A CARDBOARD BOX filled with heavy items was pushed to the side as I opened the front door with Ava and her suitcase behind me. I scanned the floor and found many other boxes scattered around the living room, taped up and ready to be taken to wherever it was going.
"Who's boxes are these?" I asked to no one in particular, curious.
"They're mine." I looked up and saw Nicole emerging from her room, another box in her hands.
"What's going on?" I questioned, realizing that many of the boxes had labels on them with Nicole's name.
"I'm moving out." Her lips were pressed into a thin line, sadness in her eyes.
"Oh, why?"
"I'm sorry, Hadley. It's just...it's hard being around you now. Every time I see you, I feel guilty about what happened between James and I. I hope you can forgive me someday and we can be friends again, but if not, I understand." Her lips were rolled in as she stared at a box on the floor.
"Nicole, there's something I need to tell you." I drew in a deep breath and brought her to the couch, "When Milo and I were in New York, we kissed."
She chuckled dryly, "You know, I'd be upset but I don't really think I have the right to be anymore."
"Of course you do. You two were still together at the time," I suggested.
"I guess that evens it out a little," she attempted a joke but no one laughed.
"You don't have to move out. Just stay here and let's just...move on from here."
She shook her head. "I'm sorry, it's just too much for me."
She stood up and walked to grab another box from her room when I stopped her, gently grasping her arm. "Wait, where are you moving to? Another dorm?"
She shook her head again. "I found an apartment ten minutes away from campus. We're renting for now."
"We?" I asked, puzzled.
She drew in her lips again, "Me and...James."
"Oh."
"Are you two like...together now?" Ava chimed in from near the door. Nicole nodded as she looked down at her hands in her lap.
"I'm happy for you." I placed a hand on her shoulder and offered her a friendly smile, trying my best to hide my anxiety at the thought of Nicole and James now together.
She pulled me into a hug and held me tightly as a way to say thank you and another apology at once as I rubbed my hand up and down her back. "When you're up for it, text me so we can hang out sometime."
"Really? Even after all of this?" Shock and a glint of hope in her eyes.
I nodded, "Really."
â
"I APPLIED to NYU."
"Really? When?" I asked as Stacey and I sat in the corner of Bella's once again. A couple weeks later after Stacey told me about her role in a Broadway show, she debated on whether or not she should apply to NYU for the fall semester, finally deciding to apply on a spontaneous whim.
"A week or so after I found out about getting the Broadway role. I barely made the deadline, but fingers crossed, I'm hoping that I hear back from them within the next couple of days."
"Wow," I breathed in astonishment. "You know, I have a feeling you're gonna get in, Stacey."
"What makes you say that?" asked Stacey as she took a sip of her latte, staring at me as she waited for an answer.
"If you're able to land a role in a Broadway production, there's a very high chance you'll get into NYU. I just know you're gonna get in," I said with confidence. "If they don't accept you, then they'd lose one of the best dancers that would've ever graduated from there."
She chuckled lightly, "Thanks for the confidence booster."
Two defined arms suddenly wrapped around my shoulders and squeezed me into a tight hug, taking me by surprise.
"Hey," He whispered in my ear before placing a quick kiss on my cheek, instantly putting a smile on my face. Milo pulled out the chair beside me and acknowledged Stacey.
Seeming like she didn't mind Milo's presence, Stacey began asking Milo questions about random topics like how his day was or if he knew what specific job he was planning on applying for after college, which was how the rest of our conversations flowed for a while with Milo's hand resting on my thigh.
Stacey's phone began ringing in her bag and when she pressed the phone to her ear, she quickly excused herself outside, which Milo took as the perfect opportunity to show some PDA, kissing me as an electrifying sensation flowed from my lips to my heart.
"I missed you," he said with a spark in his eyes, his hand still resting on my thigh.
"You just saw me in Art an hour ago," I lightly laughed, admiring how cute he looked with a few stands of hair falling onto his forehead as I placed my hand on his face and rubbed the apple of his cheek, Milo leaning into my palm.
"Really? It seems like it's been longer than that." He scrunched his nose and smiled, causing my heart to melt into a puddle. He then leaned in and kissed the tip of my nose, my cheeks beginning to hurt from smiling so damn hard.
"You're really cute, did you know that?" I said to Milo, his lips an inch away.
"I really like you, Hadley. Did you know that?" His lips began to slowly uncurl, the wisp of a smile still left as he gazed at me with such intensity, his expression turning a bit more calm and serious. "I-I...love you, Hadley."
My eyes grew to the size of saucers as my heart threatened to rip out of my chest and gallop away. His words caught me off guard, like someone yelled 'Surprise!' in my face.
Taking my silence as hesitation, he said, "It's okay if you're not ready to say it. I just thought I'd tell you so you know I feel the same way when you're ready to say it."
"I love you too, Milo."
Getting those words out practically made my heart explode, my brain overflowing with dopamine as I was sent to cloud nine. I was frozen with a giant smile glued to my face as we continued to stare at each other.
As for Milo, his eyes practically lit up as his smile grew wide like he just won the lottery. Milo's pulled my chair closer to his and crushed his lips against mine, feeling his smile against my own.
"God, you don't know how long I've been waiting to say those words to you," said Milo, his voice becoming raspy.
I don't know how long we were wrapped up in each other, but Stacey finally came back inside with a colossal grin on her face.
"That was from the admissions director of NYU," she said to me and Milo as we stared at her expectantly, I knowing fully well what she was going to say before she even said it.
"I got into NYU."
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A/N: hey again friends!! Thanks for reading and I hoped you enjoyed the story at least somewhat. I love reading all of your comments, they make me smile and laugh! â¥ï¸
Just two more chapters left and the Epilogue! :(
-Karlee ð