Dylan's POV

"You're the one holding onto me."

"Oh sorry," she says when she notices her hand is holding onto my shirt. "I was just holding on to you in case you fell, you know?" She asks.

"No, I don't," I answer back. And she still didn't move her hand making us stuck in a very uncomfortable position. She just stands there biting her lower lip staring at me. I stare at her naturally full lips, I just noticed she has a tight skin dress on, the color of her skin. I look up and down her body studying every little feature.

I rub my thumb over her warm cheeks, she flinches at the touch. I gaze at the girl I've loved for as long as I can remember, what does she have that makes her so lovable? Why can't I just forget about her and move on? Sometimes, I honestly wish I never met her, not in a bad way, but maybe it would have saved all the trouble, all the pain. Ben is the only good that came out of our entire relationship.

I take my hand removing hers from my shirt. "This was a bad idea wasn't it?" I ask her. I knew us hanging out wouldn't be a good thing, it'll always come to this. She doesn't answer me, I slide my body on the counter taking a seat on the floor, she does the same sitting next to me. "We both know this is a bad idea," I tell her.

"Dylan, we are both grown-ups," she starts.

"I know," I answer her, "but we have a kid to think about, I just don't want-"

"Our toxic relationship to affect him," she finishes for me. "I know, sometimes someone can stay in our hearts, but not our life," I turn looking at her.

"Do you really feel like that?" I ask her.

"I don't know," she answers, she leans her head back staring at the ceiling. "You know it doesn't even matter, every relationship has a bad part to it."

"You mean every relationship starts with dating in college, falling in love, almost getting killed, breaking up, meeting eight years later, hating each other, having a kid together, and the guy still being in love with the girl?" I ask her. She chuckles moving her loose strands of hair behind her ear.

"No, I don't think so," she finally answers. "All I'm sure of is that I'm tired of letting something come in the place of my happiness, yeah it might affect Ben if it fails, but how do we know it will even fail?" She asks me. She's right, we're not sure it will fail, but I'm pretty sure the amount of time it has already fail proves it will fail. Like she said, just because you love someone doesn't mean you have to be together.

"What are we gonna do spend our whole life thinking what if? Or spend our entire lives acting as if everything's okay when we both know it's not okay," she continues. "Dylan I'm sorry, I messed up, I shouldn't have left ten years ago and I should have handled things better after we saw each other again, I'm so sorry."

"Marie-Anne, it's fine, you have nothing to apologize for," I tell her. have forgotten about all that, forgive forget. When you love someone you always end up forgiving them no matter how much they've wronged you.

"No, I do; I'm sorry I tried to keep our son away from you," she says. I could now hear the cries in her voice. I turn around, tears are falling down her cheeks.

"Marie-Anne, please don't cry," I tell her. I hate seeing girls cry, a girl should never be crying. Her cries got louder, "Marie-Anne, please stop," I said leaning closer to her and wiping the tears with my thumb. She stops, I finish wiping her tears away, "and stop apologizing for the past. The past is the past, leave it there."

"The past shapes the future," she says.

"Stop with all the wise stuff," I joke. She chuckles getting off the floor. She leaves the kitchen, I stay seated thinking about everything that just happened. A few seconds later I hear the bathroom door open and close. I hear her phone ring in the living room, I get up to take it to her. When I notice it is Esther I pick it up, something might be wrong with Ben.

"You told him how you're still in love with him, how you'll die if you guys are not together?" She asks. I shake my head, I shouldn't have answered the phone.

"Hi Esther," I say through the phone.

"Dylan?" She asks, "why do you have Marie's phone?" She asks. "Did you guys have so much sex that she ended up falling asleep?" I scratch my head not believing what she is saying.

"She's in the bathroom," I answer her.

"Trying to put something sexy on for you?" She asks again.

"No, she's using the restroom," I say. "You know, the thing people do on a daily basis?" I ask as if asking a child.

"I'll leave you two and tell Marie Ben's fine so she can stay out as long as she wants," she then hangs up the phone. I set the phone down on the coffee table where it was.

I hear the bathroom door open again, her footsteps come closer, "I thought I heard my phone," she says grabbing it.

"Yeah, it was Esther," I inform her.

"Everything okay?" She asks me.

"Yeah, she just wanted to give you an update on Ben. She says he is fine," I lie. She makes a weird face probably asking why Esther would call her just for that. Not questioning it, she sets her phone down again taking a seat on the sofa. "So, you'll die if we're not together?" I ask her taking a seat next to her.

"No, why would I-" she stops sighing, "Esther," she says closing her eyes. "Don't believe her, she just thinks we should be together because she thinks I'm gonna die if we're not."

"Will you?" I ask her.

"Die?" She asks, I nod my head, "no," she answers. "Sure, I'll be unhappy, miserable, lonely, but I won't die," she says sarcastically.

"Being unhappy is the same as being dead mentally and if you're dead mentally, you are not living," I tell her. I think I told myself that instead of her. How can I even try to live when I'm not happy emotionally? Will I spend my whole life being unhappy? How can I even be happy when I can't even be with the only girl I love?

She grabs her phone scrolling away seeming in another world. I move closer to her taking her phone away, she turns about to say something. I lock my lips into her hers before she has a chance to say anything, she freezes for a moment then relaxes kissing me back. "I love you and we will never know if it'll work out if we don't try," I say pulling away.

"I love you Marie-Anne Sarah Laura Jean and it's still only you."

The End

AN

I'm sorry, I forgot to tell you guys there was only one chapter left the last chapter...

The epilogue will be posted very soon... Tommorrow, if God willing.

Thank you to everyone who has read the book and please stay tuned for the epilogue.

Au Revoir...