Listen to this song above while reading the last chapter.

Enjoy and Good Luck

________________

-After eight months

❝

Time flew like crazy that not only today I was going back to home where I belonged but I got positively changed in this time that it feels good to breathe again. My therapy with the psychologist Blake suggested ended four months ago and then I decided to travel a bit, rather than going back.

To explore the kind.

Just wanted to discover what more lies outside my shell of anxiety but today I was returning back, where my heart beats, where he was, My Home. I was sitting in the waiting area of the airport alone, shaking my leg in desperation.

The airport didn't seem crowded like the night when I arrived here and encountered that weird girl that collided with me, resulting in splattering my coffee all over my white shirt.

I stepped out of the airport before looked around but soon someone collided with me hard on my shoulder.

"Ow!" I winced holding my shoulder and looked down at my shirt all messed up. It was raining that night and wasn't that bad but there were so many people that night that all flights were booked.

"Hey! Excuse me!" I shouted but ignoring me she just continued hobbled towards the ticket counter, passing fearful glances over her shoulder.

I frowned and looked behind but nothing was unusual.

If I'd think about her, she seemed kind of in a hurry or more like running away from something or probably someone?. Her body language screamed fear. She seemed around twenty-one with her simple soaked gray shirt and blue jeans and mud all over her sneakers. She didn't have luggage but only a black backpack.

One thing what I was sure was her palms were faint red, like she rubbed them badly or was it blood?. I called her but it was like she didn't hear me. I was so lost in my thoughts that before I'd help her, she was gone inside and London's not-so-welcoming cold breeze embraced me in it's unfamiliarity.

Though when I was in Toronto, I spent a lot of beautiful time with my Granna and Aunt. We baked cookies, Granna and I talked late at night as she caressed my hair till I sleep.

If Peace had a face, it was that.

Aunt Hannah treated me like a princess. It had been years since I met my family. Why always she felt like mom? Never knew but it felt good to be with someone who reflects pure care. Though no one can replace mom but still. She was dad's sister but very close to mom.

They knew everything and were very careful. Knowing about my therapy, no one questioned me anything and that was the best part about them.

When I thought to visit London, Blake didn't allow first. He didn't want me to come here in this city alone where I knew no one and I did agree that I was an early bird, that was why I wanted to open this cage of my heart and fly to discover the colors of reality and feel this energy that emerged from every happy face I met while I was here.

Time I spent Volunteering orphans. It was like, I was born again and felt alive.

Besides all these things, my mind couldn't stop picturing him and my heart couldn't stop beating crazily just thinking about meeting him, embracing him again. The day I left, it was like someone put a big hard rock over my Heart. I was already missing him.

Now today we'd meet again. Would it be awkward?

I didn't know the answer to that but the announcements for my flight resonated and I stood up, held my luggage, and threw a last glance over my shoulder to nothing but this foreign land which did comfort me for some time but maybe I was wrong? Home was home.

My home was a person.

Although time did heal me but the comfort in the air of my country which was suffocating me eight months ago was calling me to come back home as my mistakes were forgiven.

"I'm coming home Ethan, I'm coming home," I smiled before left for New York.

°°°°°°

"CAN YOU HURRY UP IDIOT, SHE'LL BE HERE ANYTIME!" Gwen shouted as she wore her black lagging bouncing on one leg and looked over to her boyfriend who was struggling with something too.

"IT'S STUCK! HELP ME, I CAN'T SEE ANYTHING!" Screaming for help, Gwen huffed and went to him before tried pulling his shirt hard which was stuck at his head.

"Who told you to wear this turtleneck? God! Leo, you're so big! We're gonna be late!" Saying that the shirt came out as Gwen composed her stumbled self before she'd met the ground and went to redo her hair.

"Oh Thank God! Thanks, frosty You're best.. wait- you said something....what did you say?" Grinning sheepishly Leo went into walk-in closet and wore a simple blue shirt.

"What?"

"You said I'm big, am I?" Leaning close to her, Leo trapped her between the dresser and his body.

"I appreciate your romance Mr. Evans-" Smiling softly to him Gwen spoke before her eyes turned of the devil. "-But if I miss her flight, you're gonna be buried six feet under today."

Pouting and rolling his eyes, Leo backed off.

"Alright, you're such a crocodile sometimes. You know what sometimes I get jealous of Aria. Is she your boyfriend or me?"

Sighing to his sad cute self Gwen walked and wrapped her hands around his waist, smile tucked to her full cheeks.

"You're the love of my life Leo, I can never think of someone else then you but she's my best friend and the only one who brought us together in a certain way. I've learned a lot from her and you've no idea how it feels to see her again after these eight months which felt more like eight years."

That second Leo held her tight in his embrace as the emotions came out of Gwen.

"I know Gwen, She's my friend too. I was just teasing. You seem so panic and overwhelm to meet her. I just don't want you to do that. I want you to relax and happy when you both meet," Nodding to his chest, Gwen pulled back and turned before gasped in the mirror.

"My makeup!" The horror looked on her face made Leo chuckled.

"You look like a clown now," Leo stiffed his laugh with his fist gaining a hard scowl from her. "By the way, did you call Ethan, where is he?"

If there'd be someone more than anyone, who had counted days every morning, counted stars every night, it was Ethan.

Smirking in the mirror Gwen wiped her smudge mascara. "Where do you think? I bet he's already there where they promised to meet. They both must be."

Nodding his head, Me agreed completely but soon shadows of sinister on his face as he tucked his hands inside his jeans pocket and asked in amusement. "Besides that, do you think I'm big?"

Taking the pillow from the bed, Gwen threw it hard to him. "I MEANT YOUR HEAD!!"

°°°°°°

I was standing within these walls which were telling me the story I couldn't explain. My feet slid down the rink in silence as I eyed every corner of this Arena. It was freezing but it was warm inside me. Weird right? No, it wasn't.

Sliding the puck with my stick, I sighed as I hit it in the net.

'When I'll come back we'll meet exactly where we first met.'

School's Arena. I knew. That's where we first met.

I'd hear the cheers, the color that I couldn't change. It was all gone. Graduation happened back in April but she wasn't here back then. Though I waited with all my hope and heart but guess she needed more time. It'd been eight months but if you'd ask me, it was my whole life. Within these eight months we never talk, not facetime nor voice called.

Nothing.

Not that I didn't want to but where she was busy in her therapy, I was in mine and lost in the journey to find myself. Talking helped me.

'You will find yourself love. Somewhere in this chaos and darkness, you've lost yourself too.'

It wasn't easy but I didn't stop Aria.

Today was the day I had waited for. These past nights made me restless and just like when she left me all broken in the cold, something pinged inside me so sharp that day under snowflakes and I went through exactly what she might have.

Loneliness.

Her flight was supposed to be an hour ago, what happened?

Just then the door of Arena thud opened made me halted with a screech. My heart did a whole cartwheel as I turned around and saw those eyes sparkling again.

There stand none other than Aria with a huge smile on her face. She was dressed in blue denim jeans with a gray shirt just like mine and a long coat.

My coat.

Her hair was a bit short, a bit more than shoulder-length but she looked like a queen who has returned to her town to claim her throne. Making her way towards the rink I noticed the skates in her hand before she sat on the bench, wore them and slid on.

"You knew we'd meet here, seems like you've been waiting. Want a one-on-one game? I bet I can make you lose it," Standing in front of me she held her stick with the puck and smirked.

God! I missed her smirking smile.

"I thought you'll hug me first?"

Smiling wide she chuckled. "Make me lose and have a hug, how about that?" Bending in her position she dropped the puck and we played. Of course, I lost cause my attention wasn't the puck nor game or anything but her.

She looked happy and I felt like my guilt, mistakes all healed a bit. Her eyes were telling me the whole story of her.

"Since when you got so bad?" She asked panting, putting her hands on her knees.

"Since I fell in love with an Ace player?" Grinning I dropped my stick and we sobered up. "It's been eight months, eight months Aria. Now hug me or I'll do it."

Our eyes teared up as she couldn't stop herself and ran before jumped and hugged me. The hold was new yet known, comforting...healthy.

Her sobbed finally left as her fingers ran through my hair. Her sweet scent made me nuzzled my face in her body more. Backing away I didn't waste a second before captured her lips in mine and the euphoria we stood under was indescribable.

My arm tightened around her waist and I held her close. It felt like forever to be together. Putting my forehead on hers our heavy breathed mingled. We were still on the rink of our school.

"I missed you damn much Aria. How have you been?" Rushing I asked caressing his cheek. My eyes couldn't stop wandering her features.

"Good, yeah finally better Ethan, you?" She looked up to me with those gorgeous glistened hazel eyes.

"I feel like I finally know who I am. The purpose of living, the meaning of love and importance of honesty and belief," Tucking her loose strands from her face I smiled. "You cut your hair."

"A change had to be done. I thought it'd be easy to not feel you on me anymore and it'd easy leave you behind, Ethan."

"Was it?" I questioned.

"It wasn't but for myself, I had to keep moving forward. The pain turned into the light to help me find myself," Her expressions went down as a tear slip down her cheek.."I won't lie Ethan, I missed so heaven much. Each and every day it was hard to breathe, eat or sleep but it was for the better,"

Wiping her tear with the pad of my thumb I nodded.

We hugged and pulled again when I knew it was time to ask her. We did miss each other but what we were got all drowned the day she left saying it was our closure. Did the affection we felt for each other left our bones?

"Aria?"

"Hmm," She responded.

"What are we? Where do we stand in our journey?" Our eyes met in deep perplexity.

Then she smiled and my heart raced knowing she has the answer for that. "We are going to start our journey from the start Ethan, forgetting and forgiving everything from our past. Just us. From the start but please never break my heart again. It's very delicate now that it won't be able to hold."

My hands were sweating badly but she clutched to them tightly, with a promise in her eyes not to let go.

"Never," I pressed my lips on her forehead before stuffed my hand my in my pocket and took out something. Aria was watching carefully, and her eyes popped opened when I dangled the locket infront of her.

"You still have it?" She asked in disbelief and her eyes traveled down as she noticed that I was wearing mine as well. Nodding my head I sighed.

"When you gave it back in the homecoming, my whole world collapsed Aria. This is not just a locket but a sign of my love and I knew that day you cut every tie of love with me but...now I want you to have it back."

Tear pearls floated in her ocean eyes as she bit her lip, turned her back to me without saying anything and pulled her hair up in air and taking that as her answer I placed the locket to it's rightful place.

"Now I feel complete, Thank you for keeping it Ethan," She said eyeing our initials on the pendant but soon we both astounded away as the door jerked opened and three people marched haphazardly.

"LOOK SHE'S THERE!! YOU MADE ME LOSE HER FLIGHT! GORILLA!" Blaming loudly Gwen punched Leo multiple times before sauntered and lost her balance, slipped on the rink as she forgot to put on her skates.

Laughing out loud, Leo helped her stand up as she slapped Leo's shoulder before put her skates on and slid towards her and put Aria in her arms.

"ARIA! YOU'RE BACK BABE!"

Nate hugged me before Aria and then Leo did.

After knowing the whole truth, they forgave me. Dad get arrested after his trial in court for murder and assault and was long gone behind bars. The evidence was strong and Mom testified it too. Her bruises were telling everyone itself.

Hope he rots in hell.

"How are you Aria? God I missed you so much!" Gwen cheered clutching to both Aria's hand.

"I'm all good Gwen, how have you all been?" She asked others.

"We are absolutely fine, though I'm so sorry, I couldn't come to receive you, this asshole's head was stuck." Gwen grumbled nudging leo before corrected her words when we all gave her the look. "-in his shirt!"

Throwing our heads back, we all bursted out laughing and teased her on her choice of words. Leo and Gwen came more closer in these past eight months than anyone, especially after graduation.

"-and then we decided to live together," Leo exclaimed pecking Gwen on the cheek as he told Aria how he and Gwen were living together.

"What about you Nate? How are you and Rachel?" Aria asked him with soft eyes.

"We are good, just got to know that her father got posted here so they all are shifting here soon," Rubbing the back of his head, a blush crept his cheeks.

"THAT'S GREAT!" She exclaimed loudly.

I wanted nothing but us together in everything. Mistakes happened and we learned from them. Chasing perfect life was like chasing cloud. They'd be rain, dark storms but someday the sun would bless us with it's shine.

Smiling to me, Aria came by my side and leaned her head on my chest and we all talked. From her eyes, I knew scars were still there but with them there was a little beam of hope. She was the strongest woman I had met beside mom.

"This is it," She breathed out and I nodded. "Yeah."

"I love you Ethan," She whispered in my ear when no one was paying attention to us and was busy in Leo and Gwen's bickering. I wished time could freeze with our happy hearts.

"I love you too Aria. I always will. "

This was our story... Story of our life.

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