Gone 2 Long (Christen Press/You)

Chapter 30

FLASHBACK 6 Years Ago

CHRISTEN POV

"Haha look she has your smile!" Y/n cheered as she had our four month old sitting up in her lap. Y/n beamed. Her smile ear to ear as she looked over our daughter.

"Babe, how can you already tell? She doesn't even have any teeth." Y/n turned her head looking at me before cocking her eyebrow up.
"Chris, come on, she'll have your beautiful smile. I already know it."

"All I heard was beautiful." I smiled before looking back at her before giving her a kiss on the cheek.
"You know what still amazes me to this day?"
She asks before staring back at me. I hummed in response.
"It still amazes me that you pushed her out of your vag-"
"Y/n! There's a child around don't say words like that!"
I slapped her on the arm and she just giggled and cracks her toothy grin.

"It's not like she knows what I'm saying, Chris! She's not even a year old. I mean, you are her mother with your big ass Stanford brain so maybe she does know what I'm saying."

I playfully roll my eyes as I looked over the two. Staring at them, I just couldn't help myself from smiling. The way Braelynn looks at Y/n and the way Y/n looks at Braelynn. It's beautiful.

Everyone who knows Y/n knows she can be a hard ass, stubborn, seemingly arrogant (but not), player, type of girl. If you just looked at her, you'd probably think she's a fuckgirl. I wouldn't blame you. I thought that too.

But, when our daughter was born, it was like she changed. I mean, she still acts the same. She thinks more before doing things because she has a child. She has to be more cautious and I couldn't be loving it any more than I do right now.

Y/n, she has never seemed more loving. She always tells me how I've changed her. Made her a better person and that I'd be the mother of her kids, her forever, her girlfriend, her wife someday. Whenever she mentions marrying me, I just can't help but to smile from ear to ear. I'm in love with her. All of her.

She's been the best thing to happen to me in more ways than one and I don't know if I could ever go through or continue on in my journey of life, soccer, anything else that I go through next, I wouldn't want to go through that with anyone else but Y/n. She's been my rock since we've started dating. I know I can rely on her for anything. Whenever I call her, she'll be here.

I realized I was still staring at her when she snapped her fingers in my face before giggling again with our now sleeping child in her arms.

"Babe, are you okay?" She asks as she stands up putting Braelynn down so she could continue to sleep.

"Yeah I just- I couldn't stop thinking about all the reasons why I love you and how I want to spend the rest of my life with you. There will never be anyone else. It's always you."

Y/n gave me a bright smile before walking up to me. She slide her hands to my hips before she places a kiss on my lips.
"It'll always be you for me too. There's no one else on this planet that is for me. I love you Christen, I always will."

END FLASHBACK

. . .

I continued to stand at the door. Whatever Zoey was saying, it was going in one ear and out the other. Nothing was processing in my mind. Nothing made me stop to think and listen to what she was actually saying to me.

"Christen, are you okay?" Zoey asked, concern laced in her voice. She continued to stare at me. Stepping into my house before wrapping her arms around me.
"It's okay, you're okay." She whispered in my ear as I sobbed. I broke down.

"I lost her." I whispered before pulling out of the hug and walking to my couch again. I looked at my lock screen on my phone. Staring at the picture of Y/n and I at the carnival. The night things really began to take a turn for us again.

"You lost who?" Zoey asked, curiosity laced in her voice.
"Zoey, seriously? It's not time to joke around."
"I'm serious, you lost who?"
"Y/n! My girlfriend is de-"

"WOAH WOAH. Chris, did you not hear anything I said?"
"I- the news! Zoey! The attack on the base! You! Showing up here in your uniform. Servicemen and women, they only come to the spouses door in their uniform when the spouse is dead! My daughter is only going to have me again, and I've lost y/n all over again but this time for good because she's-"

"No, no she isn't. She just left her dress shoes here and asked me to come get them. I'm sorry I should've clarified right when I got here. She's okay, Christen. She's not dead dude."

I stared blankly at Zoey.

"Y/n she's- she's uh- she's wow, she's not dead?"
"No chris! She's just going to a meeting. She hasn't called you, her phone is going to straight to voicemail because it no longer works. She's alive. Alive and well. It's okay, she's okay, I promise. She's just super busy but she wanted me to show you something before I left. It's a video."

Zoey reaches into her pocket pulling out her phone. A video of Y/n was on her camera roll before has hands me the phone to press play.

I pressed the button before Y/n's face appeared on the screen. I couldn't help but to smile at her.

"Christen, babe, I know you're probably freaking out right now. I know how you get. I know how the media probably portrayed everything but they weren't here. They don't know what really happened. We lost people. But, I want you to know, you didn't lose me. I'm still here. And you should know, I wanted to call you, I wanted to text you but I couldn't. I was busy, I hope you understand that. I had to put others before myself. I had to keep other people safe as best- as best as I could. But, that's not why I'm making this. I'm making this to tell you I love you and Braelynn so much and I'm so grateful for you. Tomorrow is never promised and I just needed to tell you this now. I love you Christen. Don't freak out, don't worry. You'll be in my arms tonight. I love you, kiss Braelynn for me."

And with that, Y/n's face left the screen. My heart beating fast, a smile on my face. She's alive. She's not dead. She's okay and she loves me.

She's.

ALIVE.

I felt at ease again. She's still alive.

A/N: I'm sorry I freaked you all out buttttt, the story isn't over justtttt yet 🥴 would it really be one of my story without a rollercoaster of emotions?