Page 54 of This Is Why

LEXI

I’m numb.Sitting in Ty’s bed, with his down comforter bunched around my legs, all I can do is stare at him. The sun has just barely begun to rise. The faint glow through the blinds tells me it’s still early, but Ty looks like he’s been up for hours.

“When?” I ask, blinking back the tears that I’m not ready to letfall.

“I leave tomorrow.” He perches on the edge of the bed and puts a hand on myleg.

“For howlong?”

He lets a long breath out through his nose, but doesn’t look away. “I don’tknow.”

“Why? Why do you have togo?”

“I can’t tellyou.”

“And so just like that, everything falls apart.”

Ty’s face crumples. “Who says it’s falling apart?”

I sigh and drop my gaze to the bed, the tears welling up behind my closed eyes. “It feels like it’s falling apart.” I look up at him. “I’m scared, Ty.”

“Everything is going to be okay.” His face is a mask and his words feel hollow.

“Is it? How can you even know that?” I reach for him and he takes myhand.

“I know it because I’ll do everything in my power to make it okay. You and me, we’ve got something real here, Lex. Something worth fighting for. We’re stronger than time and distance. If anything, our life has already provedthat.”

Stronger than time and distance. I’d love to believe that because I can’t imagine being without him now that I know what it’s like to be with him. “How? How have our lives proved it?” Iask.

“We spent one day together seven years ago and that was enough to forge a connection between us that we couldn’t ignore the very next time we saw each other. Almost seven years passed between the first time I saw you and the next and I swear, I swear it felt like no time had passed at all. If we can survive seven years, we can make it throughthis.”

“But I don’t want to make it through this. I don’t want to leave you and I don’t want you to leave me.” I hang my head and swallow hard against the tears. “Just when things were starting to make sense, this happens and now I’m more confused thanever.”

“Hey. Look at me, Lex. Please, look at me.” Ty cups my cheek. ”Talk to me. Don’t close up. Notnow.”

I meet his gaze. “Last night, I was thinking I’m ready to pack up my life and move out here with you, but now I find out I have to pack things up to move back home.” I blink against the tears.

“Really?” His eyes soften. “You’re ready to be with me forreal?”

I take a long breath and suck in my breath. “Yeah. Somewhere along the way, I fell in love with you, Ty.”

He leans forward, blinking in confusion. “What did yousay?”

I smile through my tears. “I love you. The kind of love that’s worth giving up silly jobs in Ohio and taking a great big risk to be withyou.”

“You love me?” His entire demeanor softens. He searches myface.

“I do. I love you, Ty. I love you so much I don’t want to ever be without you, but, here we are. You have to leave which means I have to be without you. I don’t think I’ve ever felt this happy and this sad at the sametime..”

Ty scoots closer and takes my hand, his thumb running lightly across my knuckles. “I love you, too, Lexi. I’ve been in love with you since the day we met. All it took was one look and I was done for, but now that I’ve gotten to know you?” He smiles through sad eyes. “I don’t want to be without you either, but I don’t have a choice here.” He scoots closer. “But we will make this work. Wewill.”

“How do youknow?”

“I just do.” He wipes a tear from my cheek. “Don’t you feel it? We’re stronger than time or distance.”

I nod. “I do. I feel it. I don’t care how long we’re separated or how far away from me you are, I’m yours.”

“And I’m yours. I promise.”

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