter's old shorts cinched around my hips wasn't exactly my first choice for lounging around the apartment in. I grabbed a clean pair from my closet and pulled them on in place of the old ones. Carter's shirt also ended up in the hamper, but I didn't grab a new one. The apartment was oddly warm today and, well, there was nobody home to tell me that I needed to put a shirt on, anyway.