Page 88 of Stuck with You

“Do you really have to go?” Elliot asked. He wasn’t pretending to smile anymore, and his downcast eyes betrayed his sadness.

Jade placed her hands on Elliot’s shoulders. “Clary’s parents are home now, and she wants to be with them.”

“But she wants to be with us too. Don’t you, Clary?” he said.

I pulled my lips into a sad smile as I nodded. “Of course, I do. I’m going to miss you guys so much.”

Elliot ran over to me and threw his arms around my waist in a tight hug. A surprised breath escaped me at the impact, but I hugged him firmly back. I’d never had a brother before, but Elliot had grown to feel like one over the weeks I’d spent here. I was going to miss how excited he got about his gaming, and how he was always trying to annoy his older brother. I was even going to miss his bad attempts at flirting and the silly nickname he’d given me.

When Elliot let go of me, I bent over to pick up my backpack and slung it over my shoulder. It was finally time to go.

“You’re welcome back here whenever you want once restrictions lift,” Jade said. “The house is going to feel so different without you.”

“Thanks,” I mumbled. We had no idea when restrictions would ease though. It could be months before I was allowed back here again. “Okay, well, I better get going.”

I wanted to hug Jade and Elliot again, but I resisted the urge. It was only going to be harder if I dragged this out. Aiden took my hand, and we headed for his truck. I didn’t look over my shoulder as I walked away. It felt too much like I was saying goodbye, when this was supposed to just be see you later.

I leaned my head against the window as we drove away from the house. Jade waved from the front doorstep, and Elliot ran out onto the street to see us off. I hadn’t realized how much the two of them cared about me until this moment. I guess I hadn’t realized how much I’d grown to care for them either.

“This sucks,” I murmured, as Aiden turned the corner, and Elliot disappeared.

Aiden tried but failed to smile. “I know, but it’s just for a short while.”

He was trying to be positive about it all, but there was no way he could know how the pandemic would unfold and what the future held. All we could do was guess. The news said a potential vaccine might not be ready for at least a year. What if we were stuck in lockdown until then? I wasn’t sure I’d survive that long holed up with my parents without seeing Aiden.

I was silent as we drove, only speaking up again once we drew closer to my house. The sky had darkened overhead, signaling an incoming storm. It seemed fitting that my last day with Aiden had been filled with sunshine and the day we were separated was going to be drenched with rain.

I slowly turned to him, struggling to keep the tears from my eyes. “What if it’s not just a short while?” I said. “What if this goes for months?”

His lips curved up with that beautiful smile of his, and he reached out to brush a stray tear from my cheek. “Then this goes for months,” he said. “And we take it one day at a time. We might have to keep our distance, but we can still make each other smile every day. And we’ll keep doing that over and over until we can finally be together again.”

He slowly leaned in to kiss me, and my heart clenched as his lips brushed against mine. The kiss was beautiful but also filled with sadness. A sense of longing rose deep inside my chest, and I couldn’t understand how I could miss someone so much before they were even gone. But that was what I felt right now. I was already pining for the boy whose face I held in my hands.

“I should probably get inside,” I murmured against his lips. The words hurt, but I needed to say them. I needed to leave him now before it became too impossible to open the door of the truck and get out.

He looked me in the eyes, his gaze as pained as mine. It felt a little like looking in a mirror, which made this all so much harder. I was the one to break our gaze, no longer able to handle seeing him so sad.

He cleared his throat. “I’ll grab your bags.”

As we climbed out of the truck, it felt like we’d already said our final goodbye. I somehow managed to clamp down my emotions, tucking them deep inside me to be dealt with later. As I walked toward the house, I felt slightly numb.

My parents opened the front door as we approached, and I knew this was it. It was a bittersweet moment, because as I gave Aiden one last hug goodbye, I knew I’d now get to hug my parents for the first time in weeks.

“Keep out of trouble,” I murmured to Aiden before I allowed my arms to drop to my side. His eyes were still filled with sadness, but he managed to summon a smile for me, as I stepped away.

I turned to my parents. My heart was aching for the loss of Aiden’s touch, but it was also warming at the sight of my mom and dad waiting on the doorstep for me. “Can I hug you guys now?”

The two of them didn’t hold back as they rushed from the doorstep toward me, gathering me in their arms and pulling me into a big family hug. They smelled just as I remembered them. Dad must have been tinkering in the shed because I caught the distinct odor of grease on him while mom’s perfume surrounded me, making me truly feel like I was home.

I forgot all about the pandemic and I forgot about saying goodbye to Aiden. I allowed the warmth and love of my parents to wash over me, as we were finally reunited. We clung to each other tightly before I eventually pulled away.

“It’s so good to have you back, kiddo,” Dad said.

“We’ve missed this so much,” Mom added.

I smiled up at them and nodded. “I’ve missed you guys too.” It wasn’t until now that their return felt real.

“I should probably get going,” Aiden said.

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