Three months later...

Kinsley

I'm late with the burger-and-milkshake tradition Jessa and I had. But I decided it would be best for me to do something else that could ensure starting my semester off with a bang. Rather than sitting in a pub alone, I took my grandparents out for a nice dinner at a local restaurant here in Calgary. Before our food arrived, we made a toast to everyone. Mom, Dad, Jessa, Aaron, and Mads. I figured it would be better to remember them together as opposed to being alone. Since then, I've been too busy balancing classes with my new job to sit down and enjoy the burger, fries, and strawberry milkshake we always used to get.

Which is why I'm continuing the tradition tonight, here on campus with Cole. Though he wasn't the other person in the accident, he knows the story, from both perspectives, inside-out. Suffice to say, he's been a great friend throughout everything that's happened. Sometimes, I don't know what I'd do without him.

Anyway, tonight is one of the first nights I've been off and have had little to no homework to do. Why not complete two events (the tradition and getting together with my friend) at once?

As I walk down the familiar sidewalk, wearing jeans and a warm jacket, I find myself reminiscing. It's hard to believe that it was just last year I was walking down this same sidewalk, trying to find a place to eat and mourn all alone. It's hard to believe how much everything has changed. How much I've changed.

I've made a fair number of friends this term. I've also been working on my knee, hoping that one day I'll be able to sprint again. I have a job, I'm using my vehicle.

I'm living.

But if there's one thing that hasn't changed, it's how much I miss Noel. Yes, we've kept in touch over the past few months, but I'd be lying if I said it didn't hurt when he told me he was dropping out of university and heading to Nashville to pursue a career in music. However, while I was sad I wouldn't be able to see him very often, I was still happy for him. As I've said multiple times before, he has a talent that needs nursing. One day, he's going to make a great country singer.

Pushing the door to the pub open, I head to the back of the building, searching for Cole. It takes me a minute to find him thanks to the heavy crowd here tonight, but I eventually do. He's sitting at a booth near the pool tables. On the way to the table, I run into a few of my classmates and politely say hello. I will admit, it was hard to be social at first when considering how long I avoided creating relationships, but once I got used to it, I began to enjoy it more and more. I like having people to study with, hang out with, and laugh with. I like that I don't feel like a total loner anymore.

"Hello, love," Cole says as I sit down across from him.

I hang my bag off of my knee and shoot a smile at him. "Hey, how's it going?"

"The bee's knees," he replies.

His response earns a chuckle. Cole's a little strange, but I love him.

"How about you?" he asks. "Haven't seen you for a couple of weeks."

"I'm good," I reply. "November's been a busy, busy month, so I'm happy I have time to spend this weekend."

"Bloody hell," he groans. "I know what you mean, love. Mid-terms are a waste of time. I hate all this studying. I've barely had time to watch hockey or read a book. Let alone spend quality time with Willow and Daisy."

"Me too," I reply.

Just then, one of the waitresses walks up to our booth and asks if I'd like anything to drink. I tell her I'd love a strawberry milkshake. Cole, who wrinkles his nose when I say 'strawberry,' orders a vanilla milkshake.

After the waitress is gone, I ask, "What? Not a fan of strawberry?"

He shakes his head. "Bloody disgusting if you ask me. Anything that's strawberry-flavoured has a chemical taste to it. Not a fan."

I shrug. I certainly don't taste any chemicals when I drink strawberry milkshakes, but if that's his opinion, then so be it.

"So," I say. "Have you heard anything from Noel?"

After our parting of ways this past summer, Noel and I have been keeping in touch on a daily basis. I even saw him one more time, after he was finished the program and before he packed up and left for Nashville. We decided to stabilize our lives a little more. Noel wants to test out the country music industry. I want to finish my education. Putting ourselves first isn't selfish.

"Yeah," Cole replies. "I talked to him yesterday, and you will never guess what happened."

"What?" I ask.

Cole eyes me carefully and then smiles. "Noel, the bastard, managed to sign a record label deal in Nashville."

My eyes widen. "Oh my God!" I exclaim. "No way!"

Looking just as excited as I am, Cole nods. "He called me after the meeting was over. Mate's going to go places, Kinsley."

I lean back against the padding of the booth, feeling overjoyed. Out of anyone, Noel deserved to gain something, to fulfil his dream of becoming a country star the most. I'm happy for him. But, even through the happiness, I feel a pinch of disappointment. I wish Cole and I could celebrate with him, congratulate him in person. That's the one downside of Noel moving to Nashville: how much I miss him.

The last time Noel and I saw each other, we decided it would be best to stay friends for now. Neither of us believed a long-distance relationship would work, and I also didn't want to hold him back from achieving his dream career. So we parted ways, but have continuously stayed in touch.

Suddenly, a wad of paper hits the side of my face. I blink and look down at the sticky tabletop, and then up at Cole. His vanilla milkshake is now in front of him, the pink straw already in it. I look down again and see the wrapping of his straw in front of me.

"You threw that at me?" I ask in disbelief.

He grins. "Where's that head of yours, Kinsley?"

I shrug. "I'm just thinking about Noel. About how much I miss him."

Cole's look turns sympathetic. "I miss him, too, love. But I'm sure he'll be back for a visit soon. He owes us one."

I nod in agreement. Three months is too long. Our last meeting was too short, so I don't count it. "What if we went on a road trip to Nashville?" I ask Cole after a sip of my milkshake.

He looks at me like I'm crazy. "Love, that's insane. Thirty-one hours of driving. And that's without making stops."

"Maybe," I grin. "But it would be fun, right?"

Cole looks at me. "Counter offer: We fly down there instead. First of all, we'd save money in the long run because we wouldn't have to pay for gas. Secondly, we could get Noel to drive us around wherever we wanted."

I laugh. "Okay, your idea is much better."

He winks at me. "Of course it is." After another sip of his milkshake, he stands up. "I'm going to run to the loo before we eat. If the waitress comes along, do me a favour and order me one of their delicious burgers and chips, please?"

"For sure," I reply. "And, just to let you know, they're called fries here in Canada. Not chips."

His grin broadens. "Whatever you say, love," he replies over his shoulder as he walks away, disappearing into the crowd.

Tonight, the pub is loud and busy. Every pool table is full, every table is occupied, and waitresses and waiters keep walking in and out of the kitchen with plates of food and used plates that need cleaning. And, just like when I was walking down the sidewalk, I get a sense of déjà vu, unable to process how much everything has changed since last year.

While Cole's off, probably waiting in line for the bathroom, the waitress stops by. I ask for two orders of the burger-and-fries dish, along with a glass of water. I love milkshakes, but sometimes the sweetness is too much for me and I need something to cut it with.

Soon, three minutes turns into five minutes, then five minutes turns into ten minutes. I begin to wonder what's taking Cole so long. Surely, someone wouldn't spend that much time in a bathroom. My guess is he's run into someone he knows and has gotten lost in a conversation.

Again, I lean back against the padding. I pull out my phone and send off a quick text to my grandma and grandpa, telling them the good news about Noel. They haven't had a chance to meet him yet, but with everything that's gone on and the things I've told them, I'm sure they'll be happy to hear the news.

It's not shocking that Noel's gotten this far already. With his ability to play the guitar and the way his voice sounds, I knew it was only a matter of time before someone noticed his talent. It makes me feel better about our decision to stay friends.

Just after the food arrives and I've picked through some of my fries, Cole finally sits down across from me. "Jeez," I say, not bothering to look up. "I was beginning to worry that you'd run out of toilet paper or something." My cheeks instantly heat up. It's a corny, stupid joke, but I'm not very good with jokes, so...yeah...

"Come on, Kinsley. We both know Cole probably carries his own roll of toilet paper. He's too bloody polite."

The world around me stills. I know that fake British accent. I know that teasing tone.

My head snaps up, mouth gaping open and eyes wide. My heart thumps rapidly against my chest as I take him in. It's been a while since I've seen him, but there's no misidentifying those deep brown eyes and dark blond hair, the dimples in his cheeks or the confident smirk.

I instantly want to cry. Cry because I'm so happy to see him.

"H-hey, Noel," I stutter.

The grin on his face doesn't falter as he says, "Hey, Kinsley."

Every nerve in my body suddenly feels like it's going to start fraying at the ends. It's been so long since I've heard him say my name like that. Kindly and respectfully, but also teasingly and challenging.

I stare at him for a long time, unable to believe that he's here, sitting across from me. I stare at him so long I'm worried I might be creeping him out. I shake my head.

"I'm sorry," I say, embarrassed. "It's just... wow."

He laughs. "I've missed you, too. Nashville's been great, but I felt like I owed you and Cole a visit."

His familiar line is what makes me clue in. My mouth drops open again and I toss a piece of fried potato at Noel. It whacks him in the cheek, leaving a streak of ketchup across his skin.

"Both of you are bastards!" I exclaim, my eyes welling with tears. "You had this all planned, didn't you?" I look out at the crowd around the pool tables and see Cole mingling with some of his friends from class, playing a round of pool. As if he can feel his eyes on me, he looks up and gives me a small wave. I wave back, hoping he can see the look in my eyes that's trying to tell him he's in for it later. "That's why he disappeared for so long. He was waiting for you. You guys set this up."

Noel wipes away the ketchup with the back of his hand. "Guilty," he replies, his smile only causing his dimples to become more defined than usual. He shakes his head at me. "You're a smart girl, Kinsley Hastings."

I tuck a strand of hair behind my ear, still stuck in disbelief. "W-what are you doing here? Cole told me you signed a record label deal. I thought you'd still be in Nashville."

He reaches out and picks at the plate in front of him, popping a fry into his mouth. "Yes," he replies after he's chewed and swallowed. "I did. I achieved the goal I've always wanted, gotten my dream career." He pauses and looks at me. "But even though I was happy about that, I felt like there was something missing."

A breath lodges itself in my throat, making it hard for me to breathe.

He runs a hand through his hair. "See, someone was missing from that picture." His brown eyes meet mine, rich with emotion. "Writing, singing, and performing makes me happy, but it's like the day you came to see me at the facility this past summer. While I was beginning to feel like myself, I didn't have a complete hold on that; I was happy, but not completely happy."

A tear slips down my cheek and I hope and pray I'm correct about where he's going with this conversation.

Noel reaches out and takes my hand, lacing his fingers with mine. A buzz shoots through me and I suppress a shudder. "The day I left for Nashville, I made a promise to myself. If I couldn't go a day without thinking about you, I would come back. And, Kinsley, I haven't gone a day without thinking about you."

My hand involuntarily tightens around his.

"The truth is, I believe we were meant to meet each other, meant to be in each other's lives. And I don't want to wait any longer. I learned my lesson when I waited too long to deal with my problems. I don't want any other man to have you. I want you. I want you because I still love you."

"But... but what about your music?" I ask.

He smiles at me. "See, the best thing about Nashville is that you never know what to expect. As it turns out, the record label I signed to is, in fact, a Canadian-based company. I'm here to stay." He pauses and eyes me carefully. "Are you okay with that?"

I'm rendered speechless, yet I still find myself nodding. It's ridiculous, considering everything he just said, but it's all I can do. I never expected Noel to show up here and basically tell me he came back for me, that he still loves me.

More tears spill down my cheeks. Tears of happiness, that is.

Quickly wiping away my tears with the back of my hand, I nod my head again. How could he possibly think I'm not okay with this? From the moment he found himself, was fully healed, I've wanted nothing more than to test out a relationship with him again. If only he knew how much I wanted him when he said he was leaving for Nashville.

"I'm okay with it," I whisper, smiling at him. "More than okay. I've... I've missed you so much, Noel. You have no idea."

He smiles again and squeezes my hand. "Good," he replies. "Because there's something I need to ask you."

"What?" I ask.

In the blink of an eye, that same old grin is back on his face. "Would you like to go on a date with me?"

And in this moment, I can't stop myself from laughing. After everything we've been through together, a date feels primitive, almost like a step backwards rather than forwards.

But, maybe that's just what we need.

A moment to ourselves.

A step back to feel normal again, to not forget but also to not mourn our past connection.

Because if there's one thing I've learned, it's that one moment has the ability to change the course of your entire life.

Smiling through the tears, I nod my head. "Yes," I laugh. "Of course I'll go on a date with you."

This time, his smile reaches his eyes. And, just by looking at his face, I see the promise of something good.

Of the life we both deserve.