Chapter 24: Yaron

The cell phone vibrated in my pocket. I pulled it out and glanced at the screen.

I saw the name displayed and answered with a stupid grin before stepping out of my room.

“Vee?”

“Yaron? Can you hear me?”

“Yeah, hold on. I need to step outside. It’s Daniel’s birthday, and it’s pretty loud in here.”

I had flown back home to celebrate Daniel’s special day with him and his mom. It was the least I could do after everything he’d done for me—mainly, listening to my complaints about the few times Vee called and my fears that we were drifting apart, even as friends.

I opened the door, and the breeze hit my face.

“That explains the noise. I thought you’d finally given up and decided to enjoy the college experience,” Vee teased.

“Nah, you know me. I’m not a party animal. Still ‘the quiet guy’. Plus, I have a flight to catch tomorrow.”

A strange tightness gripped my stomach. All the feelings I’d kept repressed for so long were bubbling up, taking control. I had missed Vee so much that my body felt sluggish, as if it had lost whatever kept it going.

Four months had passed. The first few weeks had been hell for me. Then, each day got a little easier ... until the next call.

I lost count of how many times I thought about getting on a plane to L.A., leaving everything behind, and following her—wherever she went.

But every time Vee called, full of energy, enthusiasm, and smiles, I realized it would be futile. She was fine. I missed her so much it made me feel sick, but she was ... fine. Chasing her dreams.

“I met someone today. I think he works in the movies.”

I frowned.

“An usher? Does he let you in for free?”

“No, silly. A big shot. He was editing a script. I introduced myself, told him I was an actress, and he said ‘no,’ but he got what I meant. He works in the industry. He’s ‘someone’, Yaron.”

I tried to follow her, but I didn’t understand where she was going. For us, movies had always been an escape from reality—shared moments with made-up endings that fueled our dreams.

But we weren’t kids anymore, and I didn’t understand what Vee could gain from that.

“But you’re not an actress, Vee. That was never your dream.”

“But I could be. I still don’t know what I am. I could be an actress, or a trapeze artist, or a soap opera voice actor.”

“Or a superhero. By day, you serve coffee; by night, you catch bad guys.”

We laughed. That’s what I missed the most. More than her scent, her kisses, her touch—I missed our silly conversations, the ease of not having to second-guess my next words. Our complicity. Without Vee by my side, I overthought everything. My decisions felt tangled, and life seemed unnecessarily complicated.

“That’s it, Yaron. One day, I’ll discover my superpower. In the meantime, I’m still searching.”

“You must look amazing in tights.”

Vee laughed hard. Daniel stepped outside and glanced at me. I mouthed “Vee” to him, and he nodded.

“I’m going to win him over, Yaron.”

I blinked, refocusing on her. On the miles between us. On the fact that, for Vee to fulfill her dreams, I had to bury my own—my dream of being with her again.

I had no doubt Vee would win over that guy from the movies.

“Yaron? You still there?”

“Yeah, I’m still here, Vee. I don’t doubt it. Not for a second.”

“I miss you.”

Why did she have to say that? Didn’t she realize how much it hurt?

“I miss you, too. I wish you were here, but ... you’re not. And it’s hard. Some days, it’s too hard.”

“I know.”

We didn’t say anything else. She didn’t ask me to visit. I didn’t ask when or if she’d be back. We didn’t admit that if four months felt like a burden, six would crush us.

“Look, I have to go back to the party. Good luck with the movie guy, Vee,” I said, ending the call. Then, I went back to Daniel and our friends.