Realize That It's Gone

Chapter Sixteen

Warnings: Angst, lots of it. Also s**t goes down, so prepare yourself

Word Count: 1843

Author's Note: I hope you, um, enjoy the chapter? :)

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I drummed my fingers along the steering wheel, trying for the third time to get myself out of the car and up to the door. My heart was already pounding just from being outside her house and I was afraid that I would lose any ability to speak the moment that she opened the door. My mind was also trying to sneak in its familiar thoughts, doing absolutely nothing to help my situation.

The song that had been playing ended, so I figured it was as good a time as any to get out of the car. Without giving myself a moment to second guess what I was doing, I opened the door and closed it behind me. My hands shook as I went to lock the car.

Y/N's bedroom light was on, meaning that she was home. I briefly considered finding some rocks to throw at her window, but ultimately decided that would probably end up being more scary than romantic, considering she was home alone. I was already terrified enough for the both of us, anyway.

Y/N didn't immediately come running down the stairs after I knocked like she usually did. I waited for a minute or two, but there was still no sound on the other side of the door. Maybe she had fallen asleep. Or she was busy. My body started to turn away from the door and make a beeline for the car until I remembered I was showing up at her house unannounced. In the evening. And she was home alone.

Of course she wasn't going to answer the door.

I pulled out my phone and sent her a quick text, hoping that she would see it and come to the door. Then I could finally do the thing I should have done years ago.

Tyler: Hey, it's just me at the door. Sorry if I scared you.

Thirty seconds passed before I heard her footsteps coming down the stairs, ending with a thud that was undoubtedly her jumping over the last few steps. The door swung open a moment later, revealing Y/N in an oversized t-shirt and shorts. She smiled at me.

"Sorry about not answering. It's late and my parents aren't home so... you know."

"Yeah, I know," I smiled. "I didn't even think of that, otherwise I wouldn't have knocked."

"It's ok. Are you here to pick up your clothes?"

I had totally forgotten about that.

"I, um, was actually wondering if we could go on a walk? There's something I've been meaning to talk to you about. Obviously I'll take the clothes, though."

Her eyebrows furrowed a little as she looked at me, but she nodded. "Let me just run upstairs and grab your clothes and a sweatshirt and then we can walk."

"Ok."

"Here, you can wait inside."

I leaned against a wall in the entryway while Y/N ran upstairs. The house smelled faintly of cookies, reminding me of the day that I had told her about getting signed to a record label. Things had been so different then.

"Georgie? Where the heck did you go?"

"Is everything ok?"

"Yeah, I just can't find the cat! I promise I'll be down in just a second."

"Take your time."

A few minutes later, Y/N came down the stairs with my clean clothes in her hand. She was wearing the sweatshirt that I had given her right before leaving for tour, on our last day together. It looked better on her than it had ever looked on me.