A/N: the final chapter! i really hope you all enjoy it, i sure enjoyed writing it:) its sadly short, but i would say powerful, wouldnt you?

Twenty One

I watched as the sky grew darker. I crept from my bed and asked myself several times, over and over, if this was what I truly wanted. Of course it wasn't. But it was something I needed to do.

I loved Vaughn. Seeing him hurt again- because of me, nonetheless- was too much for me to handle. I made a promise to myself; if someone I loved got hurt again, I would leave the islands and start over.

So that was exactly what I was doing.

I walked slowly towards my door, my suitcase in hand. I left my door open a crack, catching one last glimpse of the tattered note I left on my bed. I turned in front of me, to notice the dark sky hover above me in the crickets shout to me.

I walked forward, trying to make the smallest noise possible. Every step I took was another tear I held back. I didn't want to leave. I made so many friends, so many connections. But it was too much drama for me to handle. And I didn't want to leave that on anyone's shoulders, especially Vaughn's.

Vaughn. From day one that boy had kept me wondering, had kept me interested. Everyone saw the exterior to his rude remarks, but I saw them as ways to get others away. I wasn't going to let him push me away like the others. I was going to break the solid somehow. At this point, I don't care if Drew got in the way. Or Stephanie had gotten there before I. All I care is that it was about us two now.

But I guess it wasn't anymore, right? I was leaving him. I was breaking his heart.

I was breaking his heart.

I stopped in the middle of the bridge, and looked around. I saw the water flow calmly, and the rest of the island quiet. I took in a breath and whispered, "I'm being selfish."

I was being selfish. Had I not thought about Vaughn?

But no matter how much love I had for him, this was for me. This was for him too. It was to take the drama out of both of our lives. I mean, who were we kidding? Obviously Vaughn and I weren't meant to be if it were to bring this much bad luck to our worlds. Leaving Sunshine Islands is probably the best thing that has happened to anyone around here.

So I continued on.

I gripped my bag tighter and noticed a small blue butterfly flutter past my eyes. I sighed and looked at it pass, and fly higher into nowhere. How I wished I could just fly away. How I wished I would just disappear now, so I wouldn't have any chance of being seen right now.

It was almost four o'clock in the morning though. No one would find me.

I took smaller steps, watching the dock get closer and closer. In a matter of time, the boat will pull into that dock and it'll take me back into the city. Then I'll board a plane and fly across the country to some distant, tropical land where I live with a bunch of other girls to talk about the troubles of boys. Maybe I'll go back to college. And live in a sorority house. That sounds like fun.

Or maybe I'll just stay with my parents. No one would ever suspect me there, considering that my parents are some of the most annoying people on the planet, Julia would never suspect me to live with them. I've got a plan A and a plan B. Perfect.

Not perfect. You're breaking your true love's heart. How are you going to deal with that on your plate for the rest of your life?

She's not breaking his heart. For all she knows, he doesn't even love her. You can't break a heart that's not in love. Plus, she made this promise to herself. Imagine how she'd feel if she realized her life would be worse if she didn't leave?

But what if being with Vaughn is the best thing that will ever happen to her? Then what?

Then nothing. It's impossible. Her and Vaughn were not meant to be like this. She has to leave the islands, just like she promised.

But she's breaking his heart…

But he doesn't love her.

Or does he?He doesn't, it's impossible. This is stubborn, anti-social Vaughn.

The same Vaughn who happens to be her boyfriend! Don't go. Stay on the islands.

Leave while you have the chance!

I shook the voices out of my head and sighed. I couldn't take the confusion. What if Vaughn did love me?

But…what if he didn't?

I not only couldn't take the confusion, I couldn't take the drama. My own thoughts were arguing inside of me. That obviously shows some form of psycho.

I looked behind me at Mirabelle's shop. It had a light on. At first, I ignored it. But the second time, I looked around, and it was completely dark. I stared at it. Was the light really on?

Was it?

I shook it off. I shrugged it off, and headed back towards the dock. I looked at it, a lonely spot for me to stand and wait patiently. I finally arrived to the wooden edge, and pulled my black suitcase up after me.

I lowered the handle and sat on it. And waited patiently for the ever arriving boat to take me away from this place, from this place that I had come to call home.

From this place you had come to call home…

I groaned and dug my face in my hands. I stared into the darkness of my palms and grumbled a few curses to myself.

"What am I doing?" I muttered.

"What are you doing?"

I looked up from my hands. And my heart fell to my feet.

Vaughn.

He stood before me, all his clothes on, even though he still looked in pain. I jumped to my feet and stared at my boyfriend in his amethyst eyes. He looked at me, his eyes reading more emotions than my heart could process. It killed me inside.

"Vaughn," I whispered.

"Chelsea, what in Goddess' name are you doing?" he asked me again. "You're here on the dock…with your belongings."

I looked at the suitcase, and back up at him. There was no loophole. I plucked my lips and muttered a soft, "Yeah. I am." I ran my fingers through my hair.

"Is there something I'm missing?" he wondered.

I sighed, throwing my head back. "I made myself a promise awhile back."

"How far back…?"

I looked back up at him, my eyes squinting because I didn't want to see his heart-shattered eyes. "Back to the fight between you and Drew."

He sighed. "What was your promise?"

I bit the inside of my cheek. "That…that if someone I cared about greatly got hurt again, I was going to start a new life. Away from here."

He groaned, and dug his fingers through his shiny locks, pulling his hat further down his head. "And then Stephanie threw a chair at me…"

"I'm sorry."

He looked up at me and whispered, "Chelsea?"

I looked up at him, both of us feeling awkward. "Yes?"

"Please don't leave me."I looked out into the ocean. The boat was in plain sight.

I stared back at Vaughn and pulled him into a hug. He groaned in pain. I tried to pull back, but he kept me in. I cried into his shirt, "I'm sorry."

"Just please," he whispered again, his chin over my head, "whatever you do, don't leave."

"But Vaughn…"

"Chelsea."

I looked up at him, and he stared down at me, his eyes beginning to fill up with tears.

Vaughn's going to cry?

"I know we've been through so much. And not all of it was for the better. But Chelsea, believe me when I say we are good for each other. I wouldn't want to be with anyone else at any other moment."

I stared back out into the ocean. It was arriving closer.

Vaughn gripped my shoulders, which caused me to face him again. His eyes were now serious and heartfelt. "Every time I see you, you take my breath away. Every time I hear your voice, I never want you to stop. Every time I kiss you…" he held me closer, "I want to kiss you again."

I felt tears begin in my eyes. I held Vaughn's hands, gripping them tightly. I sighed as I whispered, "Vaughn, I…"

"I know that you made a promise," he continued, "but please, let me be the exception, let me break that promise, let me be the everything to keep you here, with me."

My heart leapt out of my chest when I heard the next three words he recited to me.

"I love you."

I smiled up at him, tears now flowing down my eyes, staining my cheeks. I let out a large sigh. I bit my lip up at him and smiled.

I started, "You be my exception, if I'm your exception."

"What do you mean?"

"You…won't leave me?"

He smirked, and pulled me into a hug. "I'm not afraid this time. You are my exception, Chelsea."

I looked up at him from his shirt. I smiled even wider and whispered, "Guess what cowboy?"

He smirked back at me again and whispered, "What?"

I whispered even softer, "I love you, too."

He smiled fully. A large smile. The largest I've ever seen. He pulled me into a tighter hug, sighing of complete and utter relief.

I heard a large horn.

I looked to my left to see the boat sitting beside the dock. A man came off the side and stared at me. He gave me a look wondering if I was coming.

I stared back up at Vaughn. My boyfriend. My love. My everything. I kissed his lips passionately, not letting go.

He pulled me into him, and slipped his tongue into my mouth with no fear. I let him in openly. I took his embrace, and slowly retreated his lips. I stared up at Vaughn's beautiful amethyst orbs and whispered, "I'll never leave you again."

He pulled me into a hug, holding me close, running his fingers through my hair. He whispered into my ear with a small chuckle, "Good."

A/N: thank you to everyone who read this! review like crazy, tell me what you loved!

all i can say is "AWW!" they both said iloveyou.

i understand vaughn is sorta OOC, but, i thought he needed to be for Chelsea :3

thank you all for reading! you guys are the best in the world!