The familiar old brick facades stare back at me as we near the Ghost Estate. That's what they call it now. The crisp evening air fills my nose as I roll down the window to clear out the suffocation in my lungs.

"Do you want me to wait for you here?" Emma asks, sliding down the window as I step out of the car.

I look down at the brown shoebox in my hands and contemplate for a second before shaking my head. "This may take a while, Em. Don't worry. I'll be fine."

She chews on her bottom lip, eyeing the box. "Are you sure about that? Don't you think it's a bit harsh? You can always keep the memories, you know."

I nod with fake resolve, but her words form lumps in my throat, and I reconsider my decision. She's right. The contents of this box have been the only source of connection between you and me. My fingers tighten around it as I step through the wrought iron gate of the building and race up the stairs. The musty odor of the damp siding brings back old memories, sweet ones, and painful ones. The last time I stepped into this place, I lost you and got heartbroken. Here I am back, ready to replay that moment and get my heart broken all over again.

Without dallying further, I trek down the corridor, counting the rooms until I reach the one I'm looking for. Inside the room, I come to a stop so fast that my breath veers out of me. The last of the setting sun illuminates the interior enough for me to take a look around. I take a deep relaxing breath that I don't find you here, but it hitches as my eyes circle the room.

It's no more empty. There are signs of human establishment or just one person in particular. There's a bed with a mattress sans the sheets, a small study table, and the room relatively cleaner than I last saw it.

I place the box on the bed and step further into the room, taking in the other living details inside. There's a guitar leaning against the window ledge, and a brown suede trucker jacket lay careless over the mattress. My eyes settle on the notebook lying on the table. I pick up the notebook, run my fingers on the photograph used as a bookmark and pull it out. A gasp leaves my lips as soon as my eyes capture the girl in the picture.

It's my picture from three years back sitting inside Book Beans Café and reading All the Bright Places. The notebook falls from my hand as I remember it's from the day I first met you. You've been keeping my picture for all these years. I get suddenly consumed in the remembrance of all our moments. A silent sob dies inside my throat, and I fall back a step, the photograph clutched tightly in my hand.

A quiet voice has the picture slipping from my hand and falling on the ground. "Are you giving away all my memories and taking away yours?"

I pick up the picture and swallow the ache that cements my heart every passing second before I turn around.

You're standing by the door, pressing your broad shoulder heavily against the doorjamb. I can see the darkness shadowing your face, a little intimidating to look at. You've grown into a fine man that much, I can see, but the tired look on your face might be due to loss of sleep.

I avoid looking into your questioning eyes, rushing past you. As I step out of the room, my legs come to an abrupt halt just beside you. "It's better this way, Augustus."

And when I decide to walk by you, I feel your loaming presence on my back. A warm hand tugs mine gently, snatching the photograph from my hand. "You're not allowed to take away my memory of you."

I feel the rhythm of your heart beating against my back. I remember being this close to you. Your breath filters through my hair, and before your shudders hit my skin, I pull away. "Didn't think you would still remember me."

"I let you go for your good, Violet."

"Good?" I laugh dryly, shaking my head. "You have no right to decide what's good for me anymore. Goodbye."

And I don't waste another second walking away from you.

"Violet, stop," I hear your labored voice as I reach the end of the corridor. "Please, don't go away from me like this. I-I need you to listen to me once, just once."

"It won't change anything, Augustus." I spin around, looking at you with desperate eyes. I fear, if I stay any longer, I might become weak under your presence. And it will break Adrian's heart. But someone's heart has to in the end, and the truth is my heart will surely bleed.

"Then there's no harm in listening to me." You blow out a painful exhale, your amber eyes dimming every passing second. "I can't live with your indifference. Please."

The way your plea rattles through my heart has me losing my resolve. I release an exasperated breath, taking slow steps back towards you. I pull on the sleeves of my white cardigan and follow you into the room. No words are shared between us for a few fleeting minutes as you settle beside me on your bed. I scoot a little away from you, trying to escape your familiar scent.

"My mom," you start with a straining voice and then pause to pinch the bridge of your nose, body tensing beside me. "She was my everything, Violet. My mom, my friend, and the sole reason I stayed in this town." You pause, wiping away the tears that I only notice now. Was? Your words rumble inside my head, and a sudden dread fills my lungs. "And I lost her."

My hand flies to my mouth as I cover a gasp, my throat turn scratchy as I watch you sniff and exhale a wet-sounding breath. Your shoulders slump with each passing second.

"I was at a gig when she called me that night. We were playing songs back to back. Eric said it was big as one of the record producers from states attended the event. I shouldn't have kept my phone on silent. She called me so many times, and I didn't pick up. When I finally did, it was too late. She was-" your back heaves as you flop your head into your hands. "One of the neighbors took her to the hospital, but it was too late." A groan stumbles out of your throat as you grit out the most painful part. "She died, Violet. My mom died, and it was my fault."

I shake my head, tears pooling in my eyes as I feel the pain radiating from you. The Augustus I knew three years back was so full of life, but the one sitting beside me now is a living example of gloomy clouds. So, I reach for your trembling hands and hold them in mine.

"Her heart stopped, and they couldn't bring back her heartbeats. I-I couldn't talk to her for the last time, no goodbyes. It broke me." Your hands tighten around mine as you rest your forehead on our folded hands. "I could feel her presence in every corner of this town, Violet, and it was killing me. The feeling of being left alone was too much to bear."

"Why didn't you reach out to me, Augustus?" I mumble, not sure to whom, but you certainly heard that. I pull my hands away from your hold and place them on your wet cheeks.

"I failed you, Violet, like I failed my mom. None of you deserve me." The pain in your voice has my heart caving. "So I ran away from this town until I could run no more."

I brush away the wet trails from your face and lose myself in your pain as you place your hand over mine. "You didn't have to run away from me. I never let you go, Augustus, even after you did. I waited for you, three years."

"I was a mess after you left town. It took me months to finally realize how stupid I had been to break our hearts." You let out a sad chuckle, holding my hand near your lips, and before I can pull them away, you place a soft kiss over my knuckles. I am still in my place. "God, I was so happy that night. It was supposed to be our last event in the town, and then we were to hit the road. Before that, I was going to meet you, fall on my knees, beg for your forgiveness and tell you how much I love you. "

Love. My hands, my entire body still, a fresh set of tears collect in my eyes, and I do everything in my power to not let your confession affect me. It does.

"Augustus," I begin, but your nose brushes against mine, our breaths mingling together, and I forget what I'm about to say.

"I don't want to run anymore," your voice is as calm as ever. "You're it for me, and I can't give back the years we have lost away from each other. But from here on, I will do anything to be by your side, even if it means standing at your doorsteps forever." A humorless laugh escapes your mouth as your thumbs circle my cheeks. "I'm tired of running, Violet."

I pull away slightly as the assurance in your voice shakes me up from inside. "What do you mean?"

Your eyes caress my face with sincerity. "I want to stay this time. I could never forget the togetherness we have shared, the love you made me feel, and the peace I get when you are around. You are like home, comforting, and safe to dwell in for a lifetime." Your eyes lower to our connected hands then rise with hope sparkling in them. "And if I have to fight for it, I'm ready, Violet."

I'm not sure about anything anymore, not when this person I gave my heart to a long time back is ready to fight for his chance. But what about the one who stayed by my side all this time. The one who wants me to be sure about my feelings. "What if things get messy and you decide to run away again?"

Your head shakes, your amber burns with shock as you hold me captive with them. "Never again, Violet." You lower your forehead to mine, and I lose what little resistance I hold against you, chasing back to the feeling that your presence buzzes in my veins.

"When I returned to the town again, I swore I won't bother you if you've moved on. But the way you looked at me in the Smoothie Shack, I knew there's still so much left between us. I realized I'm still so much in love with you." Your words put me in a daze but back in my head, a voice buzzes, a deep dominant voice that belongs to Adrian.

I want you to be sure about us.

My resolve weakens, and I struggle to settle for one or the other. But I have to make a choice, and there's only one way to find out. I'm too unsure what to do next, which version of my feelings to fixate on. I remain in a daze until your words bounce across my lips.

"Tell me there's still us," your exhale is heavy as you reach for my face. Your palm cradles my face, warm and reassuring.

I wish I knew.

Your face closes around mine, giving me the time to back off if that's what I want.

Maybe, I don't.

Too stunned with the uncertainty, I don't pull away when your mouth slant over mine, and you kiss me as you kissed me three years back. And the longing, the hidden plea, and the passion have me leaning in for more. You pull me closer and take my cheeks in your hands as I get lost in the familiar feeling, which I couldn't get rid of even after all these years. My name rolls off your lips so painfully that it fuels our moment.

But then I hear his gasp, shocked and heart-wrenching. My eyes snap open to meet those blazing green ones, a pained look shrouding his face. With my heart thudding against my rib cage, I pull away from your touch, working to catch my wind, my eyes still at the door where he stands. I can hear a shuffling behind me, then I feel you beside me, but none of that bothers me when Adrian releases a rough chuckle and stabs his fingers through his hair.

His gaze moves past me, his jaw tightening, then he stares at me just for a second before turning away and stalking out of there. I don't look back or think anything apart from the fact Adrian is hurt and never wanted to break him in the worst way possible. So I rush after him as he rounds the corridor and runs down the stairs until we are out in the open.

"Adri, please. Stop."

He comes to a halt with his back to me, a few steps, and I can reach out my hand to soothe his pain, but I don't dare. He doesn't deserve this. I clench my trembling hands into fists, nails digging into my palms as a long minute stretches between us. He turns his head enough for me to see the tense veins on his neck. "I wanted to surprise you. I didn't think you'd surprise me instead." His voice trembles, deep and hoarse. "I knew you'd be here, but I didn't know with him. Guess I should leave since he's back now. Why didn't you tell me he's back?"

"No, Adri," I shake my head, taking a step forward.

Turning to face me, he covers the rest of the distance between us, his cologne mingling with my ragged breath as he looks deep into my eyes. "I fucking knew it. You would choose him over us. How stupid I was to think that we had a chance. There never was one, never will be."

"Adri," I whisper, my voice hardly coming out of my crusty throat.

His glassy eyes make me forget everything. I crave to hug him tightly and ease out his pain. But he's already crowding me, setting my senses on high alert as he runs his knuckles softly over my cheek. A set of wet trails run down my eyes as it rakes over his face, hurt radiating from every inch of his built body. My breath hitches as he runs his thumb lightly over my bottom lip, his emerald eyes blazing with hope. "Did you kiss him back, V?"

I squeeze my eyes shut and give him a weak nod. I did kiss you back. Hell, I even felt it, but admitting it to Adrian, feels a million times stronger. The way he retreats grates over every living cell in my body and my heart. I wait for him to say something, anything, but he doesn't. I don't hear anything other than his harsh breathing, then after a few seconds, his shoes against the gravel.

He's leaving.

Fear courses through my veins, followed by a salty river pelting down my cheeks.

I don't know how many minutes pass by as I stand there with eyes closed and my heart open. Then I feel your arms around me, folding me back in your comfort, only that it doesn't feel the same. It doesn't feel like home, but I made my choice when I kissed you, now I can't go back.

I have to let him go.

And finally, move on, with or without you, but not with him.

***

Author's Note: Hey Wattpad readers! Thank you for reading up to this point. The next chapter will be out soon. Keep reading, and don't forget to vote and comment. Thank you!

Who do you think is the one for Violet?