Chapter XXXIV

The ringing of the doorbell shook both Briella and Ryan awake. Only after they awakened had they realised they fell asleep on each other.

They both stood up onto their feet before they made their way to the door, with Briella stopping and giving Ryan way only meters away from the door.

Ryan unlocked and opened the door, revealing Nadia and Liam.

They all greeted each other before Ryan invited Nadia and Liam inside.

"When are we meant to leave for the airport?" Liam asked.

"Wait, are you going somewhere too?" Briella inquired.

Liam shook his head. "No, Ryan asked me to drop him off. Are you tagging along too, Briella?".

Nadia rose an eyebrow at Liam.

Disregarding such a reaction, Briella responded with a "Yes. Yes I am.".

Then, a moment of silence descends between them all.

"My... my flight is meant to board at about 3:30. So, we can begin out way to the airport in about 20-ish minutes," Ryan broke the silence.

"In 20? Are you sure we will get to the airport on time?" Nadia questioned.

Ryan responded to her inquiry by looking at her. "Well, it will take us about... 30 minutes to get to the airport.".

"If the traffic is good," Nadia added.

"I mean... it is... what?... Monday? Tuesday?" Liam voiced. "So we should be good. Either way, its not that common for the traffic to get all that bad.".

Then, Nadia came in, "And by the way, Liam... it's Sunday, the Lord's day!".

"Oh?-".

"Do you have all your things ready, Ryan?" Nadia asked, turning her attention from Liam.

Ryan simply nodded, "Yeah.". Then he took a deep breath. "Are you sure you guys don't want anything to drink?".

"We are sure..." both Nadia and Liam replied concurrently.

He looked at Briella to which she shook her head, as if she knew what his question was before he even got the chance to ask.

And with that, the room returned to being quiet.

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"Alright. It's time..." Liam voiced as he looked at his wrist watch.

Briella looked at Liam before steering her gaze to Ryan. She noticed that he wasn't as optimistic as he usually would have been.

But it was obvious why. He was leaving, leaving his friends, leaving Briella.

With that, Liam took one piece of luggage while Ryan carried the rest. They stowed everything onto Ryan's car before they all got seated.

Both Liam and Ryan were in the front. Liam on the drivers seat, while Ryan was on the passenger seat right beside him.

Both Nadia and Briella were seated in the back.

"Alright, are we ready?" Liam asked.

"Yes.". Getting the reply he was looking for, he powered up the engine and with the push of the pedal and release of the parking break, the car went off.

They exited onto the main road before navigating the exit out of the city.

"This is your car, right, Ryan?" Nadia asked.

"Yes, yes it is.".

"So, where will the car be when you go?" Nadia stated another question.

"Well..." Ryan began. "I might as well leave it with someone I trust, with someone I know the car will be in safe hands.". He steered his gaze towards Liam.

He noticed. "M-me??".

"Yeah, you! Besides, you'll need it to commute to the Uni that's close by.". He then turned towards Briella. "This guy got an offer to attend a Uni a mere hour away from here... how lucky is he!?".

She allowed a small smile to grow on her lips. "I know, Liam told me already.". Then, without her notice, the smile disappeared from her lips. She focused her gaze outside the window. Into the atmosphere above.

The sky slowly filled with more and more planes the closer they got to the airport.

With a few more turns and curves, they drove on a straight road, following a bunch of cars, most of which they assumed were heading in the same direction as them. The airport.

Minutes later, they make their final turn before they drove up to and stopped by the first terminal.

The feeling of dread grew more and more within Briella, and it only skyrocketed when Liam turned the engine down.

They all exited the vehicle, Ryan walked to the back, followed by Liam. Opening the trunk, just like when they were back in the city, a piece of luggage was taken by each of the two.

Behind them, followed Briella and Nadia.

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The all entered the first terminal, Ryan checked himself in, gave his luggage and was left with his carry-on baggage.

"Are we allowed to go upstairs?" Liam inquired.

"I believe so..." Nadia replied. "I mean, there is only one way to find out.".

With that, they all go on the escalator. First Nadia and Liam, followed by Briella and Ryan.

The higher they went, the lower Briella's heart sank. The logic of what she was feeling made her smile for a brief moment before a frown was to replace it.

A lump grew in her throat as she knew that only minutes separated the parting of Ryan from her.

That thought itself caused the lump in her throat to only grow bigger. Before she knew it, her eyes began teary.

She damned herself for being born so emotional. She was just like her mother. Whenever someone close to her was to have left, she would have cried a river of tears.

The reach the next floor where the escalator stopped. With that, they all stepped off the moving steps and walked that bit deeper into the broad, noisy room.

Ryan took a step towards Briella. He looked at her and she looked at him.

He shook his head. "Your eyes are filled with tears. Don't cry, okay?". With that, he wrapped her with his big arms. "Don't cry..." he repeated in a whisper.

But it was his actions that caused Briella to behave contrary to his words. His embrace broke the barrier. She could hold it together. Not anymore.

With that, she dug her head into Ryan's chest, like on the day when Ryan confessed his feeling to her. She began sobbing.

No matter how much she tried, she couldn't stop her sobs. The idea of stopping and trying to keep in all those emotions that begged to be let out hurt her even more.

She felt a hand on her head, patting and gently caressing her hair. "Shhh..." his voice gently trailed off. "Shhh, it's all okay...". She heard the way Ryan's voice quivered. She could have sensed it in his voice that he was on the edge of tears.

Allowing herself to hitch a breath from her sobs, she slowly rise her head up to where her and Ryan's gazes met. Although her sight was a bit blurry, she was still more than able to make out redness that circled Ryan's eyes. The tears that threatened to flow down his face.

"Please, don't cry. Because if you cry any more, I'll breakdown too.". A chuckle marked the end of his sentence. "I hate when I see you sad, hurt. When I see you crying. It hurts me too...". He made a brief pause. Taking her hand into his, and pressing the palm of her hand onto his chest, right above where his heart is. At first she felt thumbs, then his voice caught her attention. "Whenever I see you sad, it hurts me right here... even now, the fact that I am leaving, it hurts me like mad...".

His words only caused more tears to swell in Briella's eyes. Breaking her hand from his grip, she wrapped her hands around him.

"Ryan..." her voice trailed off as her right cheek managed to find its place on Ryan's broad chest. It was this that caused Ryan to lose it. He allowed a tear or two to flow down his face as he turned his head until he found hers.

They were both in this embrace of theirs for a few minutes, Ryan hitching into Briella's ear and Briella hitching into his.

"I will miss you, Briella. I will miss you so, so much.".

She nodded against him, she knew that all too well. Hell, she felt the same way. "And I-I will miss you so, so much too, Ryan...". A pause. "Please promise me that we will talk over the phone.".

"Yes, at least three times a day. No less," Ryan added to Briella's condition, in turn causing her to giggle through her sadness.

"Yes. Yes, I would love that.".

With that, Briella and Ryan broke from their embrace only to look into each other's eyes. They both smiled at each other through all the tears in their eyes and the trails on their faces that were left from their tears.

Ryan was the first to cup Briella's face. With that, he wiped any tears that remained on her cheeks and anywhere else on her face.

After him, Briella did the same. Ryan was surprised at first, then turned his head so that his lips managed to touch one had on Briella's. He gave the palm of her hand a kiss.

"Please, look at me, Ryan..." Briella voiced slowly, with a small smile on her lips.

He did as requested. He looked at Briella. With that, she managed to wipe away any tears that were on his face.

Having a hold of each other's face, they continued to look at each other. To gaze into each other's eyes.

With the descent of his head towards Briella's, Ryan pressed his lips onto hers one last time. One last time before he was due to go.

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Saying his goodbye to Nadia and Liam before once more hugging Briella, Ryan took a hold of his carry on baggage before he turned around. He was about to walk away when...

"R-Ryan!" Briella's voice boomed from behind him.

Responding to her, he turned around only to see her produce a envelope from her top. She pulled it out from a pocket that was found in her thin jacket. With that, she took a step towards him.

"This..." she began. "This is for you.". She handed him an envelope.

He looked at the envelope before he rose his gaze back to her.

At first, she shook her head. "Don't open it now... open it when you manage to find your gate because...". A pause. Briella checked the time on her phone. "I don't want you to be late...".

Ryan smiled her way. "I wouldn't mind being late. If anything, I want to be late, it means that would get to spend more time with you...".

Once again, his words caused Briella's eyes to swell with tears.

Then, Ryan approached Briella for one, final hug. He wrapped his arms around her. And within seconds, they part from their embrace. Though they are no longer in a hug, Briella held onto Ryan and Ryan held onto Briella. Again, they both looked into each other's eyes.

Ryan shared his final kiss, but now it was Briella's turn.

She went onto her tippy-toes before connecting her lips with his. She placed her hands onto his chest for support.

When their lips parted from each other, that was when Briella stood back onto her feet. Still keeping her eyes on his, she took in a deep breath.

"I love you, Ryan.".

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Ryan passed through passport control and with a wave sent to Nadia and Liam and a kiss blown to Briella, he moved along.

Tears swelled in Briella's and Ryan's eyes as they both went their own ways. They both looked back, though they didn't see each other, they felt each other's presence.

And they hoped that fate would allow them to see each other, in person, very, very soon.

But until then...

Well...

"Until we meet again, Briella. I won't stop, I won't stop thinking about you. I'll be retracing each and every moment we made together. Every kiss both you and I shared... Every touch, cuddle, every sweet nothing we exchanged. Nothing will be fogotten.".

With Ryan sitting down at his gate, he pulled out the envelope Briella gave him not too long ago. He brought himself to smell it. She smiled.

It smelled just like her.

That thought alone caused tears to rush to his eyes once again.

Opening the letter, taking out and unfolding the letter itself, he began reading it.

Dear Ryan,

I am writing this letter to you while thinking into the future. Where are you right now, as you are reading this letter?

Well, wherever it is, it's somewhere far away from me... that I know.

This letter is not meant to be a sad letter, yet one of appreciation. But, something tells me that it'll feel otherwise... I wanted to write you a song, the idea sounded more befitting, but... I couldn't. I couldn't because I don't think I could have summed everything up about you in one song. It would have to be a full album.

Before I continue, I want to let you know that, first and foremost. I love you. I love you, Ryan... I love you, I love you, I love you. I promised myself that I wouldn't say those words to anyone else any time soon. But it seems like you are an exception to the rule. You know, you were an exception to many rules in my rule book... one of the main ones being that you made me fall in love with you. Thank you, thank you for that.

Thank you because you taught me how to love. You showed me what real love feels like. And you fed my curiosity as to how kissing feels like. I've always wondered the sensation of it all... the sensation of being kissed by someone who loves you, other than your parents. And you conveyed just that to me.

I have to admit, I did... I did avoid you in the beginning. Or, if I did talk with you, I kept it all plain and simple. I didn't want you to get any false signals. Back then, I saw you only as a mere friend, or at least it's what I want to see you as.

Every since the first time I landed my eyes on you, I felt attracted to you. Another thing I'll admit now too. I didn't know why at first, but now... now, thinking back to it all, it all makes sense. I judged you with my mind, I didn't listen to my heart. My mind saw you as a guy who was just like my ex. A bad guy. While my heart saw you for who you really were, for who you still really are. A guy who is one in 10 million. Someone who is so rare that they are worth more than words can go onto to express.

I planned for this letter to be short, but it's coming together to be as anything but that. I promise, I am very close to the end.

I am so, so glad I had the privilege to befriend a guy like you. To be given a chance to meet someone as nice, as generous and as golden as you. You also helped me see that guy... that some guys are actually good - exclude Liam from this topic. We are childhood friends, so I pretty much see him as my brother, a brother I never had.

With that... I have one final thing to say... more precisely a wish. No matter where you are, no matter what time it is... whenever the moon comes up, look at it. Look at it and think of me... I will do the same. It'll make us feel that bit more connected, it'll make me feel that bit better knowing the fact that you I am gazing at the moon that you saw. And that you look at the moon that I gazed at.

My dear Ryan, I hope, I really do hope you come back to me. That you come back to me soon. Very soon.

I love you,

Briella.

By the end of the letter, Ryan allowed for a tear to flow down his face and land onto the page that he held in his hands.

"Until the next time we meet... I will make sure to remind you just how much I love you...".

With that, he embraced the letter while imagining he was gifted another chance to embrace her, to wrap his arms around her little body.

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The next day came around. Both Briella and Nadia were sat on a hill, facing the wide river that contained ships upon ships transporting good and people.

The weather was very good. There wasn't a single cloud in the sky. With the sun heading down towards the horizon, a beautiful glow radiated from the fiery blaze.

"Did Ryan text you?" Nadia asked.

Briella turned and faced her, a small smile grew on her lips. "He did... we were actually talking right before I had to meet you with you.". A pause, and i that pause, Briella looked back up into the sky. "I promised him we'll continue out talk when I come back home.".

Though Briella didn't see, Nadia smiled at her words. "I am very glad to hear so.".

Briella nodded along.

From there, for a brief second, silence descended upon them both, that was before Briella decided to break it.

"The weather is lovely today.".

"Mhmm," Nadia began. "It said it will be like this for the rest of this week and for the whole of next week.".

"You know... I really feel like we will work out, you know?".

"Who?" Nadia inquired. "Ryan and you?".

"Yeah, Ryan and me...".

Another smile grew on Nadia's lips. "I am very glad to hear so.".

With that, a plane, cruising high up in the sky, caught her attention. She saw it perfectly, and seconds later, heard it as it flew towards it's destination. Her eyes kept on following it as her smile grew that bit more.

'I really have a good feeling. A good feeling about this all. A good feeling about us, Ryan.'.

'I love you.'.

THE END.