*Irene's mom is home, I'm good to go whenever you can get here. No rush :)*

I immediately get out of bed and start to put on my shoes. Sasha had been gone for two hours and I was starting to get sick of my English homework. I grab my gym bag and start the quick drive back to her house.

I hoped Irene was alright, after what Sasha had said and how manic the phone call sounded, I hoped everything would work out. Sasha was a good friend, she wanted to make sure Irene didn't go through this alone. 

But I had to believe everything that happened was for the right reasons. I knew this was right for Micheal, it never feels good to hide some part of yourself. And for Irene it means that she's not being lead to believe something other than the truth. I've watched them together for a few months and they didn't seem anywhere near as happy as when they started dating. Sometimes people grow and change, not everything lasts forever.

I try not to get too in my own head about 'forevers', all I think about when I see Sasha is the word forever. Nothing could change how I felt, no matter what was going on around me or what was happening to the people I knew. Sasha and I were meant to last and to be together, that's what these past few months have shown me.

I feel my pulse quicken as soon as I see her walking over to my car. I watch the evening light bounce off her hair and her hips swing. As soon as my eyes meet hers I'm lost. That pale icy-blue colour is too much for me, her eyes are piercing. Then she starts running to the car and I feel my own heart hammer in my chest. We'd never become Irene and Micheal.

"Hey-" I don't even let her say anything else before I press my lips to hers and she laughs.

"Hey." I say more quietly, pulling back and grabbing her hand. "I missed you." I tell her and she laughs quietly.

"I missed you too, sorry about leaving and everything. Thank you for coming to get me and for being so understanding." She says and I nod, giving her hands a squeeze.

"I don't mind, how's she doing?" I ask and she sighs.

"Better, I think just having someone to talk to helped a lot. She's sad of course but.....she understands." She says and I nod.

"That's good then." I tell her and she nods. "And how are you doing with all of it?"

"I'm fine." She says with a smile, shaking her head. "I feel bad for her, I know how much she really cared about him, but I think it's all going to work out. They'll probably stay close and talk, but Micheal won't feel like he's hiding something and Irene will have the chance to work on herself. Micheal being gay aside....they had a really rocky relationship. It was toxic and unhealthy and I'm glad they're getting the chance to focus on themselves for a while."

I definitely knew what she was talking about, I wasn't as close with them as Sasha was but I could see all the problems they had. They'd fight and get upset, not speak to each other, Irene would pull Sasha away constantly because of her worries over Micheal. It wasn't right anymore, and I'm honestly glad it's over for both of their sakes.

"She asked what I would do if I was her." She says quietly and I furrow my eyebrows.

"What?" I and she sighs. "Like if I was....." I trail off and she laughs a bit.

"I know you're not, take it easy." She says and I laugh, thankful she seemed lighthearted and none of this was getting to her. "But baby, I know that wouldn't be us." She says reaching her hand up to run it through my hair.

"Of course not." I whisper, turning off the car and pulling her over into my lap.

"I told her that when I'm around you I feel like I can't breathe." She whispers, leaning her forehead on mine. "You make my heart stop." She assures me, putting her hands on either side of my face. "She said she didn't know the last time she felt like that about him." I feel my own heart nearly beat out of my chest as I pull her just that little bit so I can press my lips to hers.

"Sash, I've felt like that about you for years." I whisper and she smiles, pressing her lips together. "It only gets stronger." I feel her wrap her arms around the back of my neck, giving me a firm squeeze.

"I love you to death." She whispers and I wrap my arms tighter around her small frame. "No matter what."

"Ditto." I whisper back, kissing her shoulder.

For a long time we just stay like that, completely wrapped around the other one and hearing nothing but silence. Energy practically flowed through the car and I felt entirely content.

"Do you still want to go to the gym?" I ask after a while and she laughs a bit, coming back to meet my eyes. "We don't have to."

"I'd like that." She whispers. "It would be a nice way to get my mind off of everything."

"Well as much as I'd love to drive us back to yours like this.....I can't see the road. Plus it's already distracting to drive with you next to me in the car." She giggles, then gives me a quick kiss getting back into her seat and I make the trip to her house.

I walk her up to the front door and she takes my hand leading me inside. She pulls me into the kitchen where I see Nik and his girlfriend sitting at the island talking quietly.

"Where have you two been?" Nik asks in a teasing voice.

"I was with Irene." Sasha says bluntly, getting a water bottle and filling it up.

"Sure you were." He says and Grace gives him a shove.

"Leave them alone." She says quietly and Sasha laughs, screwing the cap onto the bottle.

"Nik we would have been here alone all afternoon, why would we have left if we were doing what you're implying?" Sasha asks sweetly.

"Can you two fuck off and stop talking about that?" Alex calls from the family room off the kitchen. "Number one that's disgusting, I don't want to hear either of you talking about that again." He huffs turning the volume up on his hockey game. "Number two it's game seven and it's going into triple overtime, so please, shut the fuck up." He says and Sasha skips into the family room, standing behind his chair and wrapping her arms around his shoulders.

"You need to learn how to relax a little." She tells him and he swats her away as the game grows more intense. "Love you." She says ruffling his hair around and he leans forward getting away from her. 

"Yeah, yeah. I love you too, go away." He mumbles and she laughs walking away from a very focused Alex.

"She really was with Irene." I tell Nik. "She and Micheal broke up today."

"Shit, really?" He asks and I nod. "Christ they've been together for what, two years?"

"Yeah, she was pretty upset. I just dropped Sasha off so she could help her, I went home and did some homework for a few hours."

"Do you know why they broke up?" He asks and I sigh.

"Fundamental differences." Sasha tells him, saving me from deciding how to keep Micheal's personal life private. "They weren't right for each other, they haven't been getting along for a long time."

"That's too bad." Grace says quietly, running her hand over Nik's forearm and he kisses her cheek. "Send her my best?"

"Absolutely." Sasha tells her and she smiles.

"So what do you two have planned for the evening?" Nik asks and Sasha shrugs.

"Well we're headed to the gym, then we'll probably come back here, grab some food and Nate owes me a manicure." She says and I laugh, remembering the nail polish I picked out for her. "What about the two of you?"

"I'm going to let Alex finish watching the game and then all three of us are meeting a big group tonight for Josie's birthday." Nik says and Sasha nods.

"It's her eighteenth right?" Sasha asks and he nods. "Well that'll be fun."

"Sure will, only two more months of senior year." Grace says. "But then there's prom and graduation. Then next year I'll be cheering on my pro-hockey player over here." She says ruffling his hair around.

"You are taking the offer?!" Sasha asks excitedly and he elbows Grace.

"That was supposed to be a surprise." He mutters and Sasha runs around the island, giving him a hug.

"I'm so glad." She says quietly. "What changed?"

"You did." He says quietly and I feel a smile work its way onto my face. "Everything is falling into place, mom and dad are working hard to make sure you're happy.....and you have other people to lean on." He looks at me while he says that and I nod knowing how important Sasha was to me.

"Should I help you start packing?" She asks and Nik laughs.

"I'll be around more than you think, I'll come home whenever I can." She pulls back and smiles with a nod.

"Great." She says and he nods. "I'm so proud."

"Nik it's in! It's over, Carolina's out!" Alex yells from the den, interrupting the sentimental moment. Sasha just shakes her head and Alex rolls his eyes coming back into the kitchen. "Did I interrupt something?"

"Yes you knucklehead." Sasha says giving him a shove.

"What was that Sash?" He asks in a teasing tone, a smile starting to spread over his face and she scoots back from him.

"No, not now." She says in a warning tone, holding her finger out. "Alex!" She says more firmly and he starts chasing her around the island. 

"Oh you'd better run Sash." He says and she runs further around the other side. 

Alex is faster and ends up catching her, she squeals as he picks her up off the ground. I laugh myself watching her family get along so well. She tries to wiggle out of his grasp and then he starts tickling her.

"No!" She yells, but immediately starts laughing. "Alex-please..." She then goes silent, laughing so hard tears run down her face. "Stop, stop!" She says with more laughter and then he does, putting her down on the ground. She then collects herself and punches him in the chest, looking mildly embarrassed. 

"Asshole." She mutters and both of her brothers start laughing. "I hate when you do that."

"I know but it's so funny." Alex says and she huffs.

"Whatever." She mumbles and rakes her fingers through her hair, walking back over to me. 

"I didn't know you were that ticklish." I tease and she rolls her eyes.

"Don't get any ideas." She says, pointing her finger at me. "I'm going to run and get my gym stuff, I'll be back." She sighs and I nod. "Be good." She warns, turning to look at her brothers and they both throw their hands up.

"Promise." Nik says and she gives me a quick wave, leaving the kitchen.

"It's been a long time since we did that to her." Alex says with a laugh and Nik nods.

"I always think she's going to grow out of it." He confirms shaking his head.

"She's still as light as she was all those years ago, I swear it's like she weighs nothing." Alex says quietly, then he turns to me and furrows his eyebrows. "She got her meds today right?"

"Yeah, they're on her desk upstairs." I confirm and he sighs with relief. "I can go ask her to bring them down if you want?"

"Yeah thanks Carter, that would be great." He says and I nod, giving a brief wave and making the quick trip up the stairs. I walk along the hall and then turn the corner, seeing warm light from her bedside lamp pouring into the hallway.

I walk up to her doorway and then stop, feeling my breath leave my throat. Sasha's pulling a different top on. I don't see much other than her toned back and I feel myself smile, she's so pretty.

"Sash." I say quietly, knocking on her doorframe and she turns around, cheeks turning red.

"What are you doing up here?" She asks with a smile and I laugh.

"Alex asked if you'd bring down your meds, he just wanted to sort of chat about them I guess? I'm just the messenger." I say and she nods, pressing her lips together.

"Yeah, thanks for saying something." She says shaking her head. She grabs her gym bag off the end of her bed and then walks to the other side of the room picking up the shopping bag. "I like this colour you know." She says holding up the bottle and putting it back down on the table.

"I'm glad." I whisper, grabbing her waist and pulling her closer. "We should get going, I don't want anyone to make any assumptions." I remind her, raising my eyebrows and she laughs a bit with a quick nod.

She walks back down the stairs and sets the bag down on the island, showing Alex the different pills while Nik waits with Grace outside in the car.

"I don't start them until tomorrow." Sasha says. "But I promise I'll take them and I'll stay on top of my health." He nods and gives her a hug that she gladly accepts. "I want to get better too."

"That's great, I'm happy Sash." He says and she nods. "Alright, you two can get going. I'll lock the house."

"Alright." She says and he laughs. "I love you, see you later."

"Right back at you." He says and she laughs, walking back over to me. 

I feel her lean into my side as we walk back to the car and I smile, wrapping an arm around her.

"Are you still alright?" I ask as we get to the car and she nods.

"Yeah....I just had this moment I guess." She says and laughs to herself. "My life is a shit-show, literally a disaster in all ways. Things constantly change, people come and go, things become more important and I feel like I'm at the centre of something for everybody. Everybody sees me differently and nothing has been stable since we started seeing each other."

I feel momentarily stung by her words, it felt like she meant I was responsible for the constant issues and crazy curve balls that came into her life.

"Other than you." She says, reaching her hands out to hold mine. "You've been the only person where nothing has changed, that deals with the ups and downs of my ridiculous life. I know that wherever life takes me and wherever I go....you're there." She says and I feel a lump rise in my throat. "You're always there with me, and I'm so so glad that we're back. That I love you and you love me, that even when I've had the hardest day I can still manage a smile. And it's all because of you." She finishes and I immediately pick her up, wanting her as close as possible.

"I'm sorry life doesn't stop with me." She whispers. "I'm even more sorry that things aren't perfect and that you put up with so many things no normal boyfriend does."

"Sasha, I don't want normal." I tell her, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. "I want spontaneity and unplanned bumps in the road. You make me feel alive, I feel my heart leap whenever I see you." She smiles a bit at that and I watch a tear run over her cheek. "I just want you, I don't care what that means or how it happens. Because every night we crawl into bed together I run my hands over your back and think about how lucky I am."

She just nods a bit and wraps her arms around me and I smile feeling choked up myself. We had this conversation frequently, nothing ever changed. I still love her more than anyone else, we'd do absolutely anything for each other.

She's the most incredible person I know, and I fall more in love with her everyday.