If You Set Me Free, I Will Not Run
Chapter XXXVI: If You Set Me Free, I Will Not Run

Seconds came and went. Those seconds morphed into minutes and then those minutes transfigured into hours. Eventually, the hours transformed into days and the days turned into seasons. Fall ended on a windy and solemn day and winter came to take its place. The winter was brutal and there were many snowstorms. The whole of Sunshine Islands had been covered with a thick layer of snow at one point during the winter and hail even came down, which forced everyone to stay indoors. Soon winter came to an end and spring made its return. Now, it was in the middle of spring and a brand new year.

Mark did not speak to Chelsea for almost two seasons. Well, it was the other way around, really. Whenever he tried to talk to her, she would ignore him or pretend like he didn't exist. The female farmer had sunk into a deep depression and didn't even come out of her house for weeks when it first started. Mark had taken it upon himself to care for her animals and crops. He didn't need to do anything for crops during the winter, but he had been out there collecting weeds, branches, and other nonsense that happened to appear around the ranch. He did all the shipping and tended to her animals. Julia and some of her other friends had stopped by and tried to talk to Chelsea, but she never answered her door.

As soon as a week into spring came, Chelsea had suddenly come out of her house to see Mark watering some crops and picking up things around the ranch and she had bluntly told him that she didn't need his help anymore. Rudely, she had snatched the watering can out of his hands and began watering her own crops, getting back into being a rancher. Mark didn't say anything to her then, but he was still hurt by it. The guy kept his distance and allowed her to do her thing. There was something hollow about Chelsea, but she seemed to be getting over her depression.

In the present and throughout all the time that had passed, Mark kept telling himself that he did not care how Chelsea was avoiding him and how they weren't friends anymore. He tried to ignore the fact that he ruined their friendship by telling her how he felt about her that night. Their friendship had been thoroughly damaged and Mark wasn't sure if there was any way to repair it. Mark repeatedly told himself over and over again that it was all his fault and that they still could have been friends if he didn't tell her that he loved her that day. The guy often wanted to be alone and he didn't even talk to Denny that much anymore. Denny always stopped by to ask him what happened between him and Chelsea, but Mark would always change the subject or tell him that he didn't want to talk about it. However, he knew that Denny could probably figure it out on his own.

Mark stared out into sea as he currently rode on Kirk's boat. He sat still with his hands deep in his pockets. It was a little chilly that day so he had worn his blue coat. Putting his hands into his pockets kept his hands warm, so he left them there. Kirk watched him worriedly as he continued to take him to the Harvest Goddess Island.

"You doing okay, Mark?" Kirk asked, genuinely concerned.

"Yeah, I'm good," Mark gossiped with a small smile. "Just doing some thinking."

Kirk didn't look like he believed him, but he didn't comment further on his behavior and smiled. "I see you're not wearing your cap today."

Surprised, Mark reached up and touched his soft, blond hair. He didn't feel a hat there and he realized he left his blue cap back at his house. "Oh. I didn't realize."

"You look different without it on," mentioned Kirk, still smiling as they neared the Harvest Goddess Island. "Ah, we're here. Ready to get off?"

Mark bobbed his head in a nod and hopped off of the boat and back onto land. "Thanks, Kirk," he said to him. "You don't have to wait here for me. You can leave and go do something else. I'm going to be here for a while."

"You sure?" Kirk looked concerned again.

"I'm sure." Mark simpered at him to let him know that he'd be okay.

Kirk sighed and then started up the boat, leaving Mark there on his own and without transportation back to the other islands. "I'll be back later!" he called from a distance.

Mark waved at him lazily before putting his hand back into his pocket and walking to the pond where the Harvest Goddess resided. As soon as he got there, he was very surprised to see Denny standing there dressed in a long, purple coat, standing in front of the pond.

"Denny! What are you doing here?" Mark wanted to know, hurrying over to his best pal and standing beside him. "I wasn't expecting to see you here!"

Denny grinned at him. "I was expecting you. I know you often come here to be alone."

"Is there something that you need or did you just want to talk?" Mark asked him, a little happy that the fisherman was there to keep him company.

"Uh, yeah…" Denny rubbed the back of his neck. "I actually came here to ask you again about what happened between you and Chelsea. Are you ready to tell me now or are you just going to keep me in the dark?"

Mark turned away from him and placed his gaze on the water in the pond. "Well," he muttered indifferently, trying not to let it bother him. "I told Chelsea how I felt about her. Told her that I love her."

"Wait, you did?!" yawped Denny, eyes widening.

"Yeah," replied Mark, shrugging and trying to appear nonchalant. "She told me to get out of her house and I did. We haven't spoken properly since. We aren't friends anymore. Don't tell me you haven't figured it out yet."

Denny stared at him. "Well, I did think of that, but I didn't want to believe it. Wow. She really said that?"

"Yes," Mark replied robotically. "At first she didn't believe me, but then she told me to leave and avoided me like the plague after that. I knew she wouldn't love me back. Now, I have to live with this outcome."

"Are you…okay?" Denny questioned his friend, touching his shoulder.

Mark gave him a small smile. "I'm good, Denny. No worries."

"Are you sure?" Denny wasn't buying it.

"I'm sure, Den," caterwauled the blond with a mild chuckle, shaking his head. "Don't worry about me. I'm over it already." He was lying through his teeth and he knew it.

Denny knew it too. "I know you're not over it, Mark. I can see it in your eyes. You still love her."

"Do I?" Mark's green eyes became glazed over as he continued to stare at the water in a very forlorn manner.

"Yeah, you do, man," quipped the fisherman, frowning at his best friend. "You still love Chelsea. I know you do. You told me yourself that she was precious to you."

"She doesn't love me. I think she hates me now."

Denny looked appalled. "Hate you? Why would she hate you?"

"I ruined our friendship, Denny," retorted Mark in a low tone. "That's a reason to hate me. I ruined it all by telling her how I felt and now she won't even talk to me…can't even look at me." Mark's voice cracked at the end of his sentence and Denny noticed.

"Mark…" Denny truly hated seeing his friend this way.

Tears suddenly appeared in Mark's eyes and he lifted an arm, pressing his eyes into it so that Denny wouldn't see him cry. He felt so pathetic, crying in front of his friend like that. "I…I tried to act like I wasn't affected by anything, that I was okay with everything. N-Now I realized that I never really was over it," Mark said brokenly into his arm. "I am such an idiot."

Denny sighed deeply and moved closer to his friend, pulling him into a brotherly hug. Mark clutched onto him like a child and it was then that Denny knew he had to fix this. The curly haired individual rubbed his friend's back in a comfortingly manner.

"Come on, Mark. Stop the tears already," Denny told him, trying to cheer him up. "Men don't cry."

Sniffling, Mark pulled away from him and rubbed at his eyes. "Th-That's not true," he said shakily.

Denny chuckled lightly. "Well, in my opinion, men don't cry! The women do all the crying for them!"

"That's a lousy opinion…"

Rolling his eyes, Denny playfully punched Mark in the arm and then started trekking away. "I'll see you later, man."

"Wait, where are you going?" Mark questioned, eyes red from crying.

Denny waved at him and didn't turn around to look at him. "Somewhere. See you later!"

Then he was gone.

Chelsea finally completed her work for today, entering her house for a short shower. Done bathing, the brunette got dressed into something comfortable and put her red bandana on. Chelsea was about to make herself something to eat, but there was a sudden knock on her door. Frowning in mild annoyance at being interrupted, Chelsea stepped over to the door and opened it, seeing Denny standing there. Chelsea was very surprised to see him on her doorstep.

"Hey, Chels!" Denny greeted her cheerily with a wave.

"Hey, Denny…" muttered Chelsea, putting on a small smile. "What brings you here?"

Denny suddenly got a serious expression on his face and he said, "I'm just going to get straight to the point with you, okay?"

"Okay?" Chelsea wondered where this was going.

"I just got finished speaking with Mark on the Harvest Goddess Island," yapped Denny. "He told me what happened between the two of you. He told me how you stopped being his friend all because he told you that he loved you."

Chelsea froze and her eyebrows shot up, remembering that night. Mark had told her that he loved her. She didn't even know that he felt that way about her and she had been so confused about it and overwhelmed. How could Mark love her? There were no signs at all that indicated that he loved her! Chelsea had unwillingly distanced herself from him and didn't talk to him for a long while. She had still been depressed about Vaughn not returning her feelings and it felt weird to be around Mark after he told her that he loved her. She thought it best if they stopped interacting for a while.

"I…I never wanted to stop being his friend," Chelsea murmured softly, shakily. Tears appeared in her eyes and she let them escape her eyes. "I just…it's so strange to be around him now, knowing that he loves me for some odd reason. I don't understand why he even loves me. There were no signs…"

Denny snorted. "You're incredibly dense, Chelsea," he bluntly conveyed. "There were numerous signs that indicated that Mark loved you. It was plainly obvious. Everybody knew that Mark liked you, everyone except you."

"Wh-What…?" Chelsea was shocked.

"Yeah." Denny nodded, pursing his lips and frowning. "It's true. Mark has loved you for a while now, Chelsea. Why do you think he always did little things for you or held your hand out in public or gave you hugs? It wasn't because you were his friend, it was because he loved you."

Chelsea slowly sank to her knees and placed her hands on her lap, more tears falling from her eyes. That was true. Chelsea never thought of it that way. Mark had often held her hand or gave her hugs and she never even dwelled on it. He was always doing things for her and helping her out. Mark had always been there of for her whenever she needed him. How could she have been so blind?

"And when you distanced yourself from him, you hurt him a lot, Chelsea," Denny revealed, shaking his head. "He was crying in front of me. I've never seen Mark cry like that. He truly loves you, Chelsea. I know Vaughn never returned your feelings, but you have someone that cares about you. You're not alone and you're not unlovable either. Mark loves you and he cares deeply for you. He even told me that you were precious to him."

Chelsea put her face in her hands and started crying even harder from Denny's words, feeling terrible for ignoring Mark for almost two seasons. "Wh-What am I s-supposed to do…?" she managed to say through her tears.

Sighing, Denny knelt in front of her and patted the top of her head. "I'm not saying you have to return his feelings because I know you don't feel that way about him, but maybe you can just…be his friend again. Give him a chance."

Chelsea grew quiet, wiping at her eyes and avoiding looking at Denny's face.

"Who knows? Maybe you might even come to love him one day. I don't know." Denny shrugged and stood back up, giving her one of his cheerful smiles. "How about it, Chels? Will you give Mark a chance? Will you be his friend again?" He held out his hand toward her.

Chelsea studied the fisherman's hand, still on her knees. More tears rolled down her cheeks, but they were the last of them. The brunette shakily placed her hand into his and Denny helped her back to her feet.

After the way I've been treating him, Mark deserves a chance to be my friend again. I owe him that much.

A determined expression jumped onto the girl's features and she gave a short nod, removing her hand from Denny's grasp and darting away and out into the spring breeze. Denny watched her go, a smile stretching his lips.

When Chelsea arrived on the Harvest Goddess Island, butterflies were assaulting her belly unmercifully and she wasn't sure what she would say to Mark after all this time. Would he be angry with her? Would he even want to talk to her? Tossing away those negative thoughts, Chelsea gathered all of the courage she had left in her and marched toward the spring.

Mark was still there, standing in front of the pond with his hands in the pockets of his coat. The blond just stared at the water, unmoving. An unreadable look was on his face and he didn't hear her approach.

"Mark…?" Chelsea spoke quietly.

Flinching in surprise, Mark turned around to face her, astonishment coloring his face. It was evident that he had not been expecting her. "Ch-Chelsea…?" he uttered slowly. "What…what are you doing here?"

"I…I came to see you," Chelsea breathed, walking a little bit closer to him. She didn't get too close though. It didn't look like he was comfortable being around her anymore. In fact, it looked like he wanted to be alone.

"You came to see me? Really?" It didn't sound like Mark believed her and there was unhidden hurt in his green eyes. "You really came here to see me?"

Chelsea tugged at a strand of hair nervously. "Um…yeah. That's right…"

"What for?" Mark asked solemnly, turning away from her so that he was facing the pond again. "You don't talk to me for almost two seasons and now you want to see me? What is this? Did you come here just to tell me how much you hate me for telling you how I felt about you?"

"H-Hate you?" Chelsea was surprised and she felt deeply hurt by his words. "I don't hate you!"

Mark shifted uncomfortably, but didn't say anything after her outburst.

"I just…I just didn't understand," lamented Chelsea in a broken voice, trying to control her breathing. Why wouldn't Mark look at her? Did he really believe that she hated him? "I'm so sorry for distancing myself from you and I am so very sorry for not talking to you for almost two seasons. I wasn't myself and I…I was depressed, Mark."

"I know you were," murmured the male, still not looking at her and keeping his eyes on the pond. "But did you really have to be so cold to me? I would have still been there for you even if you didn't return my feelings. I took care of your animals and your crops when you locked yourself up in your house and wouldn't come out for anything. I never got a thank you. The only thing that I got from you was "I don't need your help anymore."

Chelsea winced, realizing how harsh that sounded. She had been mean to Mark and she was beginning to feel incredibly guilty for her actions. "M-Mark…" she whispered tearfully. "I'm so sorry. Please forgive me. I…I want us to be friends again. I really do. I want things to go back to the way they were…"

"You're just saying that to make yourself feel better," drawled Mark, removing one hand from his pocket to wipe at his nose. "And besides, things can never go back to the way they were! Not ever, Chelsea!"

Chelsea trembled from his words, but tried her best to stay determined and not to break down. "I-I know…" she whispered. "Things can never be the same, but we can still be friends. I…I didn't understand why you love me, Mark, but now I do. I realized how blind I was to the truth. I remember all of the things you used to do for me and how nice you were to me…how you used to hold my hand and give me hugs. That meant something more to you, right?"

"Yeah…" mumbled Mark, his back still to her.

"I'm so sorry for not realizing that sooner," clamored Chelsea sorrowfully. "It must have been so horrible for you. I hate myself for treating you like that and for not recognizing your feelings. I hate myself for pushing you away and throwing your feelings away like they meant nothing."

Mark was silent.

Knowing that he probably would never forgive her, tears filled her eyes to the brim and she held back a sob, wanting to give Mark a hug for how terrible she had been. She knew she couldn't do that though.

"I-I'll understand if you never forgive me for this," Chelsea said softly, trying so hard to stop her tears. "And I understand if you don't want to be my friend again. Just know that I'll still be here for you whenever you need me…"

Mark still said nothing.

Chelsea's vision blurred by how much tears that had gathered in her eyes and she went on. "J-Just know that…if you ever decide to hang onto those feelings that you have for me that I'm willing to give you a chance, Mark."

Chelsea used her palms to wipe her tears away, but they were still coming. "Just know that if you set me free, I will not run," she blubbered. "I'll always be here for you."

Then, she turned around and started walking off, doing her best to fight back the sobs that threatened to climb up her throat and jump out of her mouth.

"Chelsea…"

Halting in her tracks, Chelsea slowly turned around to see Mark. He was facing her now and he was holding out a hand toward her. Her eyes roamed his form until she found his eyes and his green eyes were bright with something unidentifiable. She knew, however, that it was something undeniably positive that was tainted with everlasting sadness.

Walking back over to him, Chelsea ceased her tears of anguish and gently placed her hands in his.

Mark's warm fingers wrapped around her hand and she knew that Mark accepted that chance she had given him.

But…

"Chelsea," Mark lamented quietly, tugging her close and wrapping his arms around her. Chelsea's breath caught in her throat when her cheek made contact with his shoulder. She didn't hug him back, but her heart was hammering against her chest, flummoxed. "I know you don't want to give me a chance. A relationship like that between us could never exist…"

Chelsea pulled away from him, looking into his green eyes. "M-Mark…!"

Mark shook his head at her, eyes forever forlorn. "But I will be your friend. I accept that." The blond flickered his gaze elsewhere, contemplating solemnly. "I accept the fact that you will never feel the same way about me. It's just not possible…"

"But Mark, I'm giving you a chance!" exclaimed Chelsea, not knowing why she said that.

Again, Mark shook his head. "Be truthful, Chelsea," he commented in an emotionless tone, a sad smile appearing on his face. "You only want to give me a chance because you think it will make me feel better…and you. But I don't want that. I don't want something unreal. If I were to accept your chance, your heart wouldn't belong to me, Chelsea."

Chelsea lowered her head in shame. Every single word that was exiting the male's mouth was fact. Nothing was untrue. The brunette did not want to admit it, but it was real. She could never feel that way about Mark, despite what Denny had told her. It just wasn't possible. She loved Mark like a sister would love her brother.

"Your heart belongs to someone else, Chelsea," Mark continued on quietly, almost in a whisper. "You still love Vaughn. You're still very much in love with him, and I don't think that's going to change."

That was true as well. Vaughn was still her main desire and the cowboy still had her heart. Chelsea refused to give her heart to another. It only belonged to Vaughn.

"But Vaughn doesn't love me…" Chelsea whispered, shaking her head slowly, tears filling her eyes and spilling down her cheeks. "He made it clear to me that we're just friends and that's all we'll ever be…"

Mark turned away from her. "I still think you have a chance, Chelsea. Why don't you go talk to him?" It really didn't sound like Mark wanted her to do that, but the blond seemed very defeated and tired. "I think somewhere in that frosty attitude of his…there might be a possibility that he could actually fall for you."

"Then why did he shove me away like that to go after Sabrina?! He hates me!" Chelsea screamed, becoming incredibly frustrated. She turned her hands into fists at her sides and looked about ready to breakdown.

Mark shrugged indifferently. "People make mistakes, Chelsea. Just…talk to him."

The hope that had dwindled long ago, came to light once again within Chelsea's soul. Her damaged heart sang with glee and her tears continued to fall. The brunette reached out toward her best friend, wishing she could love him like he wanted her to, but she knew that she could never do that.

"I-I'm so sorry, Mark…" Chelsea murmured gently, slowly pulling her hand back and turning around. "Forgive me…"

"I've already forgiven you…" Mark said through a deep sigh, still not looking at her. "Just go, Chelsea. Go talk to Vaughn."

Mark sounded so sad to her, but Chelsea could not ruminate on him any longer. There was something she had to do.

Struggling to get the right amount of air into her lungs, Chelsea moved her legs as fast as she could. At first, she didn't think she'd find him, but she did. It was almost as if he were waiting for her. It was so surreal.

Vaughn stood on the beach, hands deep in his pockets, hat missing. His eyes were faraway, off in another place as he gazed at the glistening ocean. The wind gently blew his silvery hair and his face held no emotion at all. However, his eyes told an entirely different story.

Heart doing a frantic dance in her chest, Chelsea slowed down to a stop next to him, trying to get her breathing under control. Once she did, she swallowed hard and tried to voice some words, but it was impossible for the time being.

"I'm leaving Sunshine Islands for good."

Chelsea almost thought her heart stopped.

"What…?" she breathed.

Vaughn turned to face her, expression cold. "I said that I'm leaving Sunshine Islands for good. I'm not coming back, no matter how much I've become fond of this place."

"B-But why…?!" Chelsea vociferated loudly, eyes going wide with shock and horror. Her knees shook violently and she thought she was going to collapse into the sand.

"And it's everyone's fault, including yours," accused the cowboy, voice hollow and full of nothing.

Chelsea struggled to swallow her saliva. "What…what are you talking about?"

"Now I fully understand why I don't get close to people," ululated the male with a slow shake of his head, eyes icy. "As soon as I get close to someone, they want nothing to do with me. Sabrina could be an example of that." There was a pained expression in his eyes. "I trusted her, conveyed to her about my past, and all this time…she was in love with me."

Chelsea kept her mouth shut, uncertain of what she could voice. Her heart was screaming and tears threatened to occupy her eyes.

"Sabrina was in love with me," Vaughn repeated, anger and sadness evident in his tone. "What I was feeling toward her was not love at all, I could never feel that way about her even if I tried. Sabrina was like a best friend to me. You know how you and Mark are to each other?"

"We're…not like that anymore," Chelsea whispered in reply, lowering her gaze to the sand beneath her feet. "We just…we just happened to mend our severed friendship not too long ago. I don't think it'll ever be the same."

Miffed, Vaughn moved his eyes elsewhere. "You know how you two were before? That's how I felt about Sabrina. She was my first true and best friend that accepted me and all of my opinions. She accepted my ugly past."

The brunette listened, but didn't say anything.

"At first I was confused about my feelings toward her, thought they were something more," explained Vaughn coldly. "I mistook them for something else. It was nothing more than a close friendship. That was all. Now, since I cannot return her feelings, she wants nothing more to do with me."

Chelsea didn't blame Sabrina.

"For almost two seasons I've tried to apologize to her, tried to make her see that friendship is just as good as a romantic relationship," vociferated the cowboy. "But what do I know? Nothing. I'm still new to all of this. I'm not used to having friends and I'm not capable of feeling love toward someone at all."

"What do you mean you're not capable?" Chelsea retorted, frowning deeply at what he said.

Scowling, Vaughn curled his hands into his fists inside of his pockets, a dark look coming across his facial features. "I'm not repeating myself. I meant what I said and I'm not going to elaborate on it."

Chelsea trembled. "But…everyone is capable of loving someone. You just…you just got to try!"

Unwilling to listen to Chelsea's babbling, Vaughn moved away from her slightly. He said nothing and just remained silent. He used his eyes to inspect her face, no words coming out of his mouth. Chelsea started to feel uncomfortable, but then she realized something and an angry expression decorated her facial features.

"So, that's just it, huh?!" caterwauled the furious rancher while desperately trying to blink back hot tears. "You're just going to leave Sunshine Islands and everyone behind?! You're just going to cut ties with everyone on the islands and be done with us?!"

"Correct," muttered the livestock dealer, no emotion in his voice. There was annoyance inhabiting his eyes and it looked like he wanted to be done talking.

"You're just going to go back to the city and stay there for the rest of your life, knowing that you had friends here on the islands that cared about you?!" Chelsea exploded, face red from her growing rage. The tears finally slipped out of her eyes and began rolling down her cheeks. "You're just going to leave behind all the people that have come to love you?!"

Vaughn just stood there staring at her, unmoving.

Chelsea tried to hold back a horrible sob. "You're just going to leave me?!"

Still, Vaughn remained silent.

Shaking her head, Chelsea dropped to her knees and her tears became uncontrollable. Her emotions were completely erratic and she could no longer control them. What would she do if Vaughn left and never returned? How could she cope with that? How could she go on knowing that the one she loved with all her heart would disappear from her life forever?

Suddenly, she felt a pair of strong arms come around her body and tug her close. Her breath caught in her throat and her tears instantly ceased. When she finally realized what was happening, her heart did a fierce dance within her chest.

Vaughn was hugging her!

"Chelsea," he said quietly, arms tightening around her smaller form.

Chelsea hesitantly leaned into him, shutting her eyes and hoping that this moment would never end.

"I'm sorry."

"Vaughn…?" Chelsea opened her eyes and pulled back a little to gaze at his face. The man's features had softened and his eyes seemed to be in a faraway place.

Vaughn just shook his head.

"Vaughn, I…I love you," Chelsea managed to say, her voice thick with emotion. "I love you. I don't want you to go, I don't want you to leave."

"I know." Vaughn reluctantly and slowly released her, getting back to his feet. He helped her to her own feet and then he dusted his pants off. "But I have to. I need some time to think about all that's happened. I might return one day."

Chelsea bowed her head, unable to view him any longer. Her chest tightened up and it felt like she couldn't breathe. How could this man have such an effect on her?

The cowboy grabbed her chin and tilted her head up so that she was looking at him once more. "Hey, I'll be gone for a long while, but that doesn't mean it's going to be forever, alright? So stop crying and stop looking at me like that." Vaughn's facial features had returned to its frostiness and his voice was gruff and a little bit annoyed.

Chelsea didn't like the sound of that, but there was nothing she could do to make him change his mind. She had no control over his decisions in life. "I…I understand, Vaughn." Chelsea felt defeated.

"I'm sorry, Chelsea." Vaughn let go of her chin and turned around, giving her his back. As soon as he did, he waved and walked off without another word.

Chelsea stayed on the beach long after his form had disappeared. She sat in the sand, legs crossed. Her eyes remained on the sea and the setting sun, watching the colors of evening take over the blues.

Hope still existed within her and she knew that there was always going to be a chance for her, no matter how much remorse she was feeling at that moment. She knew nothing lasted forever and she had hope that Vaughn would return to Sunshine Islands again one day.

For now, she would be sad.

Tomorrow, she would try to be happy.

Note: That's it. The end. I am working on this story's sequel.