Meanwhile...
While waiting for Joey and Eleanor to have their final bonding moment, Tim and Taylor decided to wait outside and give the two teenagers some privacy. Knowing it would be the last moment for them to have some deep talk before Joey leaves.
"So you'll be driving Joey to the airport?" Taylor asks.
"Yeah," Tim says. "At least we could have some life talk on the road."
Taylor forms a small smile. Inside, she is impress with the friendship between Tim and Joey. If we she would describe them, they are definitely more than friends and much like brothers. Their bond reminded her of how her relationship with Eleanor used to be.
"That's good," Taylor says. "You guys definitely have a better relationship compare to me and Eleanor."
Hearing this, Tim lets out a small chuckle. Regarding Taylor's current relationship with Eleanor, despite still being on bad terms, for what Tim remembered, the two had the strongest bond as sisters than anyone else he knew.
"Believe me, I learned it from you guys," Tim says in a chill yet encouraging tone. At the same time, he wanted to lighten up Taylor's down spirits.
Hearing this, Taylor could only form a small smile, despite still having a look of sadness in her eyes. When his words reminded her of her bond with Eleanor before, she couldn't help but feel guilty all over again. Deep down, she wished she could turn back time and never hurt Eleanor with her selfish ways. Yet, when everything is already messed up, even she didn't know what to do.
Just then, Tim and Taylor hears the sound of the front door opening, revealing Joey and Eleanor walking out of the house. While both of them have a sad look in their eyes, somehow Eleanor looked more relief with a small smile on her lips. She looked at her sister for a moment, before turning her gaze to Tim in a quick swift.
"Hope you didn't wait too long," Eleanor says. "Tim, can I have a word with you?"
"Sure," Tim says.
"Let's go inside," Eleanor says as she walks up to enter the house, in which Tim follows, leaving both Joey and Taylor together outside.
After hearing Tim close the door shut, Taylor turns her head to look at Joey. She stare at him with an emotional look, and thought that he might knew about the little act that Eleanor and Tim just did was probably for a purpose matter.
"I assume you know why Eli wanted to talk to Tim alone," Taylor says. "If she didn't want to give us this moment, that would never happen."
Hearing this, Joey sighs as he turns his gaze down to the ground before turning them back up to face Taylor straight in the eyes.
"If they didn't do it, we would never have this moment tonight," Joey says.
"You're right," Taylor answers. Though she tried to make it seem like she's casual about the situation, her eyes are speaking differently with disappointment and a thousand words.
"Time flies too fast," Taylor says. "I can't believe you're leaving."
Joey sighs. "I have to."
Hearing this, Taylor struggles to fight back the tears in her eyes. Under the night sky, she is standing still face to face with her best friend turned boyfriend. Staring deeply into his shinning eyes, she remembered how she used to stare at them since young, always being mesmerized his beautiful gaze. His brunette hair always found charming, which sometimes gets messy after a game of soccer, and last but definitely not least...his lovely lips in which she first kissed by accident, and was the start of everything in their story. The kiss that started a new feeling in their relationship and made her go through a roller-coaster of emotions. The kiss that gave her butterflies, tears, and smiles in different times. The kiss that made her realize that she was never satisfy as a friend, when she wanted to be more. The kiss that made her realize, that she had fell in love with him.
"Can't you just stay here and think of another way?" Taylor asks as tears starts to run down from her eyes.
"I don't have a place to stay here, Tay. I can't possibly stay at Tim's place forever," Joey says. "Besides, I need to find a job."
Taylor feels like her heart just got struck by a thunder storm. To her it feels like they're already going through a break-up when they just started dating recently. Just when she thought she would finally have the relationship she dreamed of with her best friend, everything has to come to an end way too fast. Yet, despite wanting to hold Joey back from leaving, she knew she would only make another selfish mistake by doing so. While trying to understand his situation, a hard thing she knew is that she must let him go to San Diego to be with his brother and start a new life. Regarding her love, in the end should only keep the feelings in her heart.
"Joey, I will miss you," Taylor says. "But I can't believe that this is really happening, just when I thought things were getting wonderful between us."
"I never expected life to take a turn like this. But that's life, you can't expect what's gonna come in a blink of an eye," Joey says. Deep down, he also feels badly sad for having to leave his best friend-turn-girlfriend. After all the smiles and bitterness they've been through, he realized that she had always been there for him since day one. From being his best friend who can see as his elder sister at some points, their relationship blossoms new feelings for the two which they never thought of from their younger days. They are the type of young people who grew to love each other after caring for one another since their childhood days. Before they fell in love, they already loved each other like family.
"I guess, in the end, I have to say goodbye anyway," Taylor says. Slowly, tears starts to run down her eyes again.
"Well, yeah," Joey says. "You have to take care of yourself, and your sister. Don't worry about me too much."
Hearing this, Taylor takes a deep breath. The difficulity for her to accept the situation is still a challenge for her. Yet, knowing that she only has a few minutes left before Tim drives Joey to the airport, she wanted to make the final moments the best for the two of them. At least, she hopes that they will remember the final memories before starting a new chapter.
"You came into my life, brought me love, and left. Thank you for coming into my life, Joey," Taylor says while struggling to not let herself get too emotional.
"I only wish you the best. No matter where you are, who you're with, just remember to always do your best in this life," Taylor adds. "I love you."
Hearing this, Joey felt his heart being shot right in the middle. The emotional feelings bursted out when he hear those eight letters coming out of his best friend and soon to be ex-girlfriend. With guilt and sadness mixed up in his heart, he realized a new found feeling of gratitude, that he is beyond grateful to fell in love with such a gentle soul. She will probably miss him for months, but one thing he is sure of, is that he will miss her for a lifetime.
"I love you too, Taylor," Joey says.
With tears in her eyes, Taylor slowly walks up to Joey and embraces her arms around his body. She hugs him tightly as she let the tears slide down, little did she know that the young boy is also struggling to hold back his tears while hugging her in his arms.
Goodbye, Joey. Taylor thought as she tightens her embrace.
To be continue...