She invited him to visit every phone call; every letter; every time she chanced seeing him on holiday. Never once did she fail to mention how much she missed him and how much he meant to her. Her affection did, if anything seem to grow with the passage of time. High school had passed and before either knew it College was long gone.

She had moved away from home, onwards to bigger and better things and though he stayed at home he couldn’t say his own life wasn’t filled with adventure.

And yet it always came back to her, hadn’t it always? When he finally kissed her, he didn’t call for two weeks after, not sure how to deal with everything he felt in that kiss. She had been surprisingly understanding at his immaturity, taking it all into stride. If she was hurt that he never brought it up again, it didn’t show.

He had watched her leave for Graduate school and yet found it impossible to say the words that rested at the tip of his tongue. And though he promised to keep in touch, he started slowly backing away.