Quincy's POV
Then one day, my Mom mentioned... completely offhand... that Atlas and his girlfriend had broken up.
I tried to play it cool, but inside, I was screaming. I felt like I could finally breathe again. I was smiling more. Laughing again. I felt like myself... like me... for the first time in months.
Atlas and I started talking again. Slowly. Carefully. He would swing by the house, help with stuff, and stay for dinner. We weren't as close as I wanted, but it didn't matter. He was back, and that was enough for me.
Except it wasn't.
My feelings kept growing. No matter how hard I tried to push them down, they refused to disappear. I stopped going out with friends. Stopped flirting with other boys. I spent hours scrolling through his socials, memorizing the curve of his smile, the lines of his arms, the way he looked in a suit.
I even found my mom's old camera and filled it with photos I had secretly taken of him over the years. I kept them all in a folder, my own private shrine.
I knew it wasn't healthy. I knew I was spiraling, clinging too tightly to something that might never happen. But I couldn't stop. I didn't want to. I was too far gone.
At 18, Atlas suddenly started pulling away. It happened two months after my birthday.
Out of nowhere, he just… faded. The texts came less often. The visits slowed until they stopped completely. I kept telling myself he was just busy, that maybe work was piling up or life was just getting in the way. But deep down, I knew something had changed.
We hadn't fought. Nothing dramatic had happened. On the surface, we always kept things strictly platonic... at least I did, or tried to. But that didn't make the distance any easier to handle. In fact, it made it worse. Because I couldn't ask why. I didn't have a reason to. Not one that wouldn't expose everything I'd been trying to hide.
I hated the space between us, hated how empty things felt without him. But I was helpless to change it.
I tried asking my Mom a few casual questions here and there... dropping Atlas's name like it was no big deal... but I didn't get much. Just the usual: "He's swamped with work" or "He'll come around soon." I smiled and nodded, pretending that was enough. But inside, I was unraveling. I missed him so much it made me restless and moody in ways I couldn't explain to anyone.
I missed our stupid jokes, the way he would roll his eyes at me but still listen to every word I said. I missed hearing his voice in the kitchen, feeling his eyes on me from across the dinner table or seeing his jacket hanging on the back of our kitchen chair like it belonged there.
It's been over five months since I last really saw him. I know that doesn't sound like a long time, but when someone means that much to you and lives in your head the way he does, it feels endless. And as hard as I've tried to move on, his absence has clung to me like a thick, constant fog.
I've thought about telling him how I feel more times than I can count. The words live on the tip of my tongue, aching to be spoken. But fear always wins. I don't want to scare him off or make things weird. And I definitely don't want to lose whatever we have left.
Now, though... everything's changed.
Four whole months. Just the two of us.
"Strength." I whispered my prayers while looking at the ceiling.
***
It almost doesn't feel real. Like something out of a dream I've had a hundred times before. I keep thinking my Mom will cancel the trip or Atlas won't show up or something will fall through. But if it doesn't... if this actually happens... it'll be the first time in forever that I get to just be around him again.
I linger by the doorway of my Mom's room, watching her struggle to shove a pile of shirts and ties into her suitcase like she's playing a losing game of Tetris. She's always been hopeless at packing. With a soft smile, I step in to help, folding the shirts she crumpled into a sad mess.
"You sure you've got everything, Mom?" I ask, raising a brow at the half-zipped suitcase. "You always forget something." She chuckles, her eyes crinkling at the corners.
"That's why I've got you, my little lifesaver," she says, leaning down to kiss the side of my head and I grin. "I still can't believe that *ssh*l* Atlas didn't bother saying goodbye. Always too d*mn busy for his old friend. What a total *ssh*l*." Mom mutters, squinting at her phone as she briefly scrolls through it. At the sound of his name, my cheeks burn and I quickly duck my head so Mom doesn't notice.
"Mom, language," I gently chide, folding one last shirt. "I'm sure he wanted to stop by, but... you know, work."
"Yeah, yeah. Work. Just like me, I suppose." She replies, tucking her phone into her pocket.
"When will he be home?" I ask a second later, maybe a little too fast. Mom doesn't seem to catch the eagerness in my voice.
"Late tonight, probably. He's been swamped lately." I nod, forcing myself to keep it cool even though my heart suddenly won't calm down. Tonight. He'll be home tonight.
"Don't forget your charger this time." I remind her.
"Ah, f*ck. Good catch." She mutters, rummaging through the drawer to find it.
"Language." I say again, smiling now.
"Sorry babe. My head's already in a hundred different places." She says with a sheepish grin and I just shake my head.
I pass her the neatly folded clothes, and she carefully packs them before finally zipping the suitcase shut. We head to the front door together and start loading her bags into the trunk. Once everything's in, she turns to me with a serious look. "Remember the house rules while I'm gone," She says, pointing a finger at me like I'm still ten. "No parties, no staying out late, no sneaking out and definitely no boys in the house. I'm dead serious, Quincy. No boys!"
I stifle a giggle, saluting her. "Roger that, captain Mom. No boys. I promise. She narrows her eyes, but she's fighting a smile.
"Atlas will be around to help and he knows the rules too. So, if you need anything, you can count on him," She adds and I nod. "I will miss you, bean. You'll be okay while I'm gone, right?"
"Of course," I say, forcing a cheerful smile. "I'Il be just fine." She studies my face for a moment, then nods.
"You can call me whenever. Doesn't matter what time it is."
"I know, Mom." I say softly.
She holds out his hand and I step forward with a smile. We bowed to each other, then shared a quick but meaningful hug. That's been our little goodbye routine for years. It never really made sense, but somehow stuck.
"Take care of yourself while I'm gone," Mom says, pulling back just enough to caress my face. "And if Atlas starts acting like a pain in the *ss, let me know. I'll fly back and knock some sense into him." She winks, and I roll my eyes with a laugh.
"And for the love of God, no random dudes sneaking in. Or I swear, I'll fly back, scare the sh*t out of those little punks and ground you for life. Got it?" She adds and I laugh again.
"Relax, Mom," I tease, pouting. "No trouble, no boys, no fun. I got it. You don't have to go full protective Mom mode on me." She climbs into the car, still grinning.
"I'm always in protective Mom mode, kid. That's literally my job. Don't you forget it."
"I'll miss you." I say as I lean into the open window.
"Miss you more, my bean. I'll call as soon as I get there, okay?" I nod.
"Drive safe." I waved her off, but inside I was both giddy and nervous. Atlas is coming tonight…