It Goes On (Sample)

Chapter 1

Every goodbye brings a new hello

Mark hugged me close, his low, broken cries vibrating against me. I attempted to stand from our seated position on the edge of his bed, but he awkwardly moved with me, keeping his arms wrapped around my waist.

Painfully aware that I was not crying, I tried to conjure up some tears before stepping out of his embrace. It didn't work. Instead, I hung my head low and stared at an LSU sweater crumpled on the floor.

What was wrong with me? I should be sad, but all I wanted to do was leave. Leave his bedroom. Leave Mark's tears. Just leave.

"Don't worry, we'll still talk to each other," I reassured, raising my phone to prove my point.

"But I'll miss this." He slipped his arms around me once more, dipping his head towards mine.

Damn, this goodbye was taking forever.

Taking control, I grabbed the sides of his face and kissed him hard and fast. The moment our tongues touched, I pushed away, out of his reach.

"I've got to go." I couldn't stand the way he studied me with narrowed, red-rimmed eyes as he pushed back his wavy blonde hair in frustration or maybe it was confusion. "My mom's waiting on me to help load the car." It was true enough, and I was happy for the excuse to leave his room.

He followed me down the narrow stairs. The weight of guilt for my lack of emotions and patience pressed on my chest with every thump of his heavy footsteps.

At the front door, I turned towards him and softly breathed, "I'm sorry." For my lack of emotion, for leaving you so suddenly, for not caring that we're breaking up, for walking into your life to begin with. The list of apologies could go on and on.

"Wait." Mark stopped me. His eyes didn't hold their usual warmth as he scanned me, like he was finally seeing me for the first time. "We never really had a chance of working, did we? Even if you weren't moving away?"

All I could do was shrug. Then I turned and walked out of his house, immediately suffocating in the Georgia humidity.

I could hardly breathe, but once I passed the corner of his street, out of view, I started running. I couldn't stop myself, the urge was overwhelming. The agitation and anger coursing through my muscles, pulling on them till they felt like they'd snap, needed a release. So, in my shorts and flip-flops, I ran the entire six blocks back to my apartment

Perhaps the feeling wasn't anger at all, but jealousy. Jealousy that he could be so open with his emotions-That he could feel such emotions.

***

"Kate, did you return the key to the leasing office?" My mom asked as she shut the trunk of our black SUV and wiped her hands on her skinny, destroyed denim jeans.

"Yes, we're all ready to go, lady. Now get your butt in the car," I hollered out the passenger side window, squinting my eyes against the rising sun.

"Where are your sunglasses? You'll get wrinkles if you keep squinting like that."

I laughed at her accusatory tone and fell back against my seat as she positioned herself behind the steering wheel. When she turned to face me, I pulled my sunglasses from the visor and made a show of putting them on.

"Two thousand miles till destination, are you ready, chickadee?" she sing-songed while turning on our GPS. Her smile lit up her face as she eased the Hyundai out of the parking lot.

People were always surprised when they found out she was my mom. At thirty-eight, she looked more like my sister. Our faces were the same, long and slender with skinny noses and pointy chins. But where she had thick, straight, shoulder length, white-blonde hair, I had long, dark, wavy hair that was currently rebelling against the humidity. I flipped open the visor mirror and tied my unruly locks back into a quick, messy bun, which resulted in a huff from Mom.