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arcadia bay was never as big as when rachel amber was leaning over the window of chloe price’s truck, hair in the wind and the smell of a storm approaching in the distance.
how could she ever say that little town paled in comparison to the west coast when the night was as fresh and as wild as the blooming of something so akin to love between them two? she could never let herself say it, those four little words lingering like the burn of the blue haired girl’s hand on her thigh— distractedness in the way price drove, the oh so known streets blending together while they whispered plans of running away together even if no one else was around.
they were like that these days. even in their moments all alone, rachel kept her tone low, an excuse to get even closer. touches becoming less and less calculated until they blended together, fire meeting fresh cold water from a source she couldn’t help but imagine would be as sweet as the hidden content of chloe’s own self. there were still personas separating the two of them. aloof meeting bigger than world and contaminating until rachel found herself wanting to let herself melt and just be. acting a hobby, not a way of life. maybe it could be that easy, maybe she could allow herself to attach herself to someone so dedicated, so... loving.
she had never belonged to anyone before. not her mother, long gone, or her father— as much as he wanted to, james amber could never own her. not the real her, anyways. he had little miss perfect but not the stars that painted the ceiling of rachel’s ever changing mind. he didn’t know about her wild escapades, her million plans to escape through the back door to never return to his grip. he didn’t know about how it was that girl right there she longed for, more than anything ever before— more than any role, any sweet praise from high school theatre teachers, anything, anything, anything.
anything for chloe.
it was terrifying, a feeling that stopped her from moving forward. a feeling bigger than fear, than life, than herself. bigger even than love, the love she couldn’t stop herself from feeling. couldn’t, should but wouldn’t— love she wasn't quite ready to admit.
longing in her eyes when her head is back inside, she reaches for chloe but pulls back. for a second, they stare at each other. deep, deep, deep beautiful sad eyes meeting in the middle and understanding without a single word, a single thought.
chloe price was freedom, fear, love, the night sky full of beautiful shining stars, the wind that blew her back to arcadia bay every time she packed her bags and debated jumping out of her window and never, ever coming back. chloe price was her best friend in the world, chloe price was her real first love.
arcadia bay looked even bigger than she ever imagined it could be. under the deep full moon and with the smell of fresh rain upon her, rachel amber wished on every star, every saint, every and anything out there that she could have just a little while longer alongside her.