2.

Eight years had passed since Olivia and her parents moved to Chicago, and the shy little girl who had arrived in the city at eight had grown into a beautiful young woman.

Her brown hair framed her delicate face, while her striking grey eyes stood out against her fair complexion. She had small, naturally plump lips and a petite, slim figure that made her look delicate despite the confidence she had slowly developed over the years. Olivia had grown to resemble her father more as she got older, although she had inherited her mother’s petite frame, standing at just five feet three inches.

“Hey, beautiful,” Joseph said, leaning in to give her a kiss.

The boy who had run across the street to introduce himself to Olivia eight years ago had changed quite a bit himself. Joseph had grown into a handsome young man, tall and broad-shouldered, with a strong, masculine build and the same striking green eyes Olivia had noticed when they first met.

Their friendship had grown stronger with every passing year. Somewhere along the way, the innocent bond they shared had slowly developed into something deeper, and eventually, they had fallen in love.

Now, they were inseparable.

Olivia was glad she had trusted Joseph when he promised to be her friend all those years ago. He had kept that promise in every way that mattered, becoming not only her best friend but also the person she loved.

“What took you so long? We’re going to be late for school,” Olivia complained after they parted from the kiss.

“I’m sorry. I was trying to finish up my homework,” he replied.

“Okay, so can we go now?” she asked.

“Sure.” Joseph grabbed his things and headed toward his blue convertible. “Gosh! I can’t wait to be done with high school,” he muttered as he got into the driver’s seat.

Olivia’s smile slowly faded at Joseph’s words.

He was going to graduate in a few months, while she still had another year of high school ahead of her. Once he was gone, she would have to face school without him, and the thought made her chest tighten.

She had a few friends, but none of them were as close to her as Joseph. He was the person she talked to about everything, the person who made her feel safe, and the one she relied on whenever things became difficult.

Joseph continued talking, completely unaware that her mood had changed.

“I’ll then fulfill my dream of joining the military,” he said excitedly. “You know how much that means to me, right?”

When Olivia didn’t answer, he glanced at her.

Only then did he notice the sadness on her face.

“Love, what’s wrong?”

Olivia looked down at her hands.

“Joseph, you know how much I don’t like you talking about these things,” she replied quietly.

He frowned slightly. “Why?”

“It’s not that I don’t want you to fulfill your dreams or anything.” She took a small breath before continuing. “It’s just that I don’t know how I’m going to survive being away from you.”

Her confession made Joseph realize that he hadn’t been fair to her. He knew she was already having a hard time accepting the reality of him graduating from high school before her, not to mention joining the military immediately afterward.

Joseph had even considered deliberately failing some of his classes just so he could stay in high school with her a little longer. Olivia had refused to let him do that, insisting that he shouldn’t worry about her and that he deserved to pursue his dreams. But Joseph knew her well enough to understand that she had only said those things to make him feel better.

With his final exams getting closer, Olivia still wasn’t herself, and he was beginning to regret listening to her.

She was still the same shy and quiet girl she had always been, opening up most when she was with him. Joseph had been there for her through almost everything, especially during the difficult period when she was being bullied at school.

The bullying had affected her more than she had allowed anyone to see. There had even been a time when her grades began to drop because of it. Olivia had kept the situation to herself back then, refusing to tell Joseph what she was going through until things had already taken a toll on her.

Joseph had done everything he could to support her once he found out, and things had gradually improved. He had defended her from the bullies and reminded her that she didn’t have to face everything alone.

Now, with graduation approaching, Joseph couldn’t help wondering what would happen to her when he was no longer around every day.

He had been thinking about whether there were other options he could consider—options that might allow him to pursue his dreams while still keeping Olivia’s feelings in mind.

“Joseph, are you even listening to me?”

Her voice suddenly pulled him out of his thoughts.

He blinked and realized that he had completely lost track of what she had been saying.

“I’m sorry. You were saying?” he asked.

Olivia sighed softly.

“I was saying that you shouldn’t worry about me. I’m only being selfish.” She gave him a small smile. “You also deserve to be happy.”

Joseph returned her smile, but he wasn’t convinced.

He knew Olivia well enough to recognize when she was pretending to be okay for his sake.

___

They arrived at school just in time.

The parking lot was already packed with cars, but luckily, Joseph had his own designated parking spot—one of the perks of being one of the most popular students in school.

After parking, they got out of the car and walked into the school building hand in hand.

The hallway was already crowded with teenagers. Some stood around chatting with their friends, while others laughed, joked, and stole quick kisses from their boyfriends and girlfriends.

Olivia immediately felt small.

She could feel several eyes following them as they walked down the hallway. Being the girlfriend of one of the most popular boys in school often meant attracting attention, something Olivia had never been comfortable with.

Joseph seemed to notice her uneasiness. He pulled her a little closer to his side, silently reassuring her that she was safe with him.

Olivia smiled faintly and leaned into him.

They eventually stopped in front of Olivia’s locker so she could get the books she needed for her first class. She turned toward her locker and began gathering her things.

When she glanced around the hallway, however, she noticed several cheerleaders staring at her.

Their expressions weren’t friendly.

Olivia quickly looked away.

“Hey, babe!” Joseph called.

She turned her attention back to him.

“Huh?”

“I’m going to my locker now. I don’t want to be late for calculus. You know how grumpy Mr. James can be.”

Olivia chuckled.

“I’ll see you at lunch, okay?”

“Okay.”

Joseph leaned down and gave her a quick goodbye kiss before heading toward his locker.

Olivia watched him walk away for a moment before turning back to her own locker.