Prologue
Five years. That was how long it had been since we saw each other.
Not so long ago, we used to talk all the time. Even after he left the country, he made sure we stayed in touch. Technology wasn’t at its peak during these times, but the internet was in its prime. The time difference made things difficult, yet he always found a way to make me feel his presence, even from miles away.
Things were okay, or so I hoped they would have been.
Two years after he left, the emails stopped. I knew it would happen eventually, but I didn’t think it would feel this hollow. Our long-distance friendship lasted two years, and when it faded, it was harder than I expected. Back then, I used to be the kind of person who preferred old friends to new ones.
Time went on, and every day became a little different. As much as I hate to admit it, he was becoming just another person who added fragments of memories to my life but no longer shaped the chapters ahead. He stayed for a while longer, but not for the long run, and that still stung.
I’ve always been sentimental. Losing connections hit me harder than I care to admit.
Life changed, as it always does. I met new people, visited new places, and lived through new chapters. Still, Jake’s memory lingered quietly in the corners of my mind.
He was right about one thing, though. His name was engraved on our friendship necklaces—a solid reminder of what we once had. I made sure to keep mine close, cherishing it as a piece of him, hoping he still wore his too. Maybe it was silly to hold on to a childhood promise, but it mattered to me.
My mom used to tell me that promises are among the most precious things a person can give. I was young then, naïve maybe, but our bond felt unshakable. It still does, sometimes.
Growing up without him was not easy. Having platonic relationships with guys got complicated. Some expected more than just friendship just for being kind. It’s not like I stopped being friends with men altogether, but Jake was different. He was the only one I ever trusted that deeply. Sometimes, I wonder what might have happened if I’d let things turn into something more. But back then, we were just kids. It never crossed my mind.
Still, I can’t help but wonder if I met him later in life, would he have changed too? Would he want something else from me? I hope not, but even then. I wouldn’t be expecting how things would go between us.
Even now, after all this time, he slips into my thoughts. I imagine what life might’ve been like if he’d stayed. Those what-ifs swirl endlessly in my head, a constant hum beneath my daily routines. Maybe he never meant to keep that promise. Maybe I was the only one holding on.
I sighed, letting nostalgia wash over me.
As much as I tell myself to let him go, part of me refuses.
His memory matters. He matters to me.
I closed my eyes and drifted to sleep, fingers curled around the necklace that still bore his name.
