I have somehow made an unspoken rules to Cole to not talk about Elliot's leave with me after that morning, Abby seemed to be at the lost with words, that Elliot was moving back to London with no explaining and she looked at me. She give me a hug, but I reminded myself, it's for the best. It's for his happiness, nothing matters more than his safety and happiness. All I hope is, that Landon wouldn't find out about the move, I can lie to him and say that Elliot will come back for the game, but how long will my lie last, when he figures out that he left for the best, Well for me it was the best, for Landon it was his loss.

No one in school have figured out yet, that their favourite child is not coming back even after the winter break is over and I thought it was the best, the less people that knows about it, the more better it is. Cole sat with us for lunch the whole week, like always. He hangs around Abby and I, more than with the popular children, but he still have a secure spot in the popular clique for his looks and connection with Elliot, he doesn't really care about the status in school, as he casually talk to whoever he bumps into. He is way too friendly and talkative like Abby and together they drain my energy.

I was waiting for Landon to show up at my work place or anywhere like he did, but I see no sign of him, yet. As the days were coming closer for Elliot to leave, Cole was getting agitated with me for not reacting or trying to stop Elliot.

"It's not like he will listen to me." I said, if I tell Elliot about the fight, he will definitely go and he is healing and is trying to come out of that darkness, I feel like I will push him back when he is trying to get out. I can't even trust Landon's words that it will be the last game because I know he will keep on calling Elliot for fights using people around him as a weakness and I cannot be Elliot's weakness, that Landon can use for his own selfish reasons.

"You can try." He snapped.

"You act like I am the one who did something wrong in the first place,he was the one who cut the connection between us, stole my journal and made no effort to apologize."

He sighed, "One of you should forget your pride and come forward to make it work, relationship with pride is the worse." He groaned. I can't even disagree with him, but right now I have to pretend and keep my pride in order to keep up with the plan. He have to leave in order to be safe, I kept telling myself.

"He is leaving day after tomorrow." Cole said.

"Good for him." I said.

"Your lack of response is so heart- breaking."

"You can say whatever you want, but nothing is going to change." I said to him. In less than a week, Landon's deal to bring Elliot for the game was keeping me up on my feet and as the time was getting closer to him leaving, forever. I cried myself to sleep.

Cole sent me a picture of Elliot looking handsome like always, in his winter clothes. He wore snap back and had a back pack on, as he smiled for the camera outside the airport. It seemed like Cole wanted to get back at me by making me feel miserable. I stared at his picture, for quite a while as I touched his face from the screen, wishing I could have said goodbye to him in person or met him before he left. Seeing how good he is doing, I was glad, I did not take the offer of Cole's to visit him and just like that, my first love left me in the cold winter day, without looking back.

Landon came to me, that week at my workplace and he looked angry and I assume he must have heard by now, his money maker is missing.

"Where the f*ck did he go?" He snapped at me as I was putting the books in the shelf.

"Hello to you." I said, rolling my eyes. "He will come back for the game." I lied as I kept myself busy from making direct eye-contact with him.

"He better be, or else I am coming after you. Just like you promised."

"You should look for another way to make money."

"The amount of money that I make in a game, is more than the hourly wage that you get in the market."

"That's because whatever you are doing is illegal." I pointed out. "All the deals are illegal and harmful."

"Who are you to talk about illegal and stuff?" He glared at me as he looked around to see if anyone was listening. Too bad, no one was listening to our conversation.

"Anyone can tell whatever you are doing is illegal and a criminal act. Making underage teenagers fight for your luxurious life, you should be ashamed of yourself." I glared at him.

"He better be coming for the game, or else you will be seeing me and trust me, I won't hold back from hurting you." He warned as he turned to leave. My heart pounded as soon as he left the place, I am in deep trouble when he figure things out by himself on that day.

Abby can sense my discomfort the week of Christmas and also our starting week of winter break.

"You look tense?" She questioned. "Are you okay?"

She knows, that I am keeping myself busy or that's what I have been telling her in order to cope up with Elliot's sudden departure to his home land without explanation. My already trust issues and insecurities grew twice as much as before all thanks to him and I was struggling to cope with that and the on coming event that was coming in two days.

Cole thought I was having a post-struggle after Elliot left me like that. He told me, he thinks that I did not believe him when he said Elliot was leaving and now that he left, I must have realized and now I am regretting. I regretted a lot of things and one of them was not confronting him in person about our relationship. I just simple,"hmm" to his nagging that he started, and he said that I should have talk Elliot out of going back.

His nagging is actually amusing and interesting because he seem older and much more mature than he look, his nagging did made me feel miserable, but what else can I do about it. He did share that Elliot was doing okay there and showed me some selfies that Elliot shared with him and I just smiled at the picture.

"I am having a vey weird feeling about the situation." He told me.

"Why?"

"You seem to be holding on to something by yourself, I am here and so is Abby. You can always share your thoughts with us." And I almost spilled out the truth to him. I don't even know at this point, if my decision of holding back the threats was a good idea in the first place as I just give him a tight smile and a small, thank you for being there for me.

❤️😭❤️😂❤️