Page 158 of The Design of Goodbye
I did. He moved my hair aside, his fingers brushing the back of my neck as he clasped a necklace around my neck. It wasn’t a typical necklace. While this one had a standard gold chain, a puzzle piece was in the place of a pendant.
Not any puzzle piece.Thepuzzle piece.Ourpuzzle piece.
“I found it when I was cleaning out my room,” he explained. “I wanted you to have it, so you’ll remember how beautiful you are and that youaregood enough.”
I turned back around. “I love it. I’ll never take it off.”
“You sure about that?” he asked. “It won’t match most of your outfits.”
I grasped the puzzle piece. “I don’t care.”
He caressed the side of my face with his uninjured hand, and I leaned into his palm. His shaky breath washed against my skin before he kissed my forehead.
“I have something for you, too,” I said, barely able to get the words out.
“Yeah?”
I handed him the folded piece of linen I’d kept in my coat pocket since yesterday. “It’s not much,” I said as he unfolded the cloth. “I wanted you to have something that would remind you how strong you are.”
His fingers hovered over the two blue jays I’d embroidered at Taylor’s yesterday. “It’s perfect.”
“Well,” I said, pointing to one of the birds, “it’s really not. His beak is...”
He gently nudged my hand away. “It’sperfect.”
He folded the gift and put it in an interior pocket of his jacket. Then he ran his finger across my forehead, down my nose, over my lips, like I was his canvas and he was memorizing me.
I’d always believed being left behind was the hardest. But while watching Liam, I realized, sometimes being the one to leave was harder. I got to stay here, go to my school, hang out with Taylor, walk my familiar streets.
Liam wouldn’t have any of that familiarity.
He’d live in a place he’d yet to call home with someone he didn’t really know. He’d attend a school where he knew no one. He’d sit with a stranger and confront demons he’d fought hard to forget.
“You’ll be okay.” I looped a finger through his pocket of his jeans and pulled him closer. “Remember,” I said, “I’ll be here when you come back. I promise.”
Sometimes, he needed a promise as much as I did.
“I remember,” he said softly.
And then, for the last time, he kissed me. The kiss was tender and filled with an aching sadness neither of us could hide. Even in all its sadness, it was the perfect goodbye.
When we finally pulled away, he spoke words that mended my broken heart. “Don’t focus on our goodbye.” With the pad of his thumb, he wiped away my tears. “Focus on when we’ll see each other again.”
With his words, I made a promise to myself.While he was gone, I wouldn’t succumb to our goodbye; instead, I’d anticipate our hello.
chapter fifty-nine
A day passed. Then two.
By the third day, the rumors that had filtered throughout East Reed High since the beginning of the year stopped because everyone knew:
Liam wasn’t coming back.
As soon as the news spread, Jules apologized to me. It was quite the apology, too—full of tears, incessant pleading, and broken promises. In a moment of vulnerability, I considered accepting it. The prospect of life going back to normal was tempting, but I couldn’t forget everything she’d done to me. As I watched her crying for my forgiveness, I thought of Taylor and was reminded what real friendship was. I realized then Jules would never change, and I walked away. Jules and I would never talk again, and I was okay with that.
* * *
A week passed. Then two.
