Hey guys! If you're still here, thank you! I tried so many times to write this chapter and the characters just weren't cooperating and the words just weren't coming. I decided to sit down and try again thanks to a comment (thank you!). It's been a while but I hope I did them justice.

Jess shivered in the cold. Of course there was a fire drill and of course she was only in shorts and a t-shirt when it happened. Someone probably pulled the alarm as a prank, as per usual. It happened more and more frequently, with many people studying for exams and those who were here for more social reasons wanting a bit of fun. At least she had grabbed her keys. I'll check my mail before I go back up. The mail boxes had been under lockdown for over two weeks after a student was found using them to sell drugs and today was the first day they were back open. Joe probably thinks I forgot about him. I hope he knows that could never happen.

When they were finally cleared to go back inside, she didn't flood the stairs as her peers did. Unlocking box 356, she pulled out a stack of letters. Three from her parents, that'll be fun, one from Pinky, probably related to her parents', a handful for Jules, oooh here's one from her American boyfriend, and of course, one from Joe. She hurried to the stairs only to be stuck in the slow moving throng of annoyed young adults returning to their rooms.

When she divided the mail and threw Jules' on her roommate's bed, she decided she had tortured herself long enough and opened the envelope as calmly as she was able. Her eyes always read the 'J' at the end first- a reminder of him, as the messy scribble was just so indicative of Joe's entire being- but this time she gasped and dropped the letter.

The letter was signed as

I love you,

Joe

She definitely loved him back, without a doubt. The pain she felt in her heart every time she looked at her small collection of photos, seeing Joe's happiness, seeing them together, told her as much. How could she miss someone so much knowing she would be seeing him in only two weeks? That was love. It was the same feeling she felt when her sister went away for too long- except different. Pinky would always come back and do something to annoy her, reminding her why they were not meant to live under the same roof. She knew she loved him because her first thought every morning was of Joe and what he was doing. Her last thoughts, as she lay awake every night, were of Joe and how much she missed him. During practice, during matches, during classes and lunch and early morning walks. How much she wanted him there by her side and how much she wished she had never left England.

Jess felt an overwhelming urge to cry, but the tears never came. Instead, her heart broke as she saw the date at the top. He wrote this on November 3rd. She hurriedly looked at a calendar to make sure she wasn't mistaken. Today was exactly four weeks later. Jess clambered off of the bed to grab the piece of paper and truly read it. It was short but sweet- like many of his others. He clearly struggles to pen his ideas, but it's so characteristic of Joe to do better with actions than words.

She quickly grabbed a sheet of paper and a pen.

01/12

Joe-

I am so incredibly sorry for the prolonged wait on this letter. You're probably completely stressed out after everything and you must feel like I've ghosted you. There were a lot of complicated circumstances that led to this but I'm sure you're not interested in hearing them. First things first, I love you too. I'm sure I do. Every time I think of you my heart aches and I know that I won't truly be home until I'm with you again. I know this is really sappy and you'll probably roll your eyes at me but I finally understand the romance movies. The stupid things those characters do for love suddenly make sense when I think about what I would do to just see you, right now. I miss you. It goes without saying but I do. Every day that's what I'm thinking about. How much I can't wait to just get on that plane and come home, how much I just need to feel you- your presence and your voice. Sorry, normally I think about what I'm going to say in these letters so they're a bit more put together, but today I'm just writing what's in my head. I imagine this is how I would've reacted had you said this in person, so consider it a semblance of normalcy, of a regular relationship where we could go out to dinner every weekend and surprise each other on lunch breaks and between classes. I need to come home. These exams are draining and I just wish you were here so I could hear your voice to comfort me. The saddest part about this letter is that there's no point to my looking forward to another letter from you because it might not arrive before I leave. So now I guess I just keep taking exams and counting down the days. 13, just so you know. Well, I'm sure you already know, actually. And again, I am so sorry you had to wait to receive this from me there was a lot of drama and drug dealers involved- but I'll tell you the story when I get home. I'm smiling just thinking of being home again. I miss everyone. Jules does too, actually. And, to keep you updated on her American boy, he's visiting England this Christmas. His family was planning on going across the pond anyway, but now he's got an even better reason to go. Maybe we can play against the two of them one day. Although I don't think it'll be a fair match- this poor boy's never seen any of us play.

I miss you so incredibly much,

Jesmider

She looked inside his envelope. The picture he had sent was of him pulling a goofy face towards the camera, but it was clearly a few years old. She didn't recognize the other boy in the picture and realized it was probably a brother of his. Jess consulted the picture he had sent her of his entire family. It could be Ali, or maybe Paul? She would have to ask.

P. S. Who's in the picture you sent me? I can't quite tell. And you look so adorable! How young are you?

She sent him a picture she had printed out of her and Jules. A photographer had taken it during a match when the game had gone to PKs. She had scored the winning goal, making it five. It was one of the first times a freshman was trusted to take that responsibility and she had done it! Jules had scored number four, and the two of them were hugging and screaming, the joy evident on their faces. They were mid jump as well, and it was her favorite picture from the States. She quickly rushed to place the letter in an envelope and get it in the mail. I hope he's not freaking out. Jess thought. It's Joe, hopefully he's calm.