Disclaimer: I do not own the Harvest Moon series or any of the characters mentioned in this story. All original characters and lines belong to Natsume Games and other affiliated parties. This story is purely for entertainment purposes and not to be sold anywhere.

This is a work of fiction, any similarity or likeness to any events or persons living or dead is purely coincidental.

Voice4TheMute Presents

Cam.

"Hey Laney…"

Oh Goddess what is he doing here?

"Hey…" I responded back.

Laney. Keep it together. Yes, this is bad and truthfully, you're not prepared for this, but now is not the time to confront him.

"H-How are you?" I heard his voice waver a bit. He sounds…hurt. He's hurting. Maybe it's because he realized his mistake? Can this be it? Is he taking me back?!

Laney please! Go home. Jessica's and back. That's what we promised Dad, remember? I know you haven't seen him in a week and three days but now isn't the time to see or talk to him.

"I'm…doing better." I said, suppressing the fury of emotions I was feeling right now. Happiness that Cam is here and he hasn't abandoned me or the town. Anger that Cam left without telling anyone. Confusion of why he's even here right now after all this time. But most of all…sadness. It's been a week and three days since I saw Cam and we were having this conversation in the middle of town, not somewhere more private like the café or our rooms. Not only that, but the uncomfortable distance that is separating us. I fully acknowledge that we broke up but to have it stare at me in the face like this…it is taking every ounce of willpower not to rush to him, wrap my arms around his body, and beg for him to take me back.

But…I'm an adult now. I…must handle these things like an adult so…I'll stand here, holding the lost love in my heart and show to Cam that I can hold a civil conversation with him. My…ex-boyfriend.

Laney, I know you want to prove to Cam and to yourself that you can handle things like this like an adult but you're not in the right state of mind to deal with it. For Goddess sake, it's only been a week and three days! You shouldn't feel like you need to suppress your feelings when you see him. You should feel like you can talk to him without dread, confusion, and most importantly, grief in your heart. It means you're not ready to have this talk with him…not yet. You're just setting yourself up for disaster by engaging him in conversation. Turn around and get home!

"G-Good…that's…good." I heard Cam say to me as he reached up and scratched the back of his head. "I'm…just here to gather my things."

"What?"

My question immediately froze Cam in place. I watched his arms move so that they were now crossing his chest.

"I'm getting my stuff out of the café, Laney. I don't think it'll be good if we-"

It happened again.

I stared at Cam in disbelief as his mouth was moving but I heard nothing. As if my ears shut itself off, trying to protect me from any more verbal damage he was doing to my soul. I heard was ringing in my ears as the only thing I could hear was my own thoughts.

Cam's…moving away…?

Laney…run.

I felt myself starting to back away from him.

No…not back to the café. That's where he's going. Just…run.

Where?

Anywhere but here and the café.

I saw Cam start to reach for me, probably just gesturing if I'm ok. If he really knew me…he should know by now how I'm feeling.

RUN!

And I obeyed. I started running right past him, my hand covered my mouth as I started to feel my emotions starting to take over once again. Pain filled my heart as I ran, tears that I wanted to shed in front of him now having their time to come out.

"We can still be friends…right?"

"O-Of course we can. We're still friends. You're my best friend, Laney"

We're suppose to be best friends…was that just a lie? A lie to keep me happy? Why is he going away?! We…we can live under the same roof without any problems…right? But even I knew that wasn't possible. So I kept running, hoping that I could just separate myself from the town and the life that I have established for myself. I wanted nothing more than to just…get away from it all.

To run away.

Start a new life.

It was then I realized…I don't know where I was going. I slowed my pace down as I looked at my surroundings. The path was still slightly familiar but everything around me seemed different. I haven't been this far from Bluebell in a long time. In fact…I don't even remember if I've been anywhere else outside of Bluebell or Konohana. Cam clearly has the ability and familiarity to go out of Bluebell and go into the city with no problems…I don't think I have the courage or the skill to survive a day outside our two towns. It was then I started to feel…trapped. I fell to my knees, burying my head into my hands as tears still fell from my eyes…but not out of sorrow. These were tears of self-pity.

I'm stuck here…in Bluebell. I can never really leave. I don't have the smarts to go into the city and just…live. I'm a country girl. I don't even know where to start…where to look. Who's friendly and who's there looking to take advantage of a blonde-haired opportunity. I'm doomed to stay here in Bluebell…forever.

"Laney?"

I lifted my head out of my tear-soaked hands to see a familiar figure on a horse, wagon in tow. "What are you doing way out here? Going to the city or something?"

Lillian.

It's Lillian.

"If you want, I can give you a lift rather than your unorthodox way of knee travail to- whoa Laney! Don't cry! I was just messing around!" I saw Lillian dismount and wrapped an arm around me. She didn't say anything as I saw her look at me, analyzing why I was in such a miserable shape. Her eyes widen but then relaxed as I felt her hug tighten around me. "Let me guess…Cam?"

Harvest 121: Starting Over Again

"Milk tea."

"Milk tea?" I repeated as I looked at the light brown liquid that reminded me of iced coffee we serve at the café. We were inside Lillian's cozy home in the middle of her booming ranch. It's awe-inspiring to see how much she has done in a course of a year…especially with the tunnel that connects Bluebell and Konohana completed from her efforts alone. What have I done in a year's time? Cook, clean, serve, have a boyfriend. In comparison, Lillian was an adventurous, beautiful, and ambitious woman while I'm stick in the mundane grind of life. How I wish I could escape my confines…now that I know that the future that I once perceived with Cam is never going to come to life.

"It's popular in the city now. And since Bluebell has the best milk and Konohana has the best tea, I kinda figured this is the best place to make it!" Lillian said as we tapped glasses and took a sip. It was sweet, yet still bitter to recognize it as tea. It was odd that the drink had ice in it, but with summer here and the temperature going up as the days go by, it was refreshing. Still… the drink was odd…

"Is it suppose to taste like this…?"

"Goddess no." Lillian said, sticking her tongue out in disgust as she put her glass down. She took the cup out of my hand and got up, intending to dump the drink down the drain. "It's a work-in-progress, but I'll get it. Trail and error, right?" She said to me with a smile. I couldn't help but smile back.

"Right…"

"There we go."

"Hmm?"

"Got you smiling again." She said to me with a plate of cookies she picked up from her counter top. That's right. She found me in a very vulnerable position. Truthfully, I still feel vulnerable but of all people, I'm glad it was Lillian. She put the plate in front of us and I hesitated to grab one. "Go ahead. I swear these are good." I chuckled as bit before getting a cookie and taking a small bite. "So…I'm guessing you saw Cam today." I stopped chewing, ready to reply but Lillian gestured me to allow her to continue. "It's written all over your face…that, and who runs that far away from Bluebell unless they just saw their ex? But I understand. I totally do." I swallowed hard.

"Really?"

"Totally! I think I did the same thing with my last ex. I almost ran away to the next town, to tell you the truth. It's just scary to see your ex-boyfriend right after a breakup."

"But it's already been a week and three days." I clarified. Lillian just stared at me in disbelief.

"Girl, you JUST got dumped! The fact that you're still counting the days shows that it's still tearing you up inside." She said, pointing at me. "You're been together for…what? Three years? A week and three days is nothing in comparison. You have every right to feel these feelings and to be mad at Cam." She said as I shook my head.

"But I don't want to hate or be mad at him. I'm tired of feeling this way. I just want it all to end so I can get on with my life." I honestly said to her. I heard Lillian sigh as she took a cookie off the plate and took a bite out of it.

"Laney, take it from me. I've broken hearts and had my heart broken. That feeling you're feeling right now? It doesn't just 'go away'." I really didn't know Lillian's backstory prior to her coming here. Somehow, hearing from a person around my age about their own heartache made me feel better about my situation. If Lillian was able to survive the ordeal and still come out as the woman she is now, then I could do it too.

"Well, it's all new to me." I said weakly. It was still odd to talk about the breakup to other people, but to talk to it with a friend that could relate to the situation felt good. "I only had the one."

"And there will be another." Lillian said as she got up and brought her chair besides me. "We can't get it right the first time. Believe me. I'm STILL trying to get it right."

"How many?" I asked without thinking. I covered my mouth, feeling that the question was inappropriate to ask. Lillian only laughed at the question…or at my reaction.

"It's ok, Laney. Naturally curious, as I expected from someone going through their first heartbreak." She said as she sighed loudly. "…three."

"Three?" I said, surprised. It wasn't because of the number of guys, but the fact that those relationships failed with a girl that I admired. "Three guys broke your heart?"

"F-For the record, I broke one heart. But the feeling is all the same." She defended as she leaned forward on her table and stared blankly forward with her arms propping up her head. "Regardless of who broke up with who, both parties feel the same way. The only thing that really changes is the resolve of the person. You know, how 'serious' the person is in the break up."

"Well…" I started. "Cam seems pretty serious…"

"Why did you break up? Sorry! Curious. And I'm sure it's the number one question people are asking you nowadays. But hey, if you don't want to talk about it then-"

"No." I cut her off. "I mean…I want to talk about it. But it's hard when your best friend is on her first relationship as well and everyone else is married. It also doesn't help that everyone in town thought we would end up married in the end."

"You two did look great together…sorry."

"…I know." I painfully admitted.

"So what happened?"

"I don't know." I honestly said to her, I expected her to react in the typical fashion: confused. But Lillian just groaned out loud. "No really! I don't know what went wrong…!"

"Goddess I HATE that kind of breakup!" She said as now I felt confused. She saw the confusion on my face and continued to talk. "Everything is going fine, having the time of your life then BAM!" She yelled, clapping her hands together for emphasis. "Relationship over. And you are left confused as hell of what went wrong, why it happened, and whether or not you're to blame or not." My eyes widen as she just described exactly what I was going through.

"Yes…YES! That! All of that! How do you-"

"-know? That was my last relationship." She said as she sighed. "We were doing great…then suddenly one day, he called it quits. No real rime or reason. Or maybe there was a reason, but I just couldn't wrap my head around it because I thought we were perfect. I don't know. I was so blindsided that it's all still a blur to me." She admitted, laughing a bit.

"I know what you mean…" I said, relating fully. "How long?"

"Hmm?"

"How long did it take for you to move on?" I asked, hoping to get a clear answer.

"We're all different. It might take a month? Maybe a year? It's a bit different for you, though."

"Why?"

"Well…because you'll always remember the first person who took your heart…" Lillian said. "…and the first one to break it." I sighed, knowing in the back of my mind the answer I was looking for wasn't as straight forward as I hoped it would be. "But in time, I promise you, you'll get through it."

"But I'm sick of feeling this way. I just want things the way they were before." I said as I leaned my head on her shoulder.

"I know. It sucks now…and it's going to suck later as well. But you'll survive. For that I'm sure. And when you do survive and you're ready, I know a few guys that'll bend over backwards for a homely blonde waitress for a girlfriend." I grumbled at the thought of the possibility on not only 'surviving' but the idea of 'dating' again. "But it'll take it one step at a time though…"

That's right Laney…one step at a time.

Lillian and I were walking back to the café with me walking at a slower pace than her. I was still scared to confront Cam. As much as I wanted to talk to him and try to work things out, Lillian was right. I'm not ready to talk to him yet. At least…not ready to get into a serious conversation with him. She told me that in time, the need to talk to him will outweigh the fear and it's at that point I would try to seek him rather than scurry away. I have no reason not to believe her. She's been through it all before. But a part of me yearned for Cam's voice just to talk to me. Smile at me. Complement me. My heart started to race as we got closer to the café to see my dad and Cam talking outside, two luggage beside him. I saw Lillian turn her head to see if I was ok. I wasn't sure what expression she caught me wearing though. If I had to guess, maybe she saw my 'worried' look.

"Let me do the talking." She said to me as I nodded. Her confidence made me feel a bit confident too, but not by much. "CAM!" She yelled, startling both Cam, Dad, and me. I saw her bring her shoulders up, acting as if she was in a huff as she started to stomp towards the two of them. I continued my normal walking pace, not wanting to catch up to them that quickly.

"L-Lillian?"

"Lillian! How are you dear?" I heard my dad say as she crossed her arms and started at Cam. I saw my dad look past Lillian to see me coming up from behind. His eyes soften a bit, but the cloud of concern was dissipated when Lillian started to yell again.

"CAM! You think you can just get up and leave when I TOLD you that you-"

"There's a good reason that I had to leave Lillian, I-" Cam started.

"-that I needed that bouquet for Ina! It was her birthday a few days ago and I had the whole thing figured out! If I'm going to get these two towns back together in a nice, civil matter, I need you to cooperate with me! It was suppose to be a 'gift' from Rutger, remember!" She said with a huff. She then looked at the luggage that was around him and started to growl loudly. "And now you're skipping town again!? Do you think you can escape me, mister?!"

"I-It's not like that Lillian! I swear! I'm just moving to the Town Hall, that's all!"

"T-To the Town Hall?" I finally spoke up. I saw Cam and my dad look at me, causing me to step away from them to create some comfortable distance. Cam's eyes quickly diverted away from me and to the ground.

"Well…yeah. I was trying to tell you earlier that -" Cam started but then my dad cleared his throat rather loudly. I could only imagine that he must have told Cam something prior to him packing up, because Cam's attitude of seriousness turned to one of business. "-since the Town Hall rooms are bigger and I recently got in a new contract with a vendor from a different town, I will be getting more stock. More stock means more space and I maxed out the room in the café." He said as I frowned a bit. Whether he was lying or using his new business venture as an excuse to move, I wasn't sure, but I knew what the real reason was.

We couldn't be under the same roof.

Or rather…

…he didn't trust himself to be under the same roof as me.

I took a deep breath and put on the best smile I could at that moment.

"…that's good. I'm…glad that you're not leaving us." I saw him look up at me, definite blush on his face as he smiled back.

"O-Of course. Whatever…business opportunities I make outside of Bluebell, you know that I will always call this place home. You know that Anni-" He started but then cut himself off. I felt myself blush as he let his pet name for me slip. My heart ached…but I knew I just had to pretend that I didn't hear it. "E-either way. I have to unpack and get my shack ready for tomorrow."

"And what are you going to do about my bouquet Cam? I can't turn back time you know!" Lillian said, still 'mad' at him.

"I'll make it up to you. Promise." He said, scratching his head. I saw him look over at me, pausing for a minute before smiling weakly at me. For some reason…it felt like he was also talking to me as well. "…ok?" I nodded my head but Lillian took his attention once more.

"Oh no! You can't get away from me that easily!" She said as I saw her grab one of his luggage and started to head towards the Town Hall. "You. Me. Walking and talking, now. You messed up my plan to get the mayors closer together so now you're brainstorming with me to come up with a solution!"

"M-My stuff!"

"My stuff if you don't come along!" She said as Cam quickly picked up his second luggage and hurried to catch up to her. I saw Lillian turn her head back towards me and gave me a small wink. I stood there a bit confused, but then I realize what she did for me. She broke the awkwardness between Cam and me as well as get to the bottom of his sudden decision to 'move'. I was thankful for her…who knows how long it would have taken to get to talk to Cam in a somewhat casual matter if left to my own devices.

"Come inside, Laney. We still have things we need to do." Dad said as I heard him open the door to the café.

"Ok…" I said as I followed him inside. I turned my head one more time to look back at Lillian and Cam who were still talking to each other. Well…I should say Lillian was bullying Cam if anything. I knew that eventually I will be able to talk to Cam like that again.

After all, from here on out, it felt like everything was going to be ok between him and me.

I looked back to see them laughing together. It's probably some weird scheme to get the mayors together. I opened the door to the café and took one step inside.

I looked back again.

Oh…playful shoving. They were always 'buddy buddy' even though Cam really didn't like to touch anyone. Smiling, I turned my head around and walked inside, closing the door.

…I opened the door again.

They were staring at each other, talking with big smiles on their faces.

Something felt wrong.

Something felt terribly wrong.

I…

"Laney dear. Close the door. The AC is on…"

"S-Sorry Dad." I said as I slowly closed the door, my vision of Lillian and Cam laughing and talking to each other being the last thing I remember of Cam that day…

…and the only thing I was thinking about as the days went by.

To Be Continued…!

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