Dear Skylar,

I first fell in love with you when we were seven years old and I heard you murder that Whitney Houston song. Your singing voice was so horrible I thought a psychopath was going on a rampage.

I was the one who called 911. I swear I didn't know you were just singing All by myself. I felt horrible when I peaked into your house and saw you crying. Seeing tears running through your face and snot coming out of your nose, I knew it was love at first sight.

I went to your house the next day but your dad told me you didn't want to go out and talk to people. I told your dad I wanted to be your boyfriend. He said, "Come back when you're older." And so I did.

The second time I fell in love with you was when we were eight and I saw you on that Peter Pan play. You were so good at being a tree. That stoic look on your face as you sway in a perfectly choreographed interval was so epic. You didn't see me that day. You never once looked my way. I asked your dad after the show if you could be my girlfriend. He said "Come back when you're older." And so I did.

The third time I fell in love with you was when we were nine. I just had my first computer and I wanted to ask for your yahoo messenger ID. I saw you sitting all alone on your rickety old swing, your skin looked like caramel and I thought I'd never seen someone more beautiful. I couldn't bring myself to approach you because I remembered your dad saying you didn't like people. You didn't notice me either. I told myself I would come back when I am older. And so I did.

The fourth time I fell in love with you was when we were ten. My best friends, Rush and Heather, were just starting to feel something more for each other and I was feeling kinda left out. I decided I would finally ask you to be my girlfriend so the four of us could go on double dates together. I was devastated when I found out you weren't home. Your dad told me you went to visit the Philippines with your mom and wouldn't be back until the start of classes. I didn't see you that day but I still fell in love with you even when you were not there. I told your dad, "I'll come back when I'm older." And so I did.

I started hacking computers at the age of eleven.

I had to admit I forgot about you for a while. The internet for me was an entirely new world full of magic and wonders that I needed to explore. And explore it, I did. Four days before my twelfth birthday, I remembered my promise. I logged out of the internet and rode my bike towards your house. I saw you smiling for the first time as you played with a stray cat you found on the sidewalk. You were just so beautiful and I thought I didn't deserve you. I fell in love with you for the fifth time that day but I decided I was still a little boy. So I told myself, I would definitely come back when I'm older. And so I did.

It was in middle school when the girls started to notice me. They would always ask me out on dates and I would always decline. But one girl was so persistent, I just had to say yes. That girl was Sophie. I was on the way to McDonalds when I saw you and your dad playing at the arcade. And just like that, I forgot about Sophie and almost everyone else. I fell in love with you again for the sixth time. But Sophie was waiting for me and I had to go. I promised I would finally confess when I'm thirteen. I never did.

I had earned a bad reputation in seventh grade and you were obviously afraid of me. You, on the other hand, were starting to grow so beautifully and many other boys started to notice. I heard Kenji often left sticky notes on your locker door and they were all cheesy and sweet and they always made you smile. Rush said I should confess before Kenji beat me to it. I still couldn't. I knew we were both too young for declarations of love and I promised your dad I would wait until we were older. I didn't know Rush would take it upon himself to make the moves for me.

I swear I didn't mean to hit you with a tennis ball. I was trying to hit the note Rush wrote so you wouldn't see my name. That was a stupid move. It was too late when I realized you fell into the pool. I immediately jumped in to save you but you were unconscious when I finally pulled you out. I didn't know anything about CPR and mouth to mouth resuscitation. I was thankful Kenji was there to do it.

I went to your house after class to say sorry but you were already sleeping. I never had the chance to say sorry. Whenever I tried to come near you, you always managed to slip away. Your father told me I should give you time, and boy, did I give you that.

The whole school knew I was crazy about you except you. You were under my protection without you knowing. Now I wasn't sure if I really did you a favor by doing that.

Years passed and so many things had happened. I wasn't the innocent boy I was before when I first fell in love with you. I made new friends, entered into romantic relationships with other girls, agreed to be one of my bestfriends' fake boyfriend, got in a lot of trouble with the law, but one thing still remained: you still made my heart beat faster whenever I see you.

The night before I went to Washington DC, I went to your house. I wanted to see you for the last time. I didn't know if I would see you again in the future. My life wasn't mine to lead anymore. I wondered if I really loved you or was it just a mere childhood crush I couldn't grow out of. It didn't matter because the moment I saw you playing your violin while sitting on your rickety old swing, I felt like the world stopped. On my darkest moment, you were the only thing that was bright.

I did a lot of bad things in my life and it seemed like I would never be able to deserve you. Not when I always fucked up every good thing that comes my way.

That was when I promised myself that the next time I see you again, I would no longer hesitate. I would treat you better. I would show you how much you mean to me. I would finally tell you how I really felt...

And so I did.

***

A/N:

I am so emotional right now.

Finally. We're almost at the end. Hunter and Sky are my babies and it's hard for me to end their story. This is my very first book and I can say, the journey into completing this has been such a roller coaster ride. There were a lot of times when I was so close to deleting this and not finishing the story at all. Your comments and messages helped me get past those negative thoughts.

I am an asshole for dragging this book for years but there are a lot of you who stick with Hunter and Sky throughout those years. You guys deserved this happy ending. I cannot thank you enough for reading this book out of all the million other books here in Wattpad.

Please accept my sincere gratitude.

With so much love,

Izeeyou.

P.S. There's one more chapter after this. ☺️