My heart was beating fast and I was excited about the idea of meeting her again and seeing her right in front of me.

The visit to my parents passed fast, I almost didn't feel it and when the time came for me to return, mom, dad and even Dan, whom I talked with, were quite against that and didn't want me to return, they tried their best to get me to reconsider.

But there was nothing to reconsider, I wanted to return, and I had enough reasons to do so, the biggest and most important of which was of course Judy. I just couldn't bring myself to think about how she will react if I told her that I won't be returning anymore how hurt she was going to be. And of course, I couldn't wait to be by her side again, so there's that too.

The scene at the station when I was leaving was the same as when I got there, with a lot of tears from me and mom, dad didn't cry that time but he did give me a tight long hug.

The bus finally stopped and I got down and looked around me in anticipation and excitement, soon I saw her and it seems that she saw me before I did because she was already moving towards me while smiling.

She hugged me as if she hadn't seen me in ages, she held me so tight and buried her face in my neck, I too buried my face in her embrace.

We stayed like that for a bit before she finally let me go, looking up at her, she had a few tears at the corner of her eyes as she was looking at me.

"I missed you so, so much." She said.

"Me too, I missed you so much."

We left the station while laughing and joking around, and while we were walking Judy suddenly stopped moving from next to me.

Looking at her I saw that she was staring transfixed in one place, following her gaze I froze too.

A tall, beautiful, young woman was looking our way, noticing both of us looking at her, she showed a big bright smile before while continued towards us.

It was Brittney, and I was frozen, I didn't know what to do or how to react, I just stood there while looking at her getting closer and closer, with that same smile that she always had.

Suddenly, she was cut from my line of sight as Judy took a step forward and stood in front of me, seeing that familiar back I calmed down a bit but just as I did, I heard that voice:

"Look who we have here, isn't this a happy surprise?" It was the same tone, the one I was so used to, and just the sound of it made me take a few steps back while I felt the blood leave my face.

"Just let us be Brittney, I don't want to waste any time on you," Judy said with clenched teeth, it was clear that she was beyond mad just from seeing her.

"What are you saying? I'm just saying hi, also.." She stopped her words for a bit, and I could feel her try to throw her gaze towards me, she didn't succeed if Judy changing her position and her grunt was any indication, "That's my girlfriend you're with, isn't she? I think I have the right to talk to her." She continued.

"She isn't your girlfriend, so you better leave soon or I will make you." Judy was getting even angrier,

"Sorry, but who are you anyway? I need to speak to my girlfriend, and I don't see how that concern you? Here, let me ask her, Sam, can we talk for a bit, I need to tell you some things." I could feel Brittney's eyes on me while she said that.

I didn't say anything, I 'couldn't' say anything, I was petrified and couldn't move a muscle.

"See? You're making this hard for her, why don't you just leave and let us speak, I'm sure that she would prefer being with me than with you." She continued,

"Listen here you b*tch, you better stop this act and leave right now, or I will be sure to make you do so." Judy released a low growl while taking a step towards her.

I also heard Brittney take a few steps back before she shouted, this time concentrating her attention on Judy:

"Yo.. You slut! Why are you even doing this? Why are you even putting yourself between us? Do you love her? Is that what all of this is about? You think that she will eventually turn to you? That by doing this, she will look at you as her saviour? Hahaha, you're pathetic, she only loves me, she only needs me and I'm sure that she hadn't even looked at you that way, for her, you're but someone that can be thrown away at any time, all I need to do to bring her back to my side is a five-minute talk, and she will happily throw you away for me. You are nothing to her..."

"SLAP!"

The scene froze, Brittney's eyes were wide as she held her cheek and looked absent-mindedly at me who was shaking with her wide eyes, even Judy froze for a bit, not expecting that I would do something like that.

I released a heavy breath as I lowered my hand while saying in a trembling voice:

"I would never throw away Judy... She means the world to me... A.. And.. And I would choose her over y... Y.. You any and every time..."

After I said that, I held Judy's hands and dragged her as I left Brittney standing there in a daze as if she had just seen a ghost.

As I was walking I couldn't stop myself from shaking and tears from falling.

I don't know how I moved back then, I just did once I heard what she said, Judy became someone special to me, she was there for me in some of my life's hardest moments, and she would always try her best for me, and I was for sure going to try my best for her and to repay her and show her that I appreciated her and what she did for me.

So hearing what Brittney said just maddened me and I couldn't control myself,

After who knows how long of me dragging Judy by the hand while walking aimlessly I suddenly felt a pull from the hand that was holding Judy,

Turning around, Judy was looking at me with concern written all over her face and seeing that, my emotions got even more unstable as I started crying heavily while I threw myself at her.

She held me and started caressing my hair and back while whispering to me gently that it's alright and everything was over.

I felt calm and relieved while I was held between her arms, listening to her words and feeling her touch, it didn't take long before I calmed down and stopped crying.

Moving a bit back and lifting my head, I looked at Judy who was looking at me too, seeing the concern and worry in her eyes as she looked back at me, I tried to smile at her.

"How are you? Any better?" She asked,

"Yeah... I'm better." I said while nodding slowly.

"Good, so... Should we head home? I'm sure that you're way too tired."

"I think that would be both of us, I'm sure that you're just as tired," I said with a bit of a smile.

We started walking slowly while keeping an eye for a taxi, we didn't speak much, we just walked in silence, and as most of the time in situations like that, that made me overthink, so it wasn't long before I found myself opening my mouth and saying:

"... She was wrong you know.."

"HmIm, What?" Either my voice was way too quiet or Judy herself was spacing out, but she turned to me with a confused expression on her face.

"... What Brittney said... It was wrong... I care about you... I would never throw you away... I would never exchange you for anyone else... I... I... I love you..." I finally said.

Judy wanted to interrupt me at first, but I stopped her and as I said those last three words, she just froze and looked at me like a statue, her eyes were wide and her mouth was half-opened.

The words I said weren't said in the heat of the moment, but what they represented was something I come to understand truly during the days I spent home with my parents, I loved her, and just the thought of that made me feel a sense of fear and dread as if I somehow didn't want to accept it, as if I wasn't ready...

"Sam..." She started.

"No Judy, can you please let me finish? I love you, I really do... I want you to know and understand that, yet... I'm also not ready for something like that at the moment... I need time... Both for you and me... So can you please wait for me?"

At that moment, Judy's eyes were full of tears and her face was flushed while she looked at me, after I was done speaking, she brought me to a tight hug as she cried while saying:

"It's alright... Sniff... I'll wait... Of course, I'll wait, don't worry... Take your time..."

Right then and there, while hearing those words and while being held by Judy, I felt so peaceful and happy, as if nothing in the world would ever hurt me.