Chapter Sixty-Seven

Chapter Sixty-Seven: Maggie I watch as the snow falls from where I sit in the backseat of my father's car, the January winter showing its effect as I notice the window getting foggy due to the cold. But I'm glad that it did because then I wouldn't be able to see the same park Evan and I agreed to meet in as we pass it by. Swallowing painfully at the memory considering it was only last night when we agreed to run away like the idea was remotely possible. Like we could leave everything behind without having to pay the consequences one way or another, but I grew too optimistic thinking as long as it was him that I was with, I'd be okay. But it's sad to say life really just isn't that easy. I look ahead from where the driver was seated as well as the lack of traffic we had to go through, meaning we'd be able to reach the airport in time. My eyes darted at the clock displayed at the front of the car, 7:15 AM, the same time Evan and I agreed to meet in. Our time. I tried to hide the way this was affecting me, tried so hard not to just open the door of this car, fucking jump out, run back to Evan and go to San Francisco. But as I felt my father place his hand on top of mine from where he sat in the backseat next to me, I settled with keeping my mouth shut as he rubbed the side of my palm with his thumb. It was smooth and cold, his touch, different from Evan's callous but warm hands, and I restrained the need to pull away as I just sat still. Not uttering a word as he looked over and smiled at me, a nauseating feeling of disgust coursing through my system at the sight as I suppressed the urge to break down right here and there. "You made the right decision coming with me, Maggie," he proclaimed as I didn't dare meet his eye. I just kept my gaze trained on the way the snow met the ground and thought to myself how I could've been in a different car right now, on a different road heading to a different state, with a different man who actually loved me. "Don't sulk too much, dear." my father said as he detached his palm away from mine as soon as he picked up on my silence "That boy is going to be fine and so will you. This is just a phase, you'll get over it soon, don't worry." Again, I didn't say anything, I just kept my eyes glued on the same spot outside the window, thinking if I stared hard enough, I'd be there. With him. And as we inevitably passed the same park and how I told myself it'd be better if I just let the snow block my view of him and the area, I couldn't help it as I caught a glimpse of familiar brown hair. My throat painfully knotting as I felt a bubbling cry threatening to come out of me in the form of desperate cries and pleas, but I push them down, I push all the plethora of emotions inside of me down like how I would normally do. "It's okay." I thought to myself as I felt the stinging sensation of a tear fall down my cheek as I instantly wiped it away as soon as it fell. Because as much as I detest my father I knew what he said was true, Evan will be okay and as much as I hated the idea, this was just a phase Evan and I will move on from eventually. Closing my eyes in an attempt to stop any more tears from falling, however, I wound up with a mental image of Evan inside my head, and for a moment, I felt like he was there, standing in front of me with his usual boyish grin. "You'll be fine," I said to him in thought as he slowly faded away. You'll be fine. I'll be fine. ... We'll be fine. THE END.