Enter Player Name: Riley

It was such a bittersweet moment.

Waiting here for Jay to get his bags weighed out. I was caught between wanting to smirk proudly and shed a tear. There was a time when he was nothing more than a baby in my mother's arms. Now here he was, a fully grown man, about to go to college. I hoped I had done a good job taking care of him this last year.

He finished handing his last bag to the airline clerk, who proceeded to toss it into the revolving belt. The imminent departure was beginning to feel more and more real. He turned around, and we silently walked over to the side.

"You have everything, right? Passport. Personal documents. Emergency money?" There was this sense of uneasiness in my heart. The uncertainty was making me act more overprotective than ever.

He grunted in annoyance. "For the third time. Yes." But there was also sadness in his voice. His tone served to mask the anxiety over leaving.

"I guess it's finally time." I placed my hand on Mikey's shoulder. At least I would still have him. It was a small reassurance, but a reassurance non the less. Losing Jay was like losing my right arm. But he needed to grow beyond my watchful eye.

"Yeah."

"You will come back to visit right... you promised?" Mikey asked, looking down at his shoe.

"I'll visit every holiday, I promise. Before you know it, I will be back!" Jay said excitedly, more for Mikey than for anything else.

"It's not too late to cancel my registration if you are gonna give me that face," Jay joked. He pinched my cheek. There was little I could do about it other than fail to swat it away.

A single tear, unbeknown to me, began to fall down my face. When I felt its wetness, I wiped it away before Jay could see it. "Don't be silly. You deserve this. Go make the best of college and have fun. Just don't do anything I wouldn't do."

"You know... you deserve to be happy too."

"I am. Everything is working out. You are going to college, and the appeal process is going well. Things will work out soon."

"Then why do I always catch you glancing longingly at the door next to our apartment. It's obvious you miss him." He gave me a knowing look.

"It's easy for you to forgive. You weren't there that day."

This had not been the first time Jay had tried to talk to me about Noah. Sure, he was angry at first when I had explained things. But that anger seemed to quickly subside. I wondered how he was able to do it. For me, on the other hand, while I had learned to be cordial to Noah's father, there was still something that plagued my mind. There were many times when I almost called Noah. Ready to tell him I missed him so much and I made a mistake. But then, images of the day would flash in my mind, and I would freeze.

"Maybe that's why. But, do you remember what you told me when that guy that kept bullying me all throughout middle school suddenly apologized?"

"Not really."

"You said that by not forgiving, I was giving him power over me. That moving on was the best way to diminish his actions. Ever since then, every time someone has done me wrong, I remember those words. Don't get me wrong, it doesn't mean we have to be best friends with the guy, but we should not have to carry that as a burden."

"When did you get so wise?" I asked, knocking my hand on his forehead. He annoyedly looked down at me. He truly had grown so much.

"I'll miss you, sis, " he said, wrapping Mikey and me in a hug. I hugged back tightly. I didn't want to let him go. But, despite what my heart wanted to do, I pulled my arms back.

"Go get your future, lil' bro."

............

Mikey and I sat quietly at the back of the taxi. His head rested on my legs while he rubbed his tears away. Bidding Jay goodbye had been more emotionally demanding than any of us had expected. We had been the tres amigos. The three musketeers. It felt incomplete without him around.

My hand patted his hair slowly; it was silky and soft. The action seemed to calm his muffled sobs.

BUZZZ BUZZZ, my phone vibrated in my pocket, causing him to raise his head in question. I pulled it out and answered.

"Hey, Tasha, what's up?"

"OH GOD, Riley! You need to come! It hurts so much!" Her anguished cry rang through the car.

"Wait, what...? What's happening?"

"My friend let me use his gym today, and I think I broke my ankle. I can't get up. I need you to come and take me to the hospital!"

"What the fuck? Tell your friend. It will be faster, I can meet you at the hospital!"

"No, no! You have to come! He went out to run an errand, and I can't reach him on the phone. Please... Riley... ahh... it hurts so much."

"Text me the address, I'll be right there."

........................

After paying the taxi driver, I helped Mikey out of the car. My heart was pounding as I looked around. I hoped Tasha was not in too much pain.

'A boxing gym?' I thought. What the hell could Tasha be doing here? She had called me insane when I asked her to go rock climbing because it would damage her nails.

The lights looked dimmed inside, but a single one shined strongly at the center back. The view of what it shined on was blocked by the welcome wall, which stopped short of the ceiling. I pushed lightly on the door, and it put no resistance. I made my way carefully through the door, afraid that I would be seen as a trespasser. Mikey seemed to share in my worries. His hand clung tightly to my pant, probably fearful of the dimmed lighting.

"Tasha?" I called. "Are you there?"

I walked slowly behind the welcome wall, making my way through the unoccupied exercise machines. Once I made it to the other side, I was confused. Under the center light, was a punching bag. Next to it was Noah. He wore a dark navy suit. His attire looked out of place, yet, he stood there confidently.

There was so much to take in. The intensity within his bright green eyes. How he now wore his hair neatly tucked back. It was much shorter now. I wanted to scold him forever messing with that set of soft curls. Then there was that small stubble that had begun to accumulate on his chin. It gave him a rough look. It made me miss how he would run his chin under my neck.

"NOAH!" Mikey screamed at seeing him. He started to walk over, but I held tightly onto his hand.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, confusedly looking around for Tasha.

When my eyes finally landed on her, she was standing off to the side, looking guilty as ever. Perfectly standing on her two legs.

"Don't hate me?" She whispered, a nervous smile on her face.

"Why would I? If you don't have a broken ankle, I'll give you one. Do you know how fucking worried I was?"

"You have a funny way of showing it?" If this was a cartoon, I would have expected a sweatdrop to appear on her face.

"Hump, hump," Noah cleared his throat.

"Well, why don't I take Mikey out and let you two talk it out?" Tasha said as she walked over to us and offered a hand for Mikey.

Mikey looked up at me for confirmation. I respond with a nod. "I'll deal with your treachery later," I snorted at Tasha as she walked out with Mikey.

While slowly turning to Noah, I remembered Jay's words.

"Hi," he says.

"Hi."

"Thank you for staying..." h=He seemed unsure how to proceed. He took a deep breath, like a dragon preparing his fire for a battle. From behind his back, he pulled his arms to reveal boxing gloves. "Put them on."

"Huh?"

"Come on. Put them on."

"You are gonna have to give me more context here," I answered, crossing my arms. All my weight was on my right leg as I tried to figure out what he was trying to do.

"Do you remember how I promised I would take you boxing if you over felt like throwing some punches?"

"You brought me here to box?"

"Yes," he stated confidently.

"This is stupid."

"Maybe so... but just humor me for a second." Noah approached with determination. He grabbed my hand and began placing the boxing gloves on. He made sure to fasten them tightly into place. His eyes wander to me every so often throughout the process. I couldn't say I minded—the way his breath would get caught in his throat. It was stimulating to know that I still affected him so. That he had not forgotten me.

Once done, he moved behind the bag and put his weight against it, holding it in place. It looked silly. A man in a business suit pressed up against a punching bag. Somehow, he made it look enticing.

"Okay, get started."

I looked at the gloves and back at the punching bag. Unsure of what he was trying to accomplish with this.

"Come on, just humor me." He tilted his head over. The action encouraged my still foot to walk forward. Once in place, I remembered my cardio workout. And Punched.

"That's all you got?" He asked.

I punched again, harder, this time.

"Tell me, Riley. How do you feel when you look at me?" Noah asked.

PUNCH.

"Agitated."

"Why?"

PUNCH

"Because I feel conflicted."

"About?"

"Your Dad. You. What my head tells me I am supposed to feel?"

PUNCH

"What is your head telling you?"

PUNCH

"That I should be angry. But at the same time... none of this was your fault. As much as my head wants to make it out to be, your dad is not evil." - PUNCH- "My parents were 1 of hundreds of thousands of people, all who had the same fate. All who faced a system that was stacked against them. So I don't know how to reconcile all these conflicting thoughts. But when I do, it makes me feel guilty. Guilty that I want to forgive... because I don't want to forget..."

PUNCH... My hand cramps as I put every emotion building in me into that punch. I cradle my hand, as a shock of energy ripples painfully through my bone, causing me to cry out in anguish. I collapsed.

"Riley, is your hand okay?"

"Yes... but I am not... all this anger is eating at me. But I don't know how to let it go."

He cradled me into his arm. My head rested against his chest. It felt comforting just sitting like this.

"I don't think I have the answer to that. But if you would allow me, I want to be with you every step of the way. Let me shoulder some of your burdens... you don't have to do it alone."

"Are you using my own words against me?" I chuckled into his chest.

"Unintentionally, I assure you." Noah smiled down at me. "I miss you so much, Riley. I will do anything to be able to be with you again. Even if it means bringing you to a boxing ring every day."

"Maybe not every day... just when you annoy me."

"That sounds like the deal of a lifetime." He whispered before his lips crashed into mine. Suddenly, the emptiness that had lingered in my heart. Felt a little less empty. I kissed him back with all my might. Making up for all those nights that I dreamed of them. I had missed how firm they were. How they could so easily make my knees go weak. It was foolish to think I could stay away from them forever. Noah had taken residence in my heart. And just like I would never stop fighting for my parents, I should have never stopped fighting for him.

"We should go find Tasha, I have a bone to pick with her. We need to establish where her loyalties lie after this stunt she pulled."

"Before we do that, there is something I want to hear."

"What's that?"

"I saw the message you left hidden in the demo code. I want to hear from your lips." He slowly brushed his thumb against my lower lip. His eyes hungrily awaiting.

My cheeks flushed red at his words. "I forgot about that."

"I'm waiting." He looked like a dog eagerly waiting for a treat. "It's easy, 'I love you, my magnificent stallion,' see. Piece of cake."

I busted laughing out loud at his words. I forget that I should never take him too seriously. But if there was something I could count on, it was for him to always bring a smile to my face.

"I..." — I paused intentionally to draw it out, his head leaned forward in expectation — "love you."

"Say it again," he whispered. His lips brushed against mine.

"I love you."