"My first girlfriend was Hannah, some blonde-haired and blue-eyed annoying girl." He gave a disapproving look, "I don't know what I was thinking. Sure, she was pretty and all but-"

"Used to be a really girly Malibu barbie which was spoilt rotten, with a voice which was squeaky as hell, and a hair flip every five seconds." I finished for him.

I remember Hannah very well, in fact... she's like another version of Shelby - except, Shelby isn't spoilt. She's just OCD irritating at times, and really mean. Hannah started annoying him a day after they started dating. He ended things with her over the phone, even though he felt really bad about it. He said he knew if he didn't do it over the phone, she would somehow make him feel sorry for her and manipulate him into staying with her.

He was right. Hannah never took no for an answer.

He frowned at me. "How do you know?"

My eyes widened and I mentally slapped myself for not being careful enough.

Damn it, Tyler! You need to be more careful!

"I'm... just guessing." I shrugged and laughed nervously, playing with the grass. We were already out of the water and had already made our way back to where we kept our things in the forest.

Luckily Miles' car was also parked nearby so we wouldn't have to worry about walking because we were exhausted after that swim.

But we had a lot of fun, even took a lot of pictures together. He also decided on taking pictures of me and us together, he said it was honestly one of the best days of his life.

"Well then you're really good at it, because that was insanely accurate." He said. "She reminds me of Shelby, now that I think about it."

I laughed at that.

What is it they say about great minds again?

A thought crossed my mind, and before I could stop myself, I gathered the courage and asked him the question.

"Why don't you just end it?" I surprised myself and him by saying this. The corner of his lips tugged up and he let out a small chuckle.

"C'mere," He said and I obliged, moving over to him. When I was close enough, he grabbed my hands and pulled me to him as he tightened his arms around my waist, laying his head on my chest as I played with his hair. "Baby, it's not that simple. I'm not that heartless to break someone's heart." He said.

He's broken mine before...

"So you haven't broken anyone's heart before?" I asked, wanting to see if he would by any chance remember me from junior school or even mention me. I just wanted to know if I ever crossed his mind.

He let out a long breath and I pulled away, sitting right in front of him with my legs crossed while his were stretched out on either side of me.

"I have," He admitted solemnly.

"What happened?" I asked him quietly.

He searched for my hands before taking a hold of them. I intertwined our fingers, urging him to continue. He stared at our joined hands and started telling me about what I probably already know. How he didn't like me, hence he rejected me.

"I lost a very good friend of mine years back." He started, and a tight knot started forming in my stomach. "We became friends from the very first day we saw each other in the third grade. I loved everything about her even though she kept asking me why I became friends with her because she never really spoke to anyone," He chuckled.

"I remember forcing a conversation with her on my very first day at Saint Parish junior school, the teacher had allocated me to the seat next to hers, just like how I met you," He smiled fondly as our eyes met. "As time went by, I started having a change of heart," He said.

"How so?" I asked.

He took a deep breath and ran his hand over his face s he gathered himself.

"I started liking her," I looked up at him in awe but he was still too busy staring at our intertwined hands to notice. He then continued, "From then on, I made sure to always find an excuse to be with her."

I cleared my throat, the lump in it was growing. "What changed?"

"I got home one day and my parents were fighting as usual, so I went upstairs and stayed there while I put my airpods on," He explained. "It was routine every time I got home. Later on, my mom came in the room and that's when I pulled them out.

I already knew that she came to tell me bad news, I could feel it deep in my pit of my stomach. We..." he paused, "We talked for a while, she told me that they were getting a divorce because they decided it was best. I was finally relieved though, I couldn't stand to see my parents fight any longer."

A moment of silence then overcame us and I squeezed his hand to let him know he could tell me anything. At anytime. And I'd be here.

"My..." He started, before suddenly taking a pause and looking down. I remained silent as I gave him some time to gather himself and it wasn't until he dropped a tear on our intertwined hands that I immediately went closer to him, hugging him while I was on my knees. He wrapped his arms around my waist, tightly hugging me as if his life depended on it.

I don't know what it was inside me, but something wasn't right with me as he broke down. I didn't like it. I loved it when he smiled, laughed... cracked jokes, and annoyed me. Not when he's like this. I can't bear to see him like this.

"My dad was abusive, he used to beat my mom on several occasions. There were times when I used to step in but that never helped because he'd end up beating me too."

"That aggravated my mother because she'd pull him off of me only to get more brutal beatings. I-I just hated that man with all my heart. That woman he was treating like trash had carried me in her womb for seven whole fucking months!" He shouted out in anger as his voice broke.

When he looked up at me his gaze softened, I gasped at the sight in front of me. His whites were red and his eyes were glossy, stealing away the beauty of those alluring green eyes I've always loved so much. I immediately wiped his tear-streaked face.

"Oh Miles," I cupped his cheeks. I never knew about any of this. He looked like he was in so much pain and I just wanted it all to go away, I didn't like seeing him like this. Seeing him like this made me want to cry.

"My mother almost had a miscarriage when she was pregnant with me," I stared at him in shock when he said this. "Even before I was born, he was abusive. He beat my mother up while she was pregnant with me. She... she told me how she used to always find ways to protect me when he struck her, either sometimes covering her belly with her arms or always trying to curl herself into a ball."

"And here I am, I made it. I love my mother so much I'd do anything for her," He smiled briefly before the pain was back in his eyes. He took my hands once more and interlocked them with his.

"The very same day of the divorce, my dad, he... met with a car accident." He said, staring into the far distance as a few more tears dropped. "The hospital called my mother since she's one of the doctors working where he was admitted. At first, I thought he deserved it because of all he made us go through. That was until he called for us."

"He apologised for everything he had done." He explained, before he released a small snort. "Hell, he even cried. He said he had gone through the same thing that I had, growing up while watching his dad beat his mom up."

"Apparently, it was all he knew about love because he also unfortunately lost his mom under the same circumstances. Said he really loved us but never knew how to show it. He couldn't help himself... my grandfather's thick blood ran through his veins anyway."

"Even though I knew he had a choice, to ensure he didn't turn out like grandfather did, I forgave him. I thought maybe things would be better. I was ready to start all over again, finally build a good relationship with him. But-" He was about to continue but I cut him off as I couldn't take it anymore.

"Please don't." I begged him softly as my own tears came out mercilessly, because I knew what he'd say next.

"He died ten minutes later." He said as his lips began to wobble, "He said he was sorry once again before taking one last breath and leaving us."

Abandoning all the silent crying I had been doing until now, I finally released a whimper before willing myself to be strong for him. But how do I do that? This burden he's been carrying throughout his life was too heavy. Even I couldn't handle it, yet all I had to do was sit there close to him, and allow him to vent as I listened.

"So, when I want back to school the next day, the sole intention was to see Anna-Marie one last time before my mom and I moved away from Macedonia. But," He took a breath. "I broke her heart instead."

"When she told me she had feelings for me, it was like music to my ears. I was happy, but I told her I didn't feel the same way. I was moving away and I didn't want anyone to know. She really cared a lot for me and would be really angry at me if I left her so suddenly."

"I saw her crying the whole day, she lifted her oversized hoodie to hide it but I knew her better. I wanted to tell her so badly how much I liked her but I couldn't. I didn't want to break my heart all over again."

"What was the point of setting the both of us for an even bigger heartbreak by telling her I liked her back if I was moving to another state anyway? It wouldn't work out, and I didn't want her to wait for me. I wanted her to forget me and be happy," He said.

"And I haven't seen her since. I wish I could, though. My mom and I finally gathered the courage to come back here, even though we moved to a different house. But I don't know what ever happened to Anna-Marie, she probably moved away too." He shrugged.

Wrapping my arms around him, I tried soothing him. Now wasn't the time to tell him. I didn't even know how to drop a nuclear bomb on him at a moment like this. It would just be too much. What would I even say?

"I'm Anna-Marie Miles, I'm the one you've been looking for"?

That sounded wrong on so many levels.

He smiled, "I forget everything when I'm with you. You make me the happiest I've ever been in my life. I don't know why but you really remind me of her," He said.

"Tyler, you complete me." He finally said. He looked at me with so much emotion, adoration and care. I actually felt my heart swell. I reached out and wiped his tears.

"Can I kiss you?" He asked, his green eyes locked on my brown ones.

I didn't need to be asked twice because I immediately leaned in and kissed him. Our kiss this time was a lot more intense - mixed with tears and so much emotion.

He tightened his arms around me, as if he didn't ever want to let me go. I was at my happy place, my heart was finally mended and I couldn't have asked for more.