I sat alone in my dimly lit apartment, the silence pressing in around me like a heavy weight on my chest. Tears streamed down my face, each one a painful reminder of the shattered pieces of my heart. The room, once filled with laughter and shared dreams, now echoed with the deafening sound of loneliness. I had never felt so lost, so broken. The love of my life, the man I thought would be by my side through thick and thin, had left me with nothing but a void where my hopes and happiness used to reside.

As I clutched my phone, I stared longingly at the photograph of us together, saved as my wallpaper, a bitter laugh escaped my lips. How could he have walked away so easily, leaving me drowning in a sea of heartbreak and anguish? His words echoed in my mind like a cruel mantra: "I'm not ready to spend forever with you." The pain was suffocating, consuming me from the inside out.

Every breath felt like a battle, every heartbeat a painful reminder of what I had lost. How can I go on without him, without the love that had once been the light of my life? But deep down, a spark of determination flickered within me. I wiped away my tears, and with a shaky breath, I stood up, my legs trembling beneath me.

As I stared out into the darkness of the night, I knew that the road ahead would be long and difficult. "If only I would have just never gone to that creek. If I had just stayed home, and not met him that day, things would have been different," I told myself in the reflection of the foggy window.

The air was humid, the weather was rainy. Very fitting considering the feeling of deplorable destruction within my very soul. As I gazed out the window on at the moist October night, my eyes became fixed on the familiar path leading to my apartment, and suddenly a figure approaching in the distance. It was Lindsey, my 18-year-old niece and best friend, walking with an unusual heaviness in her step. My heart clenched with concern as I watched her draw closer, her usually bright eyes dulled by a shadow of sadness. As Lindsey entered the apartment, I could see the tears glistening on her cheeks, her expression a mix of confusion and pain. With a sinking feeling in her chest, I realized that something had happened, something that had shaken my young niece to the core.

A wave of protectiveness washed over me, mingling with my own pain and vulnerability. I rushed to Lindsey's side, enveloping her in a tight embrace. "What's wrong, sweetheart? What happened?" I whispered, my voice laced with worry and a hint of desperation. Lindsey buried her face in my shoulder, her sobs echoing in the quiet apartment. Between broken sobs and gasps for air, Lindsey managed to choke out the words, "Taylor and I.. we.. we are over, Aunt Kysa. I told him I couldn't handle his inability to fix this, to grow up, and get a job." The words hung heavy in the air, a cruel echo of the rejection and abandonment that I myself had recently experienced. In that moment, as I held my niece close, I felt a new surge of determination stir within me. I may be grappling with my own heartbreak, but I refused to let Lindsey face her struggles alone. With a steely resolve in my eyes, I whispered, "We'll get through this together, Lindsey. I promise you, we'll find a way to weather this storm, no matter how fierce it may be."

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

I knew her love for Taylor was very strong to be so young. "If it is meant to be it will," I said aloud. The situation was not ideal because Taylor and I are super close. I was genuinely praying that this would not strain our bond and Lindsey would not resent me for still sharing a bond with him. I mean he had become a big part of my life in this past year that they had been together.

As I held Lindsey close, offering words of comfort and reassurance, my own heart ached with a mix of emotions. I felt the tears threatening to spill from my eyes, but I held them back, determined to be strong for my niece in this moment of shared vulnerability. Suddenly, the shrill ring of the phone pierced through the somber atmosphere, causing both Lindsey and I to startle. I hesitated for a moment, my hand trembling as I reached for the phone. My heart pounded in my chest as I saw the caller ID flash across the screen - it was Spencer, the one who had shattered my world with his departure. Literal, departure, he left, left it all, clothes, everything.

Taking a deep breath to steady myself, I answered the call, my voice steady but tinged with a hint of apprehension. "Spencer," I said, my tone betraying a mix of conflicting emotions. On the other end of the line, there was a moment of silence before Spencer spoke, his voice tinged with uncertainty and regret. "Kysa, I've been trying to reach out to you. I haven't heard from you since... since everything happened between us. I know I hurt you, and I'm sorry. I need to talk to you, to explain... Can we meet somewhere?" I felt a surge of emotions wash over me - anger, hurt, longing. I closed my eyes, taking a moment to gather my thoughts before responding. "Spencer, I don't know if I'm ready to talk right now. It's been... it's been really difficult for me. I need some time to heal, to process everything." My voice wavered slightly, betraying the turmoil brewing within me. Spencer's voice softened on the other end of the line. "I understand, Kysa. I just want you to know that I never meant to hurt you. I care about you, more than you know. Whenever you're ready, I'll be here." The words hung in the air, heavy with unspoken truths and unresolved emotions. As I hung up the phone, I felt a whirlwind of conflicting emotions raging inside me. I turned to Lindsey, my niece and confidante, and with a deep breath, I whispered,

"I don't know what to do, Lindsey. But I know one thing - I can't let this break me. Not now, not ever."

In that moment we both realized something, we would always be there for one another, no matter the issue, no matter the severity.