New Beginnings.

33

*I'm going to be introducing smaller sections that are from Cullen's POV.  I hope you all enjoy his perspective and get to know him better as well!*

Cullen's POV

"Tarran," I called out, entering the little house she shared with Millie.

"In the kitchen."

I threw my keys onto the table, sliding my suit jacket off and following her voice. She stood at the stove, stirring something in the pot in front of her.

"How was your day, big brother?

"Tarran." I got out just as I burst into tears. I felt like such a wimp, crying and crying in front of my younger sister. I was heartbroken. I was wholeheartedly in love with every bit of Avery, and everything we had gone through in the last few months had only made me love her more. It was killing me seeing her so torn apart and so distant, but I was working my ass off trying to help her get back to the Avery I knew before, the Avery I fell in love with the first time I met her.

"Oh my God, what's wrong?!" She turned, wrapping her tiny little arms around me.

"Avery broke up with me. She's leaving; she's leaving the country." I sobbed. I was feeling so defeated. Being a career Marine, seeing the things I had seen, and here I was crying into my sister's arms in the kitchen over a girl.

"What? What are you talking about?" She pulled back, looking at me confused.

"She told me tonight that she's leaving to do the study abroad program, and she broke up with me, telling me she wants me to have the life I deserve." I sniffled out, calming myself down. I went to the fridge and grabbed water, chugging it then taking a seat at the table.

"I don't understand. I knew Avery was struggling, but I didn't realize it was this bad."

"I don't know what to do, Tarran. I. . I. . have never felt this way about anyone before. She's hurting; I know that, and she's just pushing me away, but I don't know how to help her, how to stop this." I held my head in my hands.

"Maybe you can't." She whispered. "Maybe, this is a test, and you have to let her go?" She asked, kneeling in front of me.

"Are you serious right now? That's some rom-com bullshit." I spat.

"No, Cullen. That's some real-life bullshit. She needs to figure this out, figure herself out. Maybe she needs to go, find herself, and free herself from all this guilt and shame she's been carrying around. Then, when she comes back, she'll come to you realizing that you two are meant to be together, and if she doesn't, well, then you'll know it's not meant to be." Tarran explained.

"That's not fair; It's not as if I haven't suffered as well. I lost too. She's just running when we should be going through this together."

I hated her thoughts on the matter, but a part of me felt like maybe she was right. I wasn't that much older than Avery, but I had lived a life, traveled, and experienced things. She was just beginning, and with everything that has gone down in her life, that has gone down in just the last year, maybe she needed this time to find herself. I prayed that she would come back to me, though, that this would all lead her back to me.

Avery--One year later, in Italy.

"Hello?" I heard Liam call from the doorway of the house we were sharing with some other students from abroad.

"I'm in the kitchen, Liam," I called out. I was working to prepare a traditional meal for our last dinner together. So far, I was doing well, and I was excited to feed my housemates this evening as we celebrated the end of the semester, the upcoming holidays, and getting ready to head back home.