Since Oliver had left that night, he and Elio have been texting and calling each other every day. They had tried to visit the following weekends, but it's been a month, and again something has come up to ruin their plans. Elio had been more than just a little disappointed, but he figured he'd go into work, then spend the rest of the night on the phone with Oliver. They knew what they were getting into when they started seeing each other, still, as he watches another young couple walk by the shop - holding hands - he can't help but feel a sting of jealousy.

He's just picking at a sad-looking rose when he hears the door open. He quickly drops the flower, in case a customer catches him ripping it apart. But when he looks up, he finds his mother coming up to him, having just returned from doing a round of deliveries.

"How did it go here?" she asks as she takes off her coat. Shaking her head when she sees the rose petals on the counter.

"It's been quiet." Elio shrugs. "Mister Murphy came in again and he stayed for ages, so…" he tells, about to go off on a rant about the old man and his stories about his dog, but when the door opens again, he keeps quiet.

He expects to find a customer, but when he looks, it's Oliver who is coming over to him - a large bouquet of roses in his hands.

"Did you… I knew there were no orders you had to deliver!" Elio laughs, his mother winking before leaving them to it. "What are you doing here?"

"When I couldn't get a ticket, your mom called me."

"Did she pick you up?"

Oliver gives a nod, looking a little uncomfortable as he hands him the roses.

"Sorry, this seemed like a better idea when I asked your mom to…"

"I love them," Elio laughs, as though he isn't surrounded by the same roses most days. "Thank you."

"I ehm… I didn't come here to hang out again," Oliver admits, the butterflies now raging around inside Elio. But these are not the good kind of butterflies - these are the ones that make him feel like he is about to have his heart broken. "I came here to talk, Elio."

"Ah…"

"I know you're working right now, but maybe we can meet up when you're finished here?"

"Sure." Elio nods, turning his gaze down to the roses in his hands. Well aware that his mother would let him take the rest of the day off to go and talk to Oliver, but he isn't ready to face whatever he has to say just yet.

"I'll see you later, okay?"

Elio had felt sick to his stomach worrying over what Oliver wanted to talk to him about - every time he thought about it coming to the conclusion that he was about to be dumped. The shop is now closed and he and his mother are on their way home, so he knows he can't avoid Oliver for much longer.

"I thought you'd be happier to see him, darling. Why did you stay at the shop, you could have…"

"He is going to break up with me," Elio blurts out. "That's why he's here. He wants to end our…" Relationship, he thinks, wondering how that works when they never actually discussed whether they were in a relationship or not. Since camp they have talked almost every day, and there has been flirting and kissing. But since that awkward 'I love you' which Elio had taken back, nothing of the sorts had been said. They had just gone on flirting and hinting at something more - maybe, some day - but come to think of it, Elio wonders if they were in a relationship - or something like that - at all. What if Oliver is here to tell him he has met someone? That they will have to stop that type of flirting because he has a boyfriend?

"Elio," Annella tuts. "Don't tell me you still think he doesn't like you. After all this time?"

"He said he wants to talk."

"So? Did he tell you what he wants to talk about?"

"No…"

"Well…" Annella smiles. "Then why don't you see what he has to say first?"

Elio feels sick to his stomach as he goes up to his room, but he knows that there is no avoiding it. So he takes a deep breath and he goes in - half-expecting to find Oliver waiting for him at his desk. But Oliver is stretched out on the bed with his headphones on.

Elio watches him for a moment - in case this is the last time he will see him - before going over to join him on the bed. Oliver quickly sitting up when he feels him sitting down.

"What do you want to talk about?"

"Hello to you too," Oliver chuckles nervously, but when he sees that Elio isn't laughing - or smiling even - he sighs. "My mom and dad are getting a divorce."

"Shit, Oliver… I am so sorry," Elio says, feeling horrible for assuming that this was about him. "Are you okay?"

"It's for the best." Oliver shrugs, but then he shakes his head and he grabs Elio's hand. "They're selling the house. I asked them if they would wait until after I graduate, but it turns out they've been talking about this for a while. My mom is moving to Orlando because she has family there, and my dad is moving to New York."

"Wait, so you…"

"I'm going to have to choose who I'm going with. But either way, I'm going to have to move," Oliver explains, staring down at their hands. "Which means that I won't be able to come see you anymore. Not for a while, at least."

"Right…"

"I really like you, Elio, but I had no idea that we'd be moving. I mean, if I'd had known, I would have never…"

"We can text," Elio quickly suggests, Oliver flashing a heartbroken smile before looking down at their hands again. "I'm sure my parents will let me come see you… or we can wait until…"

"Elio," Oliver cuts him off. "I can't ask you to be with me, when we can maybe see each other three, four times a year. That's not fair."

"You're not asking me though, are you? I like you, Oliver. Really like you."

Elio can see the hurt look on the other teenager's face - how he still remembers the 'I love you' that he had taken back. Marzia had suggested he'd tell him 'I love you' again, even if he didn't mean it - or didn't think he did - but it hadn't felt right. Not until now.

"I love you," he whispers, the words too big to speak out loud. ", and I don't mind if I can only see you a few times a year. We'll figure out how to make it work, right?"

"You love me?" Oliver asks, ignoring the rest of Elio's words. "You're not just saying that because…"

"No," Elio quickly chuckles. "I love you, Oliver, and I'm sorry for when I said it before. I was scared, but I'm not anymore, okay? I don't care if we have to do this over the phone for the next five or ten years, but…," he rambles, only realizing what he has just said when he sees the big grin forming on Oliver's face.

"Ten years, huh?"

"I didn't mean…"

Oliver takes him in his arms and he pulls him into his chest. He kisses the top of his head, Elio cringing at what he has just said, Oliver still grinning like the Cheshire Cat.

"I love you too, by the way."

After telling them about the move, Elio's parents had reassured them both that they would help out in any way they could. Elio knows that they can't exactly afford a plane ticket every other week, and that it was probably more of an empty offer than anything, but still he had appreciated it. It had made him feel a little more hopeful that it wasn't going to be a year before he saw his boyfriend again.

Boyfriend, Elio thinks, a smile forming on his face as Oliver lies down next to him in bed.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"Are we… are you…," Elio stammers, feeling like an idiot now that he is actually about to ask the question. "Am I your boyfriend?"

"I hope so!" Oliver laughs before kissing him. "Unless I've had the wrong idea about what we're doing here all this time?"

"No, I just… I wasn't sure."

"Well, you are." Oliver smiles before kissing him again. But just as he wraps his arms around his waist to pull him closer, the bedroom door opens.

They quickly move away from each other - Elio quickly pulling the covers over him to cover himself up - but from Annella's chuckling and Samuel's blushing it's obvious that they have seen enough.

"Sorry to interrupt," Annella says. "But we'd like to talk to you. Both of you."

"Right… nothing was going on," Elio quickly says. "We weren't going to… we're not doing that!"

"It's not about that, Elio," Samuel says. "It's about Oliver moving away."

"We were thinking," Annella begins, sharing a look with her husband before looking back at the boys. "How about you stay with us for the rest of the year, so you can finish school here?"

"Oh!" Oliver exclaims, obviously not quite sure what to say.

"If you'd like to, and if your parents are okay with it, of course."

"No, I'd definitely like to. I just…," Oliver says, before looking at Elio. "I'm not sure if Elio…"

"If I want you here?" Elio laughs. "What do you think?"

"You'd have to help out around the house though," Annella continues.

"Maybe you could help at the shop," Samuel suggests. "But we'd be happy to have you stay here."

"Please say yes."

"I'd have to talk to my parents first," Oliver laughs when he sees the pleading look on Elio's face. "I don't think they'd mind, but I'll have to ask them."

"And if they say?"

"Then I'd love to stay here," Oliver laughs nervously as though it's only now getting through to him what that means. "Thank you so much, Mr. and Mrs. Perlman."

"I don't want you to go," Elio sighs, his head resting on Oliver's shoulder as they are waiting at the bus stop. Annella had wanted to drive him back home, but he insisted on taking the bus this time.

"I'll come back soon. I promise." Oliver smiles, grabbing his hand and bringing it up to his lips to kiss it. "But I need to go talk to my parents."

"I know."

"Are you sure you'd be okay with me staying with you for the rest of the year? I know it's only been a few weeks, and living together is a big step. So I understand if it's too much, too soon. I'll tell your parents that my parents said no."

"I want you to live with us," Elio reassures him.

"Okay, but I want you to tell me if you change your mind, okay?"

"I won't."

"Okay," Oliver chuckles, but when the bus appears in the distance, the mood changes.

They get up and they share a long hug - Elio struggling to fight his tears, even though he knows he will see him again soon.

"I love you," Oliver whispers. "I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"Okay." Elio nods, not willing to let go when Oliver pulls away from him. But when the bus stops, he knows he will have to let go.

He watches as Oliver gets on, as he gets his ticket checked before sitting down in the back. He looks out of the window, mouthing another 'I love you' and flashing one of his big smiles as the bus drives off.

Elio turns to leave, but when his phone buzzes, he takes it out of his pocket.

Oliver - Today : 19:34

Miss you already. 😘