Another chapter! Hope you guys enjoy! A little tension and forgiveness!

To hwillson: Keep being obsessed! Keep reviewing! Suggest ideas! Keep being awesome!

Huge thanks to islandgirl84 for favouriting this story! This chapter is dedicated to you!

Happy reading!

August 20th 1938

"Danny, Danny, Danny," I sang happily as I skipped around him. He lightly pushed me away and placed another stack of books into a box.

"You shouldn't really annoy someone who is helping you," he told me smirking.

"Only packing my books is hardly help," I replied as I pushed him away and moved to fold my clothes and place them neatly in boxes or suitcases.

"Still help," he said walking over to me and wrapping his arms around my waist.

"Come on now, we've hardly packed half of my room," I said as he nuzzled his head into my shoulder. I jumped away at the rough stubble on his chin against my skin, but he held on tighter.

"Well, I need as much love as I can get. I won't see you until Christmas after you leave," Danny pointed out.

"You will get my love, after we've finished," I told him.

"Char?" he asked softly.

"Yes," I replied, turning in his arms to face him.

"You promise not to forget about me when you're in the city?"

"How could I ever forget you?" I asked him just as softly.

"Well, you'll have school, new friends, and God forbid boys to worry about," he said as we swayed.

"School and new friends yes. Why would I want boys when I practically have a man waiting for me at home?" I asked.

"I am pretty manly," he said arrogantly.

"On the other hand," I said pushing away from him.

"None of that," he said pulling me closer. I sighed, but fell back into his embrace. He stared down at me and placed a soft kiss on my lips. I started to blush as we pulled away, the moment was so tender and innocent I felt giddy and like I was twelve years old.

"Back to packing," I told him. I turned around and lied out all my dresses and tops and what not. I could feel Danny's eyes burning a hole in my back. He was watching me so intently, I could feel how much he didn't want me to go.

"When do your classes start?" he asked quietly.

"A few days after I arrive. We have all the orientation and stuff first though," I told him excitedly.

"Good teachers?"

"I don't know about many of them, but the Fine Arts teacher I have is meant to be one of the best. She's a woman and so accomplished, she's practically done what I want to do with my whole life," I told him.

"Maybe she'll give you some tips," he said smiling as I turned to look at him. "The best places for us to travel."

"Well, she wrote an article about her time in Venice. She said it was beautiful and you had to take a boat everywhere you went, except they aren't boats, they're called gondolas."

"Italy huh? I like pizza," Danny smirked.

"They have good ice-cream too, so better banana splits," I pointed out.

"Right then," he said. I turned fully around to face him. He sat down at my desk, picked up and pen and a piece of paper and began to make a list.

"What are you doing?" I asked walking over to him.

"Ten numbers, for ten different places. Each time you hear about a place from your teacher that inspires you or makes you think about me, put it on the list and we'll go there," Danny said proudly.

"Number one," I pointed to it.

"Venice, Italy," Danny scribbled down. I kept talking about college for a while. As the conversation continued Danny got quieter and quieter as he packed my things, eventually leaving the room in silence. It was a comfortable silence, but one I felt was meant to be taken up with a pressing matter. I'd known Danny for a long time and he had a lot of trouble keeping quiet around those that knew him well.

"How about I make us some lunch?" Danny asked and I closed my suitcase.

"Sounds good. Everything but the bread is in the fridge," I told him. He nodded and walked out leaving me to push and move boxes around my room until it resembled a space of tidiness.

I could hear him hum a tune as he cut the bread and I joined in as I pottered around my room. The list we'd made was sitting on my desk and I picked it up gently, folded it and slid it into one of my favourite books so I wouldn't lose it on the move.

"Char, lunch is ready," he called to me. I walked out of my room and down the corridor, I turned right and came to the kitchen to see two sandwiches and a glass of juice and a very suspicious looking glass that seemed to be Danny's.

"Thanks Danny," I said as I took a seat.

"Anything for my girl," he smiled taking a seat. I took a sip of juice as he took a drink of his.

"What are you drinking?" I asked him smirking.

"Cola," he said slowly and taking a bite.

"I'm just dying for some," I said and reached over for it. He swatted my hand away quickly.

"Hey," I said.

"Look, you said I was a man. Men drink at lunchtime," he smirked.

"You have a problem," I said pointing to him jokingly. I picked up the soft bread and took a big bite. He'd filled it with all my favourite things. Gosh, he was too good to be true. I was extremely lucky, most guys wouldn't want their girls going off to college. They'd rather settle down, have a family, dominate them intellectually and socially. Danny wasn't like that, he couldn't be.

"Char," he started.

"Yes Danny."

"Have you ever thought about what you'll do if Sarah Lawrence doesn't work out?" he asked. I raised an eyebrow. What was he on about?

"What do you mean if Sarah Lawrence doesn't work out?" I asked him.

"Well, what if you don't like it? What are you going to do then?" he continued.

"I dunno, come back here and look at other colleges. But I highly doubt I'll leave Sarah Lawrence," I told him. "Why?"

"I just-" he paused, as if trying to figure out how to word his sentence, "Well what if you just stayed and didn't go?" he asked.

I coughed, my sandwich caught in my throat and I had to drink the whole glass of juice before I was safe and could process his last question.

"I beg your pardon?" I asked sending daggers his way.

"Well, I love that you have dreams and you'll make them happen, I know it. But, I want you to stay...With me."

"Do you know me at all!?" I asked him starting to get angrier.

"What?" he asked.

"Don't 'what' me Daniel. You know as well as anyone else in this town that getting out of this place is what I've wanted since I found out there was more to life than just Appleton Creek."

"Char, I'm not stupid, I know all of that. I admire it. But have you realised all these dates and us being together always in the last three weeks was me trying to get you to stay here. To be with me?"

"Why would you stop me from doing what I want? You were meant to be different than every other guy in this town. The ones who are begging their girls to stay because they have nothing going for them!" I yelled, my words cutting him like knives.

"I'm not stopping you! Just telling you to stay here and then possibly going to college in Nashville or Jackson, places that I could come see you. I'm not stopping you because I want to tie you down to me or am scared of how much smarter than me you may end up!"

"But don't you see, if I stay here I won't get the opportunities like I would at an Ivy League school! If I stay here I'll become like every other woman in this town. Married with four children and another on the way. My life would be nothing but motherhood and being a wife and I can't do that. Not now anyway."

"So, what are you saying? If that was your life you wouldn't be happy?" Danny asked. He stopped shouting back by now.

"I want that, all of it. I just want to live for myself first. I've seen so many bright girls and women in this town let go of their dreams and education because of a man they love. I love you but I'm not ready for all that yet."

Danny paused for a long time, looking at everything beside me.

"Danny?" I asked softly. He looked up at me and shook his head.

"I would never make you forgo your dreams, you know that. I still thought you'd be able to reach them and make them come true, closer to me. Of course I'd wait until you were ready to marry and start our life together, but you don't think I'm capable of that."

"I'm sorry I-" he cut me off. Not wanting to hear what I had to say. Obviously, he was annoyed and hurt at what I'd said. But so was I. He was asking me to compromise my life.

"Bye. Love you," he said quickly as he placed a kiss on my head and walked out the door, shutting it softly behind him.

August 22nd 1938

"I cannot believe he'd say that, he knows how much I've wanted this," I ranted to Abbie as we scanned the isles for stationary.

"Well, at least you know he loves you," Abbie said as if it were some consolation.

"I never doubted he didn't, just that he'd loved me enough to let me go," I told her.

"Well, what about what he wants?" Abbie asked, picking up a pink eraser.

"Sorry?" I asked her confused.

"Well, you've been talking about doing what you want but what about hearing about what he wants? You are together now, decisions have to be made together, right?" Abbie advised. I'd never though about it that way.

"When did you become so smart in love?" I asked her.

"When I had the same conversation with Matty," she said softly, avoiding my eyes contact.

"He asked you to stay?" I practically yelled at her. Out of all the men I knew, Matt was never one to second guess that we were going to college. "But he's in New York anyway!"

"Calm down Lottie pie," Abbie said smacking my hand. "It was just a discussion."

"Yeah well, either way, he asked you to put your life on hold," I told her. She rolled my eyes.

"He didn't ask me anything."

"Then what?" I asked confused.

"We just discussed what would happen after my first year," she said slowly. She was hiding something from me and I didn't like it.

"What's so significant about the first year?" I asked.

"Well, Matty finishes soon and I guess, I'll transfer to be closer to him." I stopped dead in my tracks. What? Sarah Lawrence was her dream as much as it was mine!

"But Abbie, you've always wanted to go to Sarah Lawrence. We always wanted to get out of here," I said taking her hand. Begging her to rethink. But she pulled her hand away from me and continued down the isle.

"Sarah Lawrence was always your dream Lottie. I was happy to go where you go, but I never wanted it as much as you did," she said smiling softly as if trying not to break my heart too much.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I asked her softly.

"Because, I didn't want us to ever be apart I guess. But now I have Matty to take into consideration. And it's not like I'll not be going at all, just that, I'll leave and transfer closer to home," she explained.

"And then what?" I asked. "No job?"

"I guess I'll do what I feel is right. I could do both, Matt won't stop me from a job," Abbie shrugged her shoulder.

"What if you get pregnant?" I whispered. She looked scandalised and smacked my arm lightly.

"What if? We'll marry I suppose," she thought.

"That's exactly what we didn't want to be Abs," I pointed out.

"Well, I guess it changes when you love the guy you're with," she smiled.

"Well, I guess this first year at Sarah is going to have to be a smashing one," I told her.

"Indeed," she said grabbing my hand and giving it a squeeze.

August 30th, 1938

Ethan and Matthew left for New York a few days before we had to. With many promises they'd be waiting on the other side for us. Abbie and I stood with our families at the station waiting to be called aboard. I watched the men bend and lift various pieces of luggage. I was getting nervous. I hadn't seen Danny since out fight and whenever I had, it'd been a fleeting gretting at the McCawleys.

"Well, we best be off. I'll start crying if I see the train pull out," my mother said as I looked around. I locked eyes with her and smiled. She sighed and pulled me into a big hug.

"Be safe, you hear?" my father said joining. "Write every week."

"Yes Daddy," I said softly. My mother squeezed me tightly and let go. She rubbed at her eyes and then looked at my father who nodded.

"We'll be seeing you," she sniffed.

"I love you," I called out to them as they joined Abbie's parents near the exit of the station. They waved back and the four of them shuffled out of the station, now empty nesters. Beside Rafe.

"Shall we board?" Abbie asked walking over to me.

"Five minutes," I told her.

"Lottie," she started. She was convinced Danny wouldn't come, how could he when he'd avoided me for so long. That was her reasoning.

"Give him five minutes Abbie," I ground out through my teeth. She backed away, nodding, understanding how much I needed to see him. She took a seat a little over a meter away from me, and I continued to scan the platform.

I counted in my head, I could hear the people begin to board the train and the conductor yell out to us. All I wanted was Danny.

"Lottie, it's time to go," Abbie whispered to me softly. I nodded my head and we turned around, heading for the train.

"Charlotte!" I heard a voice yell. I whipped around to see Danny running full pace towards me.

"Danny," I sighed, running towards him. We met in a collision of ourselves. He picked me up off my feet and hugged me tightly. It was almost hard to breathe.

"I'm sorry Char," he whispered.

"Me too. So much," I replied. He was still hugging me as if I was about to fall to pieces and this was the only way he could keep me together. "I didn't think you would come."

He pulled away from me and cupped my face. "I love you more than you will ever know. No matter what, I'll always come back to you."

"I wish I could stay with you, I really do. But-"

"I know. You've got to get out of here," he whispered. I nodded, tears falling from my eyes slowly. I turned my head into his hand, my lips brushing his fingers. They were rough and callused from working on the plane, but still perfect.

"I better go," I muttered shakily.

"You better," she smiled as he wiped away my tears. "Be safe, I love you."

"I love you too," I told him. He smiled again and hen pulled me into a burning kiss. He lips moving against mine so fluently, like our own language. We pulled away and he let go of me. I caressed his cheek once more and then turned around.

"Last call!" yelled the Conductor. Abbie was already on the carriage. I ran forward and got my ticket checked and started up the stairs. I turned around to see Danny standing there, hands in his pockets smiling. I waved to him and then disappeared into the carriage. I met Abbie and took a seat next to her.

"He proved me wrong," she said smiling, happy for me.

"How could he not?" I asked. The train horn sounded and the wheels began to chug. This was it. I was getting out of here, yet I had left my heart behind.