Disclaimer: I don't own any of the "In a Heartbeat" characters and I am not making any profit on this story.
Author's Note: Please take my advice and do not read my story "Behind the Scenes" because, well, number one: it sucks, number two: Ivy Leaves said it sucks, and number three: it just plain sucks. So please take my advice and don't waste your time reading it until I can find the time to delete it. Thank you to Ivy Leaves for telling me the truth. It was an idea that I'd had in my head, but couldn't write it as a story, so if anyone can, then more power to you is what I say! Also, please review chapters thirteen and fourteen if you have time because I would really appreciate it. Both chapter thirteen and chapter fourteen lead up to what happens in the rest of the chapters, so please just pull thorough and read. I will also attempt to get some new ideas for some more "In a Heartbeat" Fan Fiction stories, but it might be a while considering my last one - well you know the whole spiel. Anyway, please review. I know it's been a while before I came up with new material, but please read. The rest of the story reflects mostly on Val and Tyler as a couple, but that is all I know, actually all that I can tell you because otherwise it's like ruining a perfectly good story.
Chapter 14: "Before We Say Good-bye"
Tyler Connell and Val Lanier walked out her front door arm in arm toward Tyler's car. Tyler opened the door for Val and she sat in the passenger seat. "Okay, so, where should we go for dinner?" he questioned Val.
She thought for a moment, cocking her head as she did so. "Hmmm...I don't know. It doesn't matter to me. I am going to leave it up to you."
"Okay, Vincelli's it is." Tyler looked at Val for a split-second looking for her nod of approval.
"Sounds good," she replied.
Tyler drove a few more miles and pulled into the parking lot of Vincelli's. Val had never been here before, but she guessed from the name that it was probably an Italian restaurant. "This looks like a nice place," she commented as she got out of Tyler's car slowly.
"The food here is great," Tyler said.
He was right. Val's spaghetti marinara was prefect. She tried a little piece of Tyler's eggplant parmeseana, and it too was excellent.
"Tyler, you were right, this food is excellent," Val said between mouthfuls. She was just so hungry.
"Told you," Tyler said. "So, Val, you're planning to go to college right?" he asked.
"Of course."
"Where are you planning on going?" he asked her.
She thought a moment, then replied, "Wherever you go, probably." She then looked into his blue eyes to decide if that's what he wanted, if that was okay with him. She couldn't tell. "Where are you planning on going?" she inquired.
"I'm planning on going somewhere warm," Tyler said. "Probably somewhere tropical too. But basically, I'll go anywhere that'll except me."
"Tyler, you know very well that most likely every college you try to get into will be more than thrilled to take you. You have a clean record, very good grades, and you on the EMS squad. Come on, who wouldn't take you?"
He shrugged. "Now, where were you planning on going?"
"Anywhere that'll except me."
"Oh." He'd been hoping she would repeat what she had said earlier when he asked her that question. Wherever you go. But she didn't, and he was slightly disappointed. "So, Val, what are you planning on doing the rest of the summer?"
"Well, I'm an EMT again. I don't know if you knew that. And, I was actually hoping I'd be able to spend time with you."
"Ah, well, you read my mind," he replied.
They had dessert and expresso and left the restaurant. Tyler drove Val home, noticing that for the first time that night that she looked really tired. He didn't want to leave her, but she had to sleep sometime. At her doorstep, they gazed into each other's eyes and kissed passionately. Then Val went inside. She was actually looking forward to going to sleep in her own bed...
Val woke up early the next morning to the sun shining through her window. She yawned and stretched as she lifted her body off of her bed. She went into her kitchen and made herself some coffee and had a big bowl of cereal. She took a shower and changed into one of her old, forgotten EMT uniforms and prepared herself for the day ahead of her. She grabbed her car keys, got into her VW and was on her way to the EMS station. Tyler was the only one already there. She was grateful for that. He was sitting on the couch watching TV. She went over to him and sat on his lap, and kissed his face. He turned his head and kissed her on the lips again, and again, and again, until they heard the sound of a throat being cleared. Brooke, Hank, and Jamie standing in the doorway to the common room, looks of pretend disgust costuming their content at being correct all along about Val and Tyler. Val and Tyler both turned a deep crimson and moved away from each other.
Brooke, Hank, and Jamie burst out in laughter. "You guys should see the looks on your faces!" Brooke exclaimed.
If possible, Val and Tyler turned a deeper shade of red than their faces had been before.
Just then, they were needed for an emergency call. Val leapt to her feet, instantly forgetting the fact that she and Tyler had just been caught making out.
Jamie, Hank, Val, and Tyler had five calls in a row before they finally had a break. To Val, although it was still hard and painstaking work being an EMT, she still loved the feeling of helping people. It felt good to be back.
Val felt a light tap on the face. She woke up and looked up at Tyler's face and kissed is softly. She guessed that she probably had fallen asleep while watching TV waiting for a call. He smiled at her and she smiled back. He had his arms around her waist, protecting her from falling off the old sofa they were seated on and she gave him another long kiss before getting up and asking, "What time is it?" as she stretched out her body.
"It's about eleven – quitting time for us," Jamie Waite told her.
"Yeah, I really should get home," she said.
"Walk you?" Tyler asked anxiously.
"Sure," she replied back drowsily.
They walked out of the EMS station together. Val was so tired that she leaned her head on Tyler's shoulder as they walked back to her house. At the doorstep, he gave her a kiss on the forehead, and let her go inside to get some rest.
As he walked home, he thought for the millionth time how lucky he was to have her. The only problem that sort of ruined it was that there was only a month or so left of summer before they had to go away to college. He had already applied to many, and was just waiting for the acceptance letter to come in the mail. He was extremely worried that Val and him would get split up, would end up going to different colleges in different parts of the United States. He really didn't want that to happen. He sighed as he stepped in his house as headed to his bedroom to go to sleep.
ONE MONTH LATER
Val sighed as she finished packing her bags. She had been accepted to her choice college, UCLA. She dreaded the fact that she had to once again leave Kingsport, but at least she knew she would be coming back. The worst part was that Tyler had decided to go to Michigan State University, so he would basically be at the other end of the continent. They wanted so much to go to the same college, but she hadn't filled out a college application form for Michigan State and he hadn't filled one out for UCLA. So, in other words, they were screwed.
Val threw her heavy suitcases in her car before hugging her mom and Brooke good-bye. She then headed to Catie's house and said good-bye to her. She had bid good-bye to Hank and Jamie at the station the day before, so she felt no need to say it to them again. She did, however feel the need to say good-bye to Tyler Connell, just because she loved him so much, but she also wanted to talk to him. She didn't want to hold him back while he was at school.
She honked her horn as she pulled up the driveway and Tyler opened his front door, almost on que. She got out of her VW bug smiling, and went up to Tyler and kissed him on the cheek before entering his house. "Tyler – I've really got to talk to you," she began.
"Mmm hmmm," he said, quite frightened of what that might be.
"I just want you to know that I love you," she said.
"I love you, too," Tyler said back.
"But, loving you also comes with some consequences…Tyler – I don't want to hold you back while you're doing your thing in Michigan. I really don't," her eyes pleaded with him to say something, anything.
"Val, you know you'd never hold me back, but…are you breaking up with me?" he demanded.
"No, I'm not breaking up with you? Why would I? How could I?" she asked somewhat incredulously. "What I meant was that if you meet a girl that you like while you're in Michigan, I want you to feel free to do what you want, just make sure you tell me, break up with me, whatever first. That's what I meant by I don't want to hold you back," Val explained.
"Val, you'd never hold me back, and I don't want another girl," Tyler said and gave her a kiss.
"Okay, Tyler, just remember what I said," she said with a small sigh. "Listen, I've got to catch my plane in a half hour and I'd like to get there early if I can," she said. "So, I'd better leave now. You know where to reach me. Call me, e-mail me whatever. As long as we keep in touch, okay?"
"Sure, you know I will," he said.
Val walked over to him to give him a long passionate kiss. "Save that," she told him. "'Bye, Tyler. Love you." She walked out of his front door and headed to the airport.
During the whole trip to California, Val couldn't help but regret leaving Tyler, leaving Catie, leaving Kingsport. She had just come back to what felt like home and now she was leaving it yet again and everyone that loved her. It would be as if she were back in Myrtle Beach again. She wouldn't know anybody, she'd have to learn a new school, and make new friends. Plus, she knew – and dreaded – the fact that she knew that most long-distance relationships normally didn't make it. The plane landed about eight hours later in California's national airport and Val rented a car until she could buy one of her own. She wished she would have been able to bring her VW along, but she knew that was virtually impossible. She found and drove down the Highway until she saw the exit for UCLA and got off. She parked in the parking lot of the school, checked in with the office, and headed to the dorm areas to find hers. She knew that she would be sharing it with another girl. She popped her key into the lock and threw open the door. She saw a tall blonde get up from the desk and they both gasped when they saw each other.
"Heather!" Val said, surprised. Heather Stillmore was her roommate! Yes, the same Heather Stillmore that had tried so incredibly hard they junior year in High School to get ahold of Tyler Connell. Eventually, she had backed off, but that wasn't the point.
"Val!" Heather said, equally surprised. "So, you're my roommate?" she asked.
Val shifted uncomfortably. "You don't sound too happy about that."
"No, it's just that I'm so surprised. I know that I made a bad impression on you when I was a junior. And I don't know where the heck you were last year, but I hope you can forgive me for whatever I did and we can be friends?" Heather pleaded with Val.
To Val, Heather looked sincere enough, so Val accepted her apology with a small smile. "Okay, friends," Val offered with her hand thrust forward.
Heather took Val's hand, agreeing to be friends with her as well.
TWO MONTHS LATER
Val trudged toward her dorm room with a gigantic pile of books filling her arms. She had been swamped with homework for the past two months, but work hard, receiving the top grades in her class. She freed one hand for a split second, just long enough to knock on her dorm door. Heather swung open the door, and seeing Val slumped over by the weight of her books, offered to help. "Thanks," Val panted as Heather took a load of the top of her pile of books.
"Your welcome," Heather replied with a smile at her roommate.
Val and Heather had actually become very, very good friends since their little pact when they first found out they'd be roommates for four years. They genuinely enjoyed each others company, and gave good advice to the other when they needed it most.
The last two months had been tiring for them, spending long hours working on their homework. Val had taken the time to call Tyler twice, and he had called her a few times also. She still fretted the time when their relationship would break apart. She hadn't talked to Tyler in about a week, and she wondered what he was doing right now…
Tyler Connell sat at his desk, staring at the clock. It read 8:30 p.m. He wondered what Val was doing right now. His hand itched to pick up the receiver and give her a call because he hadn't talked to her in a week. When he had called her last, she sounded so tired and stressed. He was beginning to wonder if she was right; when she said that she didn't want to hold him back. He didn't want to hold her back either…
~ So? What do you peeps think? It's just a bunch of convo, but like I've said a million times, it all adds up to what happens next. Please review! ~ Chilly Penguin