It wasn't meant to crumble like it did. You and Ellie were childhood sweethearts. The type of friends where your parents were convinced you'd be married in the future. You both were 'together' by middle school, but it wasn't as strong and passionate as it was until high school. You both would sneak out to go roam the countryside of tennessee in the small town of Townsend at midnight, steal innocent kisses during barbeques, piss off the old bigots you called neighbors, and whisper sweet nothings to each other during sleepovers you both begged to attend in your young southern accents. To which your fathers couldn't resist. Your dads were best friends since childhood as well, and it warmed their hearts to see their baby girls be so close. Both of your mothers were never far in the picture, but it didn't matter. You had each other. Your love was young, and bright, and burned so deeply that it could only be soothed by each other.

You both took a gap year after high school. Moved in together. A small rented home to last until you could actually buy one, in a quiet part of town. You adopted a golden Labrador, who Ellie named sunny. She was basically your guy's baby. Ellie worked on your fathers farm, you preferred working inside in Joel's bar. You had the life.

You got accepted into 4 colleges. Maryville college, which was close to home. North Carolina State University, which was a six hour drive, but still close. The University of Colorado Denver, which was way farther. And.. UCSB, a college in Santa Barbara, California. Ellie assumed you applied to the last two for funsies. She wasn't surprised when you got accepted. But she never saw you as the type to want to leave home. So when you told her you were thinking of moving all the way to Santa Barbara, she was.. shocked, to say the least. She hoped it was just a thought, not a plan. Because she didn't want to leave. She loved her life here, and she couldn't imagine it any other way. Then you asked her if she would go with you. To which she was honest, and said no. You dropped it for a while, figuring she would come around. But the more research you did on this college... the more you yearned to be there. The beach, the terracotta colors of the buildings, the white, the blue, you loved it.

Ellie still didn't want to go, but you were set on leaving. The last month or so of your relationship was strained. You begging, her refusing. You saying 'we'll be okay', her just nodding in agreement with a distant look. Then came the drinking. It was small, but noticeable. The breakup was messy and heart wrenching. The night before you left, you just wanted to spend it all with Ellie. But she could barely look at you. You asked her to stay, to say goodbye at the airport, but she snapped. She yelled, she cried, you cried, you begged, she refused again, it was over.

After you arrived in Santa Barbara, it felt like the salty air you expected was suffocating you. Ellie had called and apologized. She said you guys could still be friends. But that only lasted so long. You only checked on each other for a week, before she completely stopped responding to you. You could still see her checking your socials. But she wouldn't reach out, nor would she respond. 6 months at your new home, in your dorm with new friends, at your college in this new state, you finally felt.. better? You had healed, you had built a new life. The only bad part? Your dad keeps updating you on stuff Ellie is doing. Ellie missed work this day. Ellie didn't get lunch that day. You had to tell him to stop.

One night, after coming home from a night out at the beach, your phone rang. Who did you not expect to be calling ever again? Ellie.