Love never ends.

It's infinite, boundless, and so very immortal.

There's no start or end to your feelings.

Love is messy and vulnerable.

No matter how organized you are

or how strong an individual you are,

it doesn't shield you from falling.

It swallows all the beautiful moments you live in it

and keeps those memories alive for the rest of your life.

Such love will always have something to lose in the end.

But you will love again, you always do.

On my way back to Iowa, I had made up my mind to take it slow, give myself some time or let my heart at ease a bit before meeting the person who makes it go wild. I failed. The moment I reach my room, all the memories, the sweet cuddles, the braiding of hair late at night while watching movies come crashing into my head.

I dump the duffle in my room, and before I can speak myself out of it, I'm pulling my car out of the garage. A thousand unsaid emotions run in my head, laced with apologies and confessions due a lifetime. I close the car and walk to the stairs leading to his apartment with my nerves on high alert, heart thudding, and pulse racing. But all of that evaporates as I pound at his door half a dozen times to no avail until security comes up and tells me Adrian no longer lives there.

After making a fool of myself, I head back to my car and realize Adrian's Harley is missing in the garage. I didn't notice that in my rush to reunite with him. Cursing myself out, I speed back to my place and make a note to get his new address from Noah or Chloe Drake if I have to.

My blood boils every time I open Adrian's profile and look at her blond hair brushing his shoulder. I push the image aside and pull out the phone from my pocket once I'm inside my apartment.

Me: I'm back here. I need to talk to you.

Me: I didn't know you changed apartments. Send me your new address, or I will take it from Noah if not Chloe Drake.

All the years we spent together as friends or more, he never once ignored my calls or messages. But in the last three weeks, he has surpassed his self-control for shutting me off. I'm sure he's reading my texts, and the fact that he hasn't blocked my number tells me I still have hope.

I'm sure he's still hurting. I've seen that on his face through all of his posts and games that I watched two nights back. He doesn't know I'm past my choices and back to him, and maybe even after knowing Adrian might take some time to accept me. Then there's this deep, unsettling fear about his connection with the girl with blond hair and a straight nose.

***

Olivia finally comes home to find me curled up on the couch, the tissues lying on the floor giving her all the answers. I've told her everything about you, Augustus. That's the reason she doesn't ask anything and wraps her arms around me until I finally feel the pain is no more surrounding me.

"Won't you ask me how it went?" I ask her when she doesn't speak for the longest time.

"I'll not force you through the painful memories again. So, yeah, I'm cool not knowing." She says as I turn around to face her. She has a soft, gentle smile itched on her lips.

"I think I have deep-rooted feelings for Adrian, feelings that may get hurt if he chooses Chloe Drake over me." I look up at the white ceiling as another cry blocks my throat.

Olivia remains quiet for a few minutes before I turn to face her again. "You chose Augustus over Adrian, and here you are, running back to Adrian. Does that answer your doubts?"

Her words make my heart jump with possibility, and a smile breaks through my lips after days of longing and despair. I chew on my bottom lip, clearing my throat. "Adrian has shut me off."

"Can you blame him?" She releases a sigh. "He has shut everyone out, Vio, including Noah. Most of the days, he is either busy training or partying with his new team. I haven't seen him on campus ever since he returned from home. He's a mess just like you."

My heart sinks as I picture those sad green eyes looking deep into my soul, begging me to stop him from leaving as he stepped out of my window that night. I close my eyes and sniff silently. "Do you think we can work this one out, Liv?"

She hummed. "I think you will."

***

I search through the crowd for a tall, built silhouette with tousled brown hair and piercing green eyes. It's been another week of being shut off. Although I have Adrian's new address by now, I'm taking time to reconnect. In these seven days, I've seen him exactly twice.

Once, when he came to Brew Story but stayed outside. I saw his broad shoulder leaning against the door, and then he was heading back. I handed the half-filled iced latte to the guy across the counter and sprinted towards the door. By the time I was out in the street, he was gone.

He might have seen me behind the counter.

Then I'm sure I saw Adrian's Harley revving off the curb outside my building. Maybe, it was my imagination because why would he come to my apartment if he didn't want to see me anymore.

I wait for him at the far end of the fluorescent-lit hallway that leads to the dressing rooms, and I'm already shaking violently. I ignore the sweaty athletes buzzing around me as my eyes remain locked to the locker rooms.

I've been making myself strong enough for the confrontation, and now that the time has come, I don't feel very confident. Adrian knows I'm back and still decided to remain distant. There can be only one reason for such ignorance.

He moved on.

I'm nervous, sweating, and my nerves are on edge. But I'm not giving up. I'm here for Adrian, and if there's even one percent chance that he still feels for me, I'm taking that. I ball my fists on the soft fabric of my mid-thigh cotton dress and keep taking glances whenever someone steps out of the dressing room.

Then he emerges from the locker rooms in all his arrogant, gorgeous, and masculine beauty. His built frame wrapped in a black tailored suit and brown hair falling just enough on his forehead to give him that arresting look.

But I want to look into his eyes, reach the depth of his soul and search my pieces- if they still exist. I need to know if he still makes me feel loved the way those green eyes sparkle every time they find me. I try to take a better glance at him through the crowded concourse, craning my neck as better as I can to gauze his expression. Is he missing me in the spectators? Did he see me cheering for him? He's too far to feel my presence.

I dodge my way through the people littered in the narrow hallway, picking up my pace as I see him turn towards the exit. My breath turns choppy as the distance between us slackens, growing more anxious as I finally stumble to a stop near his group.

His new team members surround him. I have seen these guys in his recent posts, and then my eyes capture the blond-haired beauty beside him. She is as perfect as a model out of a fashion magazine, petite enough to grab attention, dressed in a classy gray dress, smiling and talking to the group, but her eyes are on my Adrian. My heart burns from inside out.

When I take another step closer I realize, he is not looking at her but at his phone. I sent him a couple of texts and voice messages on my way here. Is he reading my messages? Maybe that gives me the courage I need as I reach straight for him and stand in his line of sight. My cheeks are burning, my palm sweating, and if he doesn't stop looking at me with so much intensity in his ocean green eyes, I may evaporate soon. He keeps looking at my face without blinking for a solid three seconds, and I can feel every other eye that's around us.

He's very still, his broad shoulders locked, and I can feel the chill of his cold demeanor over my skin. He's hiding his emotions, but my emotions are spilling through my pleading eyes as I wet my lips and force the words out. "You're avoiding me, Adri."

He's silent, doesn't react or speak, but I can see the subtle twitch on his lips. He looks directly at my mouth as I nibble on my bottom lip, too nervous for his answer.

I turn towards his group, letting my gaze pause at Chloe Drake for a second. "Too busy with your new friends, I see."

Something shifts in his eyes as they move from my face to his team members. "Wait for me in the parking lot."

Then he is looking back at me, too many questions running in behind his detached expression.

"When are you running back to your goldilocks?" He scoffs, running his index finger through the inside of his collar as soon we are alone in the far corner of the hallway.

"I'm not running back to anyone." My heart caves as he regards me with a cold, unwelcoming look. He still thinks I'm going back to you, Augustus. He doesn't know I've lost you forever.

He runs his hand through his hair and huffs out a rough sigh. "Go home, V."

He turns to leave but I reach around to stand in front of him. "You remember when you said you wanted me to be happy?"

"You're not happy?" He frowns, breathing unevenly, and I can feel how hard he's trying not to reach out to me.

"Turns out Augustus isn't the one who makes me dancing-on-air happy."

His shoulders flex, and I don't miss the way his fingers tighten into fists. He watches me with fake disinterest, and I know it because I've known him for all my life.

"Go back to the one you chose and find your fix." His jaw tightens as he scowls at me. "He's your choice, and he should be your happiness too."

"I'm past my choices, Adri. I'm not running after my choices anymore." I whisper, heart aching. "I know it now that the most beautiful relationships are not built over choices, that love is not a choice."

A deep rumbling wave of emotion passes through his eyes as he takes a step closer to me but doesn't reach out. Then he's back to his cold self, and I see the pain in those green orbs. I can see the longing in his eyes, the same longing that makes my heart go frantic. He's not happy either, but I wonder if I'm the one who can make him happy or is it the blond girl waiting in the parking lot.

He bends towards me, holding my gaze until his hot breath touches my ear. "That's until you don't find Augustus strumming his guitar in some bar downtown."

His intoxicating scent renders me breathless for a few seconds, but his words cut deep wounds in my heart. He will never get over the fact that I shoved him aside for you, Augustus. And you were right. I do need him.

He steps away, giving me soul-deep eye contact then staring at the exit.

"Are you with Chloe Drake?" I ask, following his gaze.

His jaw turns rigid as he pinches the bridge of his nose and heads towards the exit. He doesn't answer my question because he thinks it doesn't concern me.

"You said you want me to be sure about us," I stand at the exit door, hugging my waist and shaking with the impact of unshed tears.

He stops just a few inches away from me. His back heaves due to his uneven breathing. With his back to me, he tilts his head enough for me to see the hurt on his face.

I shout without caring about who can hear me and making sure he does. "I'm sure about us now."

He stays rooted to his place for a long second before taking heavy steps away from me. Then he climbs into the black sedan that waits for him and leaves.

***

Author's Note: I'm breaking the chapter into two parts as it will be a long one. Also, I don't like how cold Adrian is towards Violet, but can you blame him? Let me know in the comments your thoughts about this chapter. Also, don't forget to vote.

Do you miss Augustus as much as I do?