Chapter 2.

I got out of the shower, got dressed, then sat in front of the mirror and put on a minimal amount of makeup. When I finished that, I took my hair out of its bun and let it fall into it's natural brown curls around my shoulders. I had always thought my hair was weird, but Ty likes it and says it's beautiful, which is a comment I normally roll my eyes at. I took one last look at my hair and steel blue, silver lined eyes, then left the bathroom, skipping down the stairs where I met my parents at the bottom.

"Ready." I chirped with a smile on my face.

"Okay then, let's go." my dad smiled at me, twirling the car keys on his finger.

We've always had dinner over at Ty's house for either of our birthdays, this being Ty's eighteenth birthday was no exception. As we drove towards his house, I wondered if he was going to talk to me about whatever was bothering him or not. The more I thought about it, the more I started to worry. Ty was never one to worry so much over something, and if he was worried, that would mean it was something big.

What could he be worrying about? I tapped my fingers on my leg as I thought to myself.

When we finally pulled up to his house, I made myself stop thinking about it and instantly put a big smile on my face instead. Tyler was in my line of view before I even stepped foot out of the car, I ran to greet him. My feet were off the ground in an instant, my arms around his neck, Ty's arms immediately wound around my waist to catch me.

"Ty-bear!" I giggled as he spun me around.

"Kota-bear!" he chuckled and set me back on my feet. "Long time, no see."

"Oh whatever, we were shoving cake in each others face just this morning, silly." I rolled my eyes at him. Ty smirked, then grabbed me up by my waist and threw me over his shoulder. "Ty, put my down!" I laughed, my hands pushing against his back to balance myself. "Come on, people can see up my skirt!" He laughed still but set me back down at my plea, but picking me up like that earned him a punch on the arm. "Rude," I huffed at him as my flat fist made contact with his bicep, though a smile was still on my face.

"Whatever." He smiled, this time he was the one who rolled his eyes at me.

"Hey guys, you're just in time for dinner, as usual. Come in, come in!" Ty's mom said from the front door, a pleasant smile on her face. Tyler looked just like his mom, same brown hair and green eyes, he definitely got his dimples from her too. My parents went ahead of us through the door, but just as I was about to enter, Ty grabbed my hand and held me hostage.

"Be right there, just give us a second." He said to his mom. She raised er eyebrow but nodded with that same smile on her face, leaving the door open for us to follow.

I turned around and looked at Tyler, wondering why he wanted to stay out here, but I got my answer as I looked at his expression. He had the same look that he did earlier at school. Although, even though I was curious earlier, I was now dreading whatever he was going to say. I could tell this wasn't going to be good.

"Kota, I need to talk to you." He looked sad and a little scared as he spoke, worrying me. After a prolonged silence of me working up my nerves to hear this, I took a breath to steady myself then nodded my head for him to speak.

"What is it?" I tried to ask in a strong voice, but it wobbled a little, unintentionally letting Ty know I was a little scared of what he was about to say as well. He bit his lip and looked down at the ground for a few seconds, then glanced back up and met my gaze.

"I don't know how to say this-" he started, his hands were running through his hair, something he only did when he was nervous or uncomfortable. "You see, I want-" he started again, but his mom cut him off.

"Ty, Dakota! Come in so we can eat, the food is getting cold!"

"Just a second!" He called back, then looked back toward me, looking even more nervous. "I wanted you to be the first one I tell-"

"No, now! We have guests, and they are refusing to eat until we're all here, especially without the birthday boy, so get in here please, it's been five minutes already." She called again.

"Coming!" he called. "Look-"

"You can tell me later, your mom is about to come and drag you in there by your ear. " I chuckled, though it was forced.

"Yeah... Okay, fine." He looked stressed about having to wait, but he knew I was right.

I grabbed his hand and smiled at him, he in turn gave my hand a little squeeze of assurance before he tugged us both inside. We walk through the house till we came to the dining room, then took a seat at the dinner table with everyone. The adults all smiled at us after we entered, though Ty still looked pretty stressed. The dinner looked delicious and smelled even more amazing. I looked back over at Tyler, but he seemed to be in a daze. Soon, idle chatter and the clanking of silverware against plates were the only sounds in the room.

"So..." Mr. Anderson started as we're all halfway through our meal. "Ty, you said you had something you want to share with everyone?" I looked over at Ty, confused. He looked really stressed out now that his dad said something, and I had a feeling why.

"Um, yeah. I guess I did say that," he cleared his throat.

"Well then, let's hear it, son." His dad smiled brightly at him.

"Well, um." He looked around, scanning over everyone's faces till his eye's landed back on me, a nervous glint still in them. "I enlisted in the military a while ago, the Marine corps to be exact... and um, I leave... tomorrow." He said while not looking away from me, his eye's held sorrow as he looked over my face, waiting on my reaction.

Everyone at the diner table went silent at the news, but I was still having to process what he said. I wasn't registering at first, the words were still wiring around in my head. That's all they seemed to be, a mess of words I couldn't make sense of. Then it clicked... he's leaving.

He's leaving me.

I pushed away from the dinner table and stood up really fast, my feet bolted for the door. I couldn't just stay there and listen to him tell me that he was leaving, I couldn't deal with it. I couldn't take it. Tears had spilled over my eyes and ran down my cheeks by the time I felt the grass under my feet of the front yard. I didn't know where i was going, I just ran. My feet hit the pavement of the sidewalk and just as I almost stepped off the curb, arms wrapped around my waist and I collapsed into them, my heart pounding and squeezing. The world seemed to spin, I couldn't focus, but I knew who was holding me, and who was speaking to me. I would know them anywhere.

Sobs were coming from me, wracking my body. Tears were streaming down my face leaving a salty wake in their path as I laid there wrapped in familiar arms. They started rubbing soothing patterns into my back and whispering reassuring words in my ear for comfort. My heart was in pain and I didn't know what to do, I'd never felt this before. After a while, my sobs finally started quieting down and I was able to look up into the pair of sad green eyes before me. Though the sight of them only sent another wave of tears through mine, I had to squeeze my eyes shut to keep them from spilling and leaned back against Ty.

"Baby girl, I am so sorry." His voice sounded as heartbroken as I felt, almost catching when he spoke. "I really am. I wanted to tell you first, tell you before I had to tell everyone else like that. The last thing I wanted was for you to cry like this, it breaks my heart." When I didn't say anything and just stayed curled up in his arms, he knew I was just trying to calm down, so he starts talking to fill the silence.

"I still remember the time I lost you in the woods..."He kinda smiled as I rested my head back onto his chest, listening to him. Tears were still streaming down my face as he spoke. "You had no idea how scared I was because I lost you. I thought I lost you for good, that I wouldn't be able to find you... ever." As I rested my hand ontop of his, Ty's arms wrapped around me tighter, and his warmth seemed to comfort me slightly. "I called your name I got more and more scared that I wouldn't find you, but then I finally did. I found you. You were huddled up, crying against a tree trunk. You didn't even know it was me till I called your name." His voice was broken and barely heard above a whisper as he spoke.

"I promised myself that day that I would do everything in my power to keep you from crying again. And I kept that promise, as best as I could... Until now." I saw tears drip down his cheeks and I quickly closed my eyes, my chest squeezing. "Not only did I not keep you from crying... but I'm the reason." He said, his voice barely above a whisper. I found the courage to look into his red rimmed eyes, even through the ache in my chest

"You also promised never to leave me." I whispered as I finally was able to force myself to speak, my bottom lip quivered and my hands fisting into his shirt. His face had fallen even more at my words, but he didn't look away, taking the pain of my words head on.

"I know..."

"You promised!" I shouted and he held me tighter, my whole body shaking now as hot streams rolled down my face.

"I know... I know, and I'm sorry. I never meant to break that promise either."

More tears slid down my face as he took his hand and cupped my cheeks, slowly wiping away my tears with his thumb. "It's only for 4 years Kota, can you please let me go for 4 years?" He asked, his eyes looking into mine. His were rimmed with sadnes, pain... but they an unspoken promise in them. I knew then that he would stay if I asked him to, but I couldn't. What kind of person would I be to ask that of him, what would that make me? Selfish... I felt my heart squeeze as I knew what needed to happen next, and I forced the words passed my lips in a shaky breath.

"Only 4 years, then you promise that you're coming back to me? You're never going to leave again?" My eyes were glancing back and forth between his, trying to read him. I didn't want to be selfish and keep him, when he isn't even mine to keep. He's my best friend... I would support him and be there for him, even if it meant I had to be away from him.

"I promise. Four years and then I'm all yours, I'll never leave your side again." He crushed me into a hug and I buried my head into his chest, trying to keep the tears at bay, my bottom lip tightly squeezed between my teeth before I could force myself to smile.

"Well, who said I wanted you at my side the whole time?" I choked out as he squished me, trying to make the mood lighter. He chuckled at my lame attempt of a joke and loosened his hold on me, his shirt caught a few stray tears that betrayed me.

"I'll miss your sarcasm the most, baby girl." I could just tell he was rolling his eyes at me even though his face wasn't in view.

"Yeah, and I'll miss your witty, sarcastic, arrogant humor." I rolled my eyes at him as well, he gave me a slight shove, feigning hurt as my words. "So you're really leaving tomorrow?" I asked, finally having found the strength to look up to his face, even though I was having to fight off another round of tears.

"Yeah, I'm afraid so, baby girl." He smiled sadly down at me, "Come on, lets go back to the house and have some cake to cheer you up," he said playfully, trying to make the situation feel lighter.

"Yeah..." I nodded. "okay." I let him pull me to my feet, he slipped his arm around my waist and lead me inside as I leaned my head against his chest.

As soon as we enter the house, I saw both our moms with very red eyes and tear streaked faces, and our dads, who looked like they were trying to be strong for them. All around, we were one big family who was sad to see Tyler go. When they saw us come in, they all rushed over and pulled both of us into a big group hug. After two minutes of comforting hugs, we all decided to have some comforting cake. Its bad for you, I know, but it definitely helped, especially since it was chocolate.

"So... Dakota, are you spending the night? It is the last night that-" Mrs. Anderson cut herself off before she finished, her voice catching in her throat, but I know what she meant.

"Um yeah, I mean, if it's all right with you guys," I said a little unsure.

"Darling, you have spent many nights here before, tonight will be no different." She smiled at me sadly, but I just nodded my head in reply.

"So, is the cake working?" Ty asked quietly from beside me. I chuckled a little bit and nodded, shoving another bite into my mouth.

"Yeah... it's working." I sighed then leaned my head on his shoulder, he moved around a bit and his arm came around my waist and shoulders as he pulled me closer into his side.

"Hey guys, we're heading home. You make sure to send letters young man, and don't you forget it or I'm coming wherever you are just to grab you by the ear, then force you to sit down and write them." My mom said chuckling, but you could hear the sad tone in her voice.

"Sure thing, Julie." Ty said smiling; he has always called my parents by their first name because they say he's too much like family to go by formalities.

"By kiddo, you be safe." My dad says, giving him a firm handshake, then my parents left.

Ty's parents decided to clean up a bit from dinner and leave us to do whatever, so after a few more minutes of sitting on the couch, I put my empty cake plate on the table and we went up to his bedroom and sat on his bed. For the longest time we didn't say anything, just sat there in silence, until I finally decided to break it.

"So," I started off. "you're going to write to me whenever you can?" I asked as I leaned into his strong and comforting embrace once more.

"Most definitely." He smiled down at me with reassurance.

"And if you get phone time more than once a week, you'll call me too?"

"Yes, I'll definitely call you if I can." He laughed lightly.

"I'm going to miss you, Ty." I snuggled closer into his chest and his arms automatically tightened around me.

"I'm going to miss you too, Kota. I'm going to miss you so much," he whispered, his voice a little wobbly. Then he kissed the top of my head and snuggled his face into the crook of my neck where it meets my shoulder.

We sat there like that, talking, laughing and joking around until we got tired and ended up falling asleep. In the morning I woke up in his arms. It's always been the best feeling because he makes me feel so safe, but now it was a bitter sweet feeling because he's not going to be here. I sighed and just laid there with him, relishing the moment while it lasted because eventually we had to get up, and he had to leave.

"I'll miss you Ty, you be sure to stay alive for me." I tell him sternly before he pulled me into one last hug, his arms caging me to him, not wanting to let me go. I felt all the emotions I had running through me, mirrored by him in that last embrace, and tears came to my eyes. Eventually, he had to pull back, and he too had a sad smile on his face.

"Absolutely." He said with certainty. "I love you, Kota." He kissed my forehead one last time, then got into his car with one last wave.

Then he drove out of my life for 4 years.