Chapter 20

(Playing the song while reading this chapter is highly recommended for better understanding and feeling the character's emotions better)

"Yeah, it's really pretty," I said, stepping into the clearing, unsure of what to say.

"You know I want you... "

Tyler stood up again, his gaze still fixated on the sky. "Y'know, there are times like these when I wish I could fly... Just high enough to touch a star."

"It's not a secret I try to hide... "

I raised an eyebrow. "Maybe. But if I had flying powers, I'd probably do something else... like ruin someone's day by throwing paint at them." I couldn't help but tease him a little.

"You know you want me... "

He chuckled, just a bit, and it felt like a small victory. I liked making people laugh. It felt good to help them, even if I couldn't help myself.

"So don't keep saying you're hands are tied... "

Then, his eyes met mine, but there was something different in them-something darker, more sorrowful. His pain was written all over his face, and it hit me harder than I expected.

"You claim it's not in the cards... "

"I wish," he said, voice cracking, "I wish I could bring her with me."

I didn't need him to say her name. I already knew who he meant. And he knew I knew. We didn't need to say it out loud.

"And fate is pulling you miles away... "

"But you know what?" he continued, his voice steadying. "Maybe I can still see her."

"And out of reach from me... "

He took a step back, and it was then I realized what he meant. It was too late.

"But you're here in my heart... "

"Tyler," I warned, my voice tight.

But he didn't listen.

"So who can stop me if I decide, that you're my destiny?... "

He was about to take another step back, closer to the edge of the cliff, and my heart skipped. I moved forward instinctively, trying to grab his arm, pull him back. But Tyler noticed. Of course he did.

"What if we rewrite the stars?... "

"I'm serious, Mason. Step back. Don't come any closer if you don't want me to..."

He trailed off, but his words were clear. He was on the verge of making a choice.

"Say you were made, to be mine... "

"Y'know, I was talking to Zariyah earlier," Tyler said, his voice soft. "And then I realized something."

"Nothing could keep us apart... "

"What did she say?" I asked, stepping towards him. I had to distract him, make him forget what he was about to do. But Tyler noticed, like he always did.

"You'll be the one, I was meant to find... "

He looked at me, a pained look crossing his face. "She told me... I can't let her go. I can't just forget her."

"It's up to you, and it's up to me... "

His voice wavered, and for a moment, we just stood there in silence. The air between us felt thick with tension.

"No one could say, what we, get to be... "

His eyes flickered back to the edge, but his voice grew quieter. "But what if we could... rewrite the stars?"

"So why don't we rewrite the stars?... "

He was looking at me, but his words were distant, like he was speaking to someone else entirely. It took me a moment to process what he meant.

"And maybe the world... Could be ours... "

"We can't change the past," I replied softly, almost to myself. "We can't change what's already happened, no matter how much we want to."

"You think it's easy... "

Tyler's voice was barely a whisper, but the words hit me like a hammer. "But what if we could rewrite the stars, Mason? What if we could make things right? Make them happen the way we want them to?"

"You think I don't want to run to you, yeah..."

I looked at him, seeing the depth of his pain, and I knew he was lost in that place where we all end up sometimes-where everything feels out of control, where nothing makes sense anymore. His eyes met mine, full of desperate hope.

"But there are mountains... "

"We're not meant to be together, you know," he murmured. "But what if we could?"

"And there are doors that we can't walk through... "

His words felt like a weight on my chest. I wanted to tell him everything would be okay. But in that moment, I wasn't so sure anymore.

"I know you're wondering why... "

I stepped closer, my voice thick with emotion. "You can't change everything, Tyler. But you can change how you move forward. Just... don't go down that path. Don't make this decision now."

"Because we're able to be just you and me, within these walls... "

Tyler was silent, but I could see the conflict in his eyes. "I can't move on," he said. "Not without her. I can't keep pretending."

T. B. C.

What do you think Tyler will do?

Happy Reading!