heartbeat 4 u

16. moving on

It was Sunday morning, and Maddi was peacefully sleeping, tired from yesterday and from not getting enough sleep.

She opened her eyes a bit, and got out her phone. She was so used to her morning routine that she called Leo as she did every morning.

"Hey, Leo..." she said sleepily.

"Morning, Maddi..." he said sleepily as well. It turns out he was used to the routine, too, and didn't realize what he was doing.

"How're you feeling?" Leo asked.

"Eh...I'm still tired from yesterday."

"Really? What happened yesterday?"

"Oh, I went to an amusement park with Cam, and...and...I don't remember right now...I'm so tired." she said and yawned.

Leo yawned too. It turns out it's even contagious over the phone.

They both were sleepy. After a while, they realized what they were doing.

"Wait- Leo?"

"Maddi?"

"What are we doing??"

"I don't know!"

"Um..."

"Uh..."

"I'm sorry! Bye!" Maddi said and hung up the phone, embarassed.

"I can't believe I just did that!" she thought.

She tried to get it out of her head and went downstairs to eat breakfast.

"Morning, sweetie!" her mom greeted, "How was yesterday?"

"It was really fun. We rode every ride."

"That's good. Make it worth it it."

Maddi ate breakfast and went about her day as she normally did.

Then, in the afternoon while she was doing the thing she loved most(art), she got a call from Leo.

"Hey, love! Did you take your medicine?"

"Yeah, I- Hold on! Leo, we're doing it again."

"We're what?"

Maddi stayed silent until he figured it out.

"Oh!" he said, finally realizing, "I'm sorry, Maddi. I'm just so used to talking to you everyday."

"I know. Me, too. But we have to stop. It's not making things better, when we're not...when...we..." She couldn't bring herself to say it.

"When we're not together anymore?" Leo finished.

"Yes! Just...just try not to call me anymore. Let's be aware of what we're doing and stop our daily routine."

"Okay, I'll try."

"I will, too."

"Okay, bye..."

Maddi seriously thought through what Leo said yesterday and stopped him from hanging up.

"Leo, wait!"

"...yeah?"

"I understand now. I'm sick and I'll be gone in a few years, but you still have a full life ahead of you when I'm gone. So you don't want to waste all that time on me when you found the girl you're really meant to be with for the rest of your life. I get it, so it's okay."

"No, Maddi. That's not why, it's-"

"Don't explain. You know that's really the reason why. Don't worry, I understand. Bye, Leo."

"No, Maddi, wait-"

Maddi hung up.

She didn't want to hear what Leo had to say, because he already gave up on her.

She tried to accept that and move on.