other half

you?

"Lydia?" the voice was like a memory. Broken and breath taking. husky and low, but it sounded shocked. she held the phone to her ear waiting for them to say something else. to confirm that she hadn't gone crazy. it was him? was it really him? or was she hallucinating?

"Lydia are you there?"

"i- i'm here"

"where are you? i'm coming to see you" she shook her head. it couldn't be. there was no way. She knew Mason and Noah had moved in with Jim after she left to look after him. She also knew that Noah went out one night and never came back. or at least thats the explanation she got, whether that was true she wasn't entirely sure.

"you wouldn't...believe me"

"Lydia please" she nodded before remembering that they couldn't see her through the phone.

"i'm at the old estate by the lake" her mouth hung wide open as the line went dead. still astounded she took a seat on the sofa, unsure of what had just happened.

was he back? she wasn't imagining things again was she? did she even imagine it before?

without a second thought she made her way to the kitchen and poured herself a glass of wine, needing something to calm her nerves. to prove that she was still awake. 

she didn't check on Noah when he made it out of the hospital, in fact after a while of not receiving any letters back, she stopped all together. she allowed herself to get swept up in college and Richard. it didn't end up to well, which she knew, but at the time there wasn't anything she needed more. the distraction Richard gave her, the small feeling that everything might work out one day was more than welcomed to her.

if she had stayed who knows what would have happened. all this time she had made up the excuse that if she didn't go it would have been worse off for both of them right? a part of her was screaming at how selfish she had been, she didn't consider how Noah felt, though e had made it pretty clear he thought she should go...

if she had stayed...would they?...

she picked up a funnel from under the sink and poured the wine back into the bottle and made herself a glass of juice instead. at least she could convince herself she wasn't crazy if she didn't have something adding to her suspicions.

three knocks sounded at the door as she made her way back into the living room. gulping she made her way towards the door, stopping a few feet away. he knocked again. worried something might have happened.

with the glass still in her hand she opened the door.

there he was. he was older. more handsome with age. the scruff that lined his jaw and cheekbones, the long-ish hair tucked behind his ears. the plaid shirt on top of a plain black tee that hugged his frame. the same crooked smile and sparkling green eyes.

the glass shattered as it hit the floor. so many years and she never once imagined that he would look similar to how he did when they were younger. when they were just two crazy kids in love. He was just older now.

her heart was racing as her jaw hit the floor, the smile playing on his lips was small but held as much charm as the first time she saw it. This was real. He was really here, after all of this time, he was here, home, with her. Just like she had always wanted. 

"That's one way to welcome someone" He teased, the corner of his lips raising into a half grin. she wet her lips as she held her hand out in front of her, her hand brushing against his soft warm skin. He put his hand over hers and within seconds she pulled him close, wrapping her arms around him as he did the same. terrified that this was just some wicked dream she inhaled deeply trying to stop herself from crying.

He pulled away, fighting for air. "i like this welcome better than the shattered glass, i hope you dont greet all people like this?" he teased staring into her eyes.

"i'm so sorry" she whispered, her voice hoarse even now she could still see the scars that day left on him. the guilt rising within her was almost swallowing her whole.

"you don't have to be sorry Lydia-"

"i left you when you needed me" she pulled away, running her hands through her hair. she should have never left, this she knew, but then again had she not left, she wouldn't have Katy.

"i told you to go remember" his voice was soft and calming, his smile never faltering.

"i should never have listened to you!" he laughed at her, causing her brow to furrow as she stepped back, shocked by his response.

"it was years ago...you had to leave" Tears filled the girls eyes as she moved her hands to his cheeks, she had dreamed of a moment like this for so long. She had always pictured even when she was with Richard that this life was meant to have been with Noah, she tried to suppress the feeling but here was the proof that those feelings never went away.

we're always told this perfect story of how our first love should go, the new feelings, the intensiveness, the giddiness, there's always something that refers to that completely overwhelming feeling, but this wasn't perfect, it was messy and hard and wonderful in so many ways. this was love. Real and worth fighting for, she might not have seen it then but she saw it now.

This was their house, their home, this whole town was theirs, the memories, the love, laughter and misery it was all theirs and she was wrong to think that Richard could have ever filled the whole that Noah left. and yet here he was, right in front of her. after all this time. healthy and happy.

"do you want to come inside?" she offered, wrapping her arms around herself, suddenly conscious of how she was dressed. He nodded gently as she lead him inside, her heart racing a mile a minute.