The LDR (Long Distance Relationship)
Written by: DarkRa7or

I know bby. 12:08
I miss you too. 12:08

I can't believe we finally gonna be together! 12:08
Can't wait to hold you in my arms. 12:09

You promise? 12:11
Is this finally happening, are we really going to meet? 12:11

Believe it my love. 12:11
It's finally happening, I'm gonna hold you in my arms forever MillyChan. 12:11

My love...12:12

Yes love? 12:12

I love you. 12:13

I love you too lol. 12:13
Milly? 12:17
Love? 12: 17
Bby, you busy? 12: 20
Okay well chat later. 12: 25
Bby? 13:30
Milly? 13: 30
Millychan? 15:00
I miss you, please tell me you okay? 20:00

I can't breathe without you...21:00

The messages on Cole's WhatsApp were followed by an array of missed calls and texts sent from him to her. 12h13! That was the last time Milly had texted back. Monday afternoon, the 14th October. 12h13! His heart sank as he looked down at the screen. It was too bright and hurt his eyes in the aircrafts dim lighting, but he still stared. Broken, hurt, scared.

He was on the red eye. It was nearly two in the morning. He had taken a flight from South Africa Johannesburg to Hong Kong and now was taking the connecting flight to Bali. He had called Milly before he got on the flight, but had only, gotten one tick just like the previous times. He would call again when the flight landed in Bali. What made his heart jump to his throat was that on the 14th, the day Milly had stopped texting back, all of his messages to her on WhatsApp were blue ticked!

Which means Milly, or someone who had had her phone, had read his texts but had not replied. After his first missed call at 19h00, the phone had been switched off. Cole remembered that night, he panicked and had to tell himself to calm down. He had strewn things all around the house packing and going insane trying to get a hold of Milly. It was only his sister who calmed him down and told him he needed a plan. And now, so here he was, on his way to her hometown to find her.

"Cole, if you love me, then why can't you just delete and block her?"

He remembered their first fight. It was about his ex. Cole had fallen in love with Taylor before he met Milly she was so different from Milly. Whereas Milly was quiet, sweet, caring and kind. Taylor was bold, daring and adventurous. But Taylor was cheating on Cole from day one. She even sexted other guys while chatting to him. The last time they had fought, he heard the texts coming through as they voicenoted back and forth over WhatsApp.

"Hold on a minute, I just need to undress." She said in a voice note to him on WhatsApp. His heart sank.

"I can hear them send you messages over the voicenote. And you say you love me while you sexting them and talking to me at the same time. You disgust me!" Said Cole angrily.

Cole blocked Taylor from everything. But she was his first love. Milly was a girl he met over snap, and they had become best friends. Cole had told her everything about Taylor, and feelings started to grow. But he just couldn't get over Taylor. One day, he put Taylor's picture up, blocking Milly from seeing his snapstory. But it had backfired, for some reason the story could be seen by everybody. Milly was enraged.

"If you really love me, why would you put her up, Cole?" She had sent him a hurt text. She didn't want to speak to him the whole night and day. And that's when he realized he really loved her. Going to bed without calling or texting her was hell.

"Milly if you can only see what you mean to me. " He murmured to the night. His heart ached and burned how could he feel this way about someone he never met? Why did this bed feel so painful it felt like he was sleeping on nails? Why did the air seem so thin, that he felt as though he couldn't breathe? Would she ever talk to him again?

After 100 messages and texts and missed calls. Milly had forgiven him. Her heart was like that. Pure, sweet, good, kind, forgiving.

"I want to stay by your side forever, Cole. Don't ever leave me."

He walked through the airport and got into a cab heading for Lombok. He tried Milly again. Nothing. No dial tone. He couldn't shake off the feeling that something bad had happened. You see Milly was married. Yes! He fell in love with a married woman who had a husband. And also a son.

But she was his journal, his diary.

She was his muse, his everything, he told everything to her. The night before she disappeared, they were going to run away together. Take Milly's three year old boy, Wyith and run.

You see Milly, got married out of obligation, not love.

Her husband, James didn't have time for her, and what little she saw of him was when he was drunk and abusive physically and verbally towards her.

James had beaten Milly and their son on several occasions, Cole had urged her to go to the cops, but Milly had always backed out at the last minute. That's why she finally planned to run away, to be with Cole, to be away from the life she had, to start sometime, new and perfect and beautiful. Wyith was the only reason Milly kept going, she called him her little heart.

But right before they could be together, Milly disappeared. Cole squeezed his phone in his hand in anger. If anything happened to her, if anything at all....

He was walking down the hot road of Lombok now. If he wasn't so anxious and if fear didn't fill his heart, he would have loved the beauty of it. The sky was a serene blue, if a writer saw it, he would probably say if your feet left the ground, you could dive head long into it, as if it was nothing more than a vast ocean. He noticed pumpkins and bats decoring the front porch on some of the houses, he didn't know part of Indonesia celebrated Halloween. He thought of home of the kids getting ready to go trick or treating, teenagers finding last minute dress ups for costume parties or adults annoyed at the prospect of ringing doorbells for most of the night. He was planning on showing Milly and Wyith the most amazing spooky holiday someone could ever have.

But nothing gave Cole comfort anymore, he had finally reached the address of Milly's home. A beautiful double story house in the countryside, it had a large garden with a path in the middle dividing it. A black metal gate and fence encased it. Here and there was a dangling skull or witches cauldron, there was some poor attempt at making the house for the dark holiday.

Cole breathed out, then pushed the gate forward and began to walk towards the front door, nervous at what he might find inside, an angry husband looking for a fight...an empty house.But his longing and anxiety drove him forward. Even an angry Milly, pissed off that had he had shown up without warning, would be of some comfort for now.

He knocked the two glass door, but there was no answer. A plastic fanged bat hung by a string leered at him from above.

He rapped gently with his knuckles again, wondering if he had the right address.

Still nothing.

Driven only by his desire to find out if Milly was ok, he put his hand on the brass doorknob, and turned it.

The door opened, and Cole pushed it open gently, feeling like a burglar.

He stepped inside and called out.

"Hello?"

"Milly?"

It was quite!

He looked around the dark room there was a hall and to the right an open frame that led to the kitchen.

At the table sat Milly. His heart rose in his chest, she was as beautiful as in her pictures, light skinned, pink lips, tired but beautiful eyes. And the cutest nose he had ever seen.

She was looking down at the table, not acknowledging or noticing him. Her white gown looked at though she hadn't had a bath, despite it almost being evening.

"Milly?" Cole said again, feeling very aware of his intrusion now despite his heart beating so fast, it felt as though it might burst.

He wanted to rush over and hug her, but the atmosphere was cold he felt as though he didn't belong.

She looked up at him, and he immediately noticed what was wrong. She had a blue eye and bloody lip.

He rushed by her side, all manners forgotten.

"Cole?" She said in shock and relief. "Oh Cole!"

He held her head to his chest. She smelt like roses and vanilla.

He kissed her forehead.

"Baby, what happened?"

"Did he do this to you?"

Tears flooded her eyes. "Cole, he took him, he took Wyith."

Cole felt rage consume him.

"Where is he love? Where is your husband?"

But Milly just shook her head. He held her tight pulling her closer.

"It's okay, il get Wyith back love. I promise."

Milly smiled at that, and Cole almost melted. She was broken, she was beaten, but she was still his Milly.

The sun was setting fast, and they spent the evening laughing and talking, as though they had done this for years.

Cole still had some takeout in his bag, and he made it hot for the both of them, sweet and sour chicken. Milly loved it, teasing that hers was way better than it.

They laughed and teased each other, Cole really wanted to bring up the subject of her son and husband again, but every time he tried, he watched her eyes fill with tears, and she said nothing.

It would be better to talk about it the morning he thought.

After dinner, she escorted him upstairs to a room. He couldn't help noticing the way her white night gown clung onto her sexy frame. But he knew there was no hope of even a kiss when her mind was sick with worry about her son.

When she had led him to his room, he said goodnight, but she had already turned and was walking down the dark hall.

He threw his backpack on the bed and fell on it.

Here it was.

Everything he ever wanted, just not the way he wanted it.

His heart ached. He longed to hold her, to kiss her, to tell her he loved her.

Why was love so unfair to him? Keep your money, your success, your ruthless ambition.

Love mattered to him the most. To hold Milly and tell her she was his everything, his princess, his reason for breathing, his blood, his family.

He did't know when, but his thoughts had turned into fantasy, and then his fantasies to dreams.

He woke up, his legs still on the ground.
H

is torso and upper body stiffly splayed out on the bed, beside his backpack.

He sat up, his watch showed that it was nearly 02h00 in the morning. He groaned, he needed to use the bathroom, he hadn't gone since the airport.

He crept as quietly as he could to the door he pulled it open gently and looked out. The hallway was empty and dark as ever.

He made his way down the hall. Milly's door was slightly open. And light spilled out.

He crept passed and tried not to peer inside. He went to the bathroom and made his way slowly back to the bedroom.

As he passed Milly's room again, he heard a whimpering, she was crying.

He knocked gently without looking in.

"Milly?"

The crying continued, so he pushed the door open wider and went in.

There she was still in her white gown, beautiful, radiant as ever. Oh, what he wouldn't do to kiss her right now.

Her eyes were puffy, and tears streamed down her cheeks. But she was even more beautiful when she cried.

He went over and put an arm around her.

This time, though, she put her hand on his chest and kissed him passionately.

His eyes went wide with surprise, but he continued to kiss her back. Her lips were soft, and her kisses made his heart rise in his throat.

He held her tight in his arms. This was everything he had ever dreamed of.

They made love, and somewhere between passion and kisses, they fell asleep.

Cole had no dreams it was the first good rest he had since she went missing. When he finally woke, he knew he was smiling before his eyes opened.

His hand felt for her, but she was gone.

Just empty sheets.

He looked around, and she was nowhere to be found. Sun poured through the window, bringing light into the otherwise dark room.

He woke up hoping to go downstairs but paused as he heard voices.

An argument.

A man's voice.

Her husband! He dressed quickly, he wasn't going to allow her to be hurt again, but as his hand merely grazed the doorknob, he heard something shatter the silence.

A gunshot!

He flung the door open and raced down the stairs. But there was nothing, everything still and quiet as the night before. Nothing had stirred or moved.

"Milly!" He screamed.

Nothing. Only silence greeted him.

He walked the halls and peered in the rooms lit by dim light. He called her name.

Still nothing.

He was about to go upstairs when he heard a whimpering. He found a door by the kitchen he had not noticed in his search nor had he seen the night before.

He opened it and went in, it was stairs that led to a basement. Seeing a light above his head, he pulled the cord, and light flooded the room.

All sorts of junk lined the walls, shelves and an old washing machine, a soccer ball, laundry basket, and some golf clubs.

There were cupboards to the right of him, he opened them one by one, looking for the source of the soft cries.

And there he was.

Wyith. Cole had only seen him through video calls, but he was the spitting image of his mom, beautiful eyes, dark tired but beautiful eyes.

The boy was crying, but soon as he saw Cole, he flung his small arms around his neck.

Cole picked him up and held him tight. Wyith, where's your mom.

Wyith didn't say anything he didn't understand english that well yet, being only three.

He pointed upstairs and Cole carried him back up the stairs.

He pulled the light off in the basement and closed the door and turned to go out the front door.

And there was Milly.

Perfect in her white gown, the woman he had made love to the night before, she smiled at him. But Cole sensed there was something wrong.

He looked behind, to the kitchen table, at a plate of chicken wings that she had ate last night, and that was still there. Not one of them was touched. Cole was in shock.

He had seen her eat the whole lot last night.

Was he mistaken? Did she go out and get some more in the morning?

He looked at her beautiful features, but she was no longer smiling.

Blood started to form and flow from the center of her chest. She looked at Cole in what was unmistakable anger.

He couldn't see her feet anymore, and fear gripped him.

"Milly?" He started...

"Nooooooo!!!!! She screamed her hair wild, as she rushed towards him.

He closed his eyes and held Wyith tight as he felt a rush of wind go through him.

When he turned around, Milly's husband was wrestling with her a shot gun in his hand. Blood trickled down his face, from where a large axe protruded from his skull. There was no way he was still alive, his eyes glared with anger. He meant to do both Cole and the boy harm.

The ghost of Millly wrestled with him.

And Cole ran for the front door, he heard a gunshot and he dived out onto the grass outside.

Wyith still safely in his arms, tears in his eyes.

"Are you okay?"

Cole jumped at the old voice.

He looked up and saw a kind face peering down at him.

The old man looked around and noticed the boy in his arms. Realization dawned on his face.

"The boy how - how did you find him?"

Ten minutes later, Cole was sitting in the neighbors kitchen as they waited for the police to show up.

Wyith had some skull cookies and milk infront of him and was wolfing it down as though he hadn't eaten in weeks. Which maybe the case thought Cole glumly.

"Almost two weeks ago, I heard a loud fight and bang. So I called the cops."

Milly and James were fighting, according to the police, it seemed James found out about you and Milly's affair.

He came home in a drunk state and intended to kill Milly and maybe even the boy.

James was about to shoot Milly. When she drove an axe through his head, she stayed alive long enough to tell the cops what happened but then died. The cops searched for the boy, but he was nowhere to be found.

Cole held himself together.

He watched Wyith eat.

"This boy does not have any family." Said the old man. "You may have come looking for someone who loved you. But you can still leave with someone you can show love to."

Cole heard the cops pull up outside, an ambulance came by as well, hoping to check if the boys' health was okay.

He walked out with the boy and thanked the old man.

"Milly was a good girl. She just had an unfortunate life."

Cole's heart sank a little at those words. He would have given her everything, he would have made her smile.

"I wish I had gotten here sooner." He said quietly.

The old man smiled at him, "I can see why she liked you. While it's true, she did have things difficult. She found solace and hope in this little one."

Cole looked down at Wyith, who smiled back at him with his mom's eyes. He held Cole's hand as they made their way towards the ambulance. "She always loved and protected him." Continued the old man.

Cole looked up at Millys house, someone was smiling and staring at him, from the window where just a few hours ago, he was kissing Milly. He smiled back.

"She still does." He said quietly.

It was the 31st of October, almost two weeks since Milly last texted him. The pain inside reared it's head at the thought. But he looked down at the small cute boy beside him. He would take care of Wyith now he would have just a little bit of Milly still with him. He may have come for her, but she made sure that he would leave with her little heart.