By the time Jack found me in his room last night, I'd made up my mind. He'd had no time to try and convince me otherwise. I'd been sitting there for so long, and there was nobody to stop me from making the rash decision. The ticket was purchased before anyone could talk me out of it, the first flight out of Toronto post-storm.

    "Eden," Jack trails behind me as I shove things back into my suitcase, not really caring if anything gets wrinkled. I'd just broken the news to them that I'd be on the first flight out tomorrow morning, "You can't leave. We've still got two premieres left."

    I decided to break the news to him, Bailey and Trinity at the same time, in the middle of the night , hours after Jack finally found me, crying in his bed, pillow hugged to my chest as I shakily confirmed the purchase of my economy flight home. We didn't speak for a while after that, which I was grateful for; instead, he just held me, letting me sob into his hoodie-clad chest while he hugged me, whispering soothing words until the tears eventually came to a halt.

   When he walked me back to my room, where Trinity and Bailey were both waiting, worried, Jamie and Lilly were nowhere to be found, giving the three of them permission to freely ask me anything they wanted. "Where is this all coming from?" Bailey asks, equally confused and saddened.

    I pause, Jamie's words from earlier playing on repeat in my mind, like a movie that just keeps replaying the same scene over and over again. Jamie Flatters wanted to be with me, too, he said the words I'd been dying to hear for so long, and I walked away and rejected him. How was I supposed to look him in the eye now? I said no to protect my friendship with Lilly, who, despite everything I, can't stand the thought of hurting. I said no because while dating Jamie is all I want, if it ended, I'd lose everything. I'm not good enough for him, and one day, he'd see that; he'd go on to find some beautiful actress who has far more to offer than me, and he'd be happy.

    "When I left earlier, I spoke to Jamie." I explain, moving to sit on the edge of the bed beside Trinity, who hasn't spoken once since I broke the news, her head spinning as she took it all in, "we kind of got into in an argument, which ended in him admitting he wants to be with me." 

    Silence. That's what I'm greeting with as the three of them all look at me. Shockingly, Trinity is the one to break it, quietly asking, "isn't this a good thing?" Her tone is laced with confusion as she furrows her brows in my direction, "why are you leaving?"

    Her voice cracks, and I suddenly realize just how rash of a decision it was. I wasn't just leaving Jamie behind; I was leaving my baby sister, who I'd promised I'd be with the entire press tour. Not only am I her legal guardian,  I'm also her biggest fan... and now I'm leaving her. Reaching over, I grab her hand in mine, squeezing it tightly, as I explain, "Jamie is still with Lilly," I remind them all, "she might get on my nerves from time to time, but that doesn't mean she's not my friend. I had to get off that rooftop before I did something I couldn't take back... something that would make her hate me forever."

    Another vision flashes through my mind, missing how it felt to stand close to Jamie, the tips of our shoes touching as he peered at me through his lashes, his lush lips close enough that all I needed to do was reach up on my tiptoes and I'd be close enough to kiss him. "I told him we don't make sense."

    "Why on earth would you say something like that?" Bailey asks, brows furrowed with confusion.

    "Because it's true?" My statement sounds more like a question as I shake my head. "Sure, we might be happy for now, but what happens when he gets even more famous? When he realizes there are so many better girls out there?" Bailey opens her mouth to argue, but I continue speaking before she can, "I said that because I can't lose him." My voice cracks as more tears threaten to fall, "but I think I did."

    "Hey," Bailey shakes her head at me, gaze serious, "you're not going to lose Jamie, okay?"

    I don't believe her, not in the slightest. Because I've already lost him, I can't imagine after this; he'll want to be best friends still, continuing to live life the way we do now. No matter what, it feels impossible to imagine anything ever being normal or okay between us again.

    And it's all my fault.

    "I think we just need some space," I explain, not bothering to disagree with her. I don't want to leave Trinity or Jack and Bailey, but I can't go on with the rest of the press tour pretending that everything's okay. I can't see Jamie every single day and have to pretend like I'm not completely falling apart.

   Bailey nods, but I can see tears in her green eyes. Who knows when I'll see them after this; I mean, obviously, I'll see Trinity, but she and Jack will get busy with other projects and life. "I know," she says, "I don't want you to leave, though."

    "Me neither," Jack sighs, sitting down beside me and pulling me into his arms. He rests his chin on the top of my head, kissing my hair as he mumbles, "I want you to do whatever's going to make you happy, E."

    What makes me happy? Instantly, Jamie's perfect smile appears in my mind, his shimmering blue eyes vivid even in my imagination. He makes me so happy... he always has, even when we were in our teen years, and I didn't realize just how much he meant to me yet. He made me so happy. But I fear I can't possibly make him half as happy as he makes me, not when there are so many better options around.

    I need to figure out what else makes me happy, and I can't do that here. "What if I don't know what that is?" I question, voice quiet, unsure.

    Trinity leans into my side, Bailey on her other side, cuddling into our group hug as well. "You'll figure it out," My sister reassures me, in a tone that makes me believe her, despite the doubt creeping in. "You always do."

    "And you're wrong about Jamie finding someone better than you," Bailey adds, lightly pinching my arm to ensure I know she's serious.

    "Am I?" I ask, shaking my head against Jack's chest, "I know you all act like I'm one of the cast, but I'm not going to be famous like the rest of you. One day, you're all going to make it huge in Hollywood, and I'll be cheering you on from afar. Trinity is stuck with me, but I can't expect the rest of you to stick back too."

"You think we're going to forget you?" Jack sounds wounded like I've accused him of something he'd never do. Jack pulls away slightly so he's looking me in the eye, wearing an expression more serious than usual, his goofy grin nowhere to be found. "You're not just some random person, Eden." He reminds me, sternly, like I'm a little kid who he's scolding, "you're our best friend, and just as much as sister to Bailey and I too. We are never going to forget you, ever, okay?"

    I nod, tears brimming my eyes again, "Okay," I look down at Trinity, who's curled into my side. She's crying, too, "will you be okay without me for the rest of the tour? Mom and dad both have work, so they won't be able to come and fill my place."

    "I'll watch out for her," Bailey reassures before my sister can reply.

    "I'll be okay," Trinity nods confidently, and my heart aches. I know she will be. She's always been so mature for her age, "are you going to take to Jamie? Or..."

   "No," the word falls past my lips so quickly, with zero hesitation. I can't face him again. It'll only make this hurt more, "it's probably best if I don't."

She's short! But here's  an update for y'all!
So excited for you see Jamie's reaction to Eden leaving!!