I stared at the person in front of me, watching him blur and separate from the shidons in my memories.
Lennan had always been like the sun. A kid raised on pure love, radiating light wherever he went, naturally the center of atention.
When I was in my world enllapsed. Dad cheated, the house filed with
Il screaming matches.
I’d hide in my room crying, and young Lean would soak through my window, holding me tight.
“Don’t cry, Noa. You’ve got me
He’d clumsily wipe away my tears with his small hands, making me pinky promise:
“When we grow up, I’m gonna marry you. Now. I’ll never cheat, never betray yout Cross my heart, hope to die”
Later, the Westbrook family business exploded, and they moved into this massive estate while Mom and I stayed in our cramped worker housing complex.
She became a different person–kiling herself at work, coming home exhausted. The only time ber eyes lit up was when i’d show her another perfect
test score.
I got quieter, burying myself in books, while Lennon grew wild–loud music, extreme sports, always dragging his crew on some adventure.
Love letters and adoring stares followed him from middle school on, but he’d always pull me close and announce:
“See her? That’s my Noa. Been mine since we were kids!”
When college acceptance letters came, I got into Bouten University, and Lennon landed at Berklee just across town.
Move–in day, he was dragging two suitcases, talking a mile a minute:
“Noa, look! Our schools are literally one street apart!”
“Tour years of dating, then straight to marriage
He painted our future with sach genuine, burning hope.
When did it all start rotting? Maybe when this super cool assist in our band started dominating every conversation. The sites on his phone I’d never seen before–him and Nina goofing around between rebels. Or when he started complaining: “You’re always buried in books. When I talk about hand staff, you don’t even get “-that subtle distance creeping into his voice.
Or maybe it was earlier.
When hd be blazing under stage lights, soaking up screams and applause, while I sat quietly in the back, looking up at him from the shadows. Our worlds had already split apart without us noticing.
And now here he was, standing across from me, eyes full of irritation and exhaustion.
In that moment, I felt done
Yeah. We’re breaking up,” 1 said.
Lennon froze. He probably never imagined that quiet little Noa–the one who always traded behind him, who gave him everything he wanted–would actually nod, would actually say those words.
Suddenly No burst into tears.
“Why are you guys doing this? You’re breaking up because of met Lennon and I are totally innocent!
She grabbed at Lennon’s sleeve frantically
“Tell her! Explain it to Noah’s all my fault, okay? I’m sorry! Please don’t do this! Don’t break up because of me- can’t live with thath
Chapter 3
Lennon snapped back in reality, staring at me hard, his Adam’s apple lnbbing:
“Fine. You said ”
I smiled:
“Yeah. I said it.”
I turned around and pushed through the heavy door…
This time, I didn’t look back
