Chapter 86 The last morning(Continue)

Chapter 86 The last morning(Continue)
Milie's POV

My heart stopped. "Daxton?"

"Yeah."

My voice came out breathless. "Is he here?"

Alan shook his head. "No."

He took my hands. "Sammy and I went to see him.”

"What? Why did you go?"

"We wanted to convince him." He looked away.

"I tried talking to him. I told him None of this has to destroy your friendship."

His jaw tightened. "But he was angry."

I squeezed his fingers. "He blamed me." My heart sank.

"He said I took you away from him."

Alan's voice became quieter. "He said you chose me over him."

I pulled my hands away. "Why did you go?"

"Because I didn't want you leaving with all this sitting on your heart."

He gently held my face. “I didn't want your first day there to be spent wondering whether I had done enough.”

I shook my head. “No, Alan.”

I wiped the moisture beneath his eyes. “You will not blame yourself.”

He kissed my forehead. “I told you I could wait.”

His voice was barely above a whisper. “Maybe if you had said yes to him, he would be okay now.”

I stared at him. “Maybe you wouldn't have to leave.”

“Maybe everything would be normal eventually.”

“Alan…”

“I mean it.”

He looked at me sadly.

“You wouldn't have to fight with your parents. You wouldn't have to start over somewhere else.”

I stepped closer. “Do you think I wouldn't have cried for you?”

He went quiet. “Did he tell you what else he asked me?”

Alan frowned. “What?”

“He asked me to cut you off completely.”

His expression changed. “Completely.”

I held his gaze. “Would you have been okay with that?”

He didn't answer. “Would you have wanted me to live without you?”

“No.” His answer came immediately.

“Neither could I.” I took his hand and led him to the beanbag.

He sat. I knelt beside him.

“When he gave me that condition, I actually went back to him.”

Alan's eyes widened.

“I thought I could do it.” My voice trembled.

“I thought maybe I could choose my friendship and somehow bury what I felt for you.”

I shook my head. “But then I saw you. You were waiting outside.”

“You looked worried, and the moment I hugged you…”

I smiled faintly. “My heart answered before my brain could.”

Alan's eyes softened.

“I wanted you.”

“I still want Daxton in my life, but not at the cost of you.”

I placed my hand over his. “If you can accept him because you know how important he is to me…”

“Why can't he understand how important you are to me?”

“I know I'm asking him for a lot, but he asked you for even more.”

“You were the person who kept thinking about his happiness.”

“You're still doing it.”

Alan stared at me. Then he suddenly pulled me toward him.

His hands held my face as his lips moved across my forehead, my cheeks, my nose, the corners of my eyes.

His kisses were desperate, almost angry, almost frightened.

I closed my eyes and let him. Because I knew I was going to miss this.

I was going to miss him more than I wanted to admit.

Finally, he rested his forehead against mine. “No one would have loved me like you.”

His voice was soft.

I smiled. “Same here.”

I wrapped my arms around him.

For a moment, we stayed there. Then I stood and pulled him up.

“Now I'm ready.”

He smiled. “Then get ready properly and come outside.”

“We'll have breakfast together.”

“Then spend some time with Mom and Dad.”

I nodded. He brushed my hair away from my face.

“Sammy and I will take care of them.”

“I know.”

“I love you more than I can say.”

He paused. “And I'm going to miss you like crazy.”

“Alan…” I pushed him lightly. “Please don't make me weak.”

He immediately raised his hands. “Sorry. Sorry, my love.”

Then he leaned forward and gave me a quick kiss. “Come outside soon.”

He winked and walked toward the door. I watched him disappear.

For a few seconds, I stood there. My heart was still aching.

Leaving terrified me. Leaving my parents terrified me.

Leaving Sammy terrified me.

Leaving Daxton without knowing when or whether we would ever be okay like before terrified me.

And leaving Alan… That hurt the most.

But maybe growing up wasn't about choosing between the people I loved.

Maybe it was about learning to love them without losing myself.

For years, I had made decisions based on one question: How will this affect everyone else?

Maybe it was finally time to ask myself... What do I want?

I got ready, picked up my bag, and walked out of my room.

Everyone was busy chitchatting, and this time, I smiled watching them.

Because now I was all set for my new journey.