“Babe, stop, leave me alone,” she yells between giggles.
“I’m coming to catch you! There is no way you can escape. I have you cornered.” He pauses, listening to her rustling the dried out stalks of corn. After a few moments, the rustling stops, and he knows that she’s tried to hide among the stalks. Knowing that she lacks coordination, she will reveal herself soon enough. He peeks through, sees a flash of her pink sweater as she loses her balance, the camera shaking as he supresses a laugh, and begins creeping towards her silent as a mouse. He looks into the lense and holds a finger to his lips, before turning it back around to the corn maze. The tiny sliver of pink grows larger and larger, until his hand reaches out and tickles her waist.
“Gotcha!”
“AHHHH,” she shrieked. “James! You scared me!”
“I told you I’d catch you.” His breath fans over her cheek in a gentle whisper as he pulls her close, discreetly lifting the phone back up to their faces. “Now smile and tell everyone who always wins at hide and seek in corn mazes.”
Groaning, she reluctantly looks towards him, “James Tabick Riviera always wins at hide-and-seek in the corn mazes. But he cheats – I swear!”
“Brielle Cassidy Ackers is a sore loser,” he says smirking. He pinches her cheeks and in response she sticks her tongue out at him. “Oh sweetie, stop, you know you love me.”
“No, I don’t, stop lying!” She pushes him and turns to walk away, but he snakes his hand around her waist, spinning her back around and pulling her to him, trapping her hands between their chests.
“But you know it’s true. And I love you.” He captures her lips with a kiss.
~~~
Sighing, I pause the video on that last frame of us and pull my blanket closer. “I miss him,” I whisper, burying my head in my knees. I pull myself out of my pile of self pity and reluctantly get off the couch. Tea in hand, I walk into the kitchen and sit at the island, once again lost in memories and my own thoughts. If I’m this lost when he leaves for a week how would I ever survive if we broke up for good. I shake my head, clearing those thoughts away, I can’t think about that. At least he’s coming home tomorrow. I need him. The silence in the house is driving me crazy, and I have gotten into the habit of leaving on music as a background filler. 
Gazing across the kitchen, I can see mess from the last week, and get up to start putting things away, letting my blanket fall on the stool. The living room is unkempt, strewn with blankets, pillows and other debris. I pick up the blanket from the stool, and shake it out, folding it a few times, before grabbing two more and doing the same thing. Walking down the hall towards our room, I inspect all the pictures on the wall. With so many memories surrounding me now, I can’t help but smile. This house is our own special haven, just for us. I toss all the blankets and pillows back onto our bed and look at my favorite picture of James and me. It was taken this past summer, just before the fireworks on the Fourth of July. We both look happy and content, and it brings a smile to my face. I decide to bring the picture frame back out with me and set it on the island.  Unwinding the cord  and plugging the vacuum into the outlet closest to me, I turn it on, cringing at the smell of the dust and dirt. The loud noise is almost calming in a way, allowing my mind to finally empty, and after what feels like only a minute, I straighten to see if I can spot any more dirt to feed the hungry vacuum. I’m about to move it towards a missed piece of paper, when I feel two arms wrap around me, pulling me close to them.
I scream and immediately, my instincts kick in, grabbing one of the arms, twisting it and turning around to find myself face to face with –
“James?” I quickly release his arm, confused. I didn’t even hear him come in.
“Well hello to you too, Sweetheart,” he says, rubbing his arm. “I always forget not to surprise you like that.”
I’m staring at him for a moment, before I realize what has happened, and throw my arms around him, burying my face in his neck. “I missed you so much. What are you doing home? I thought you weren’t coming back until tomorrow.”
“The work was done early, and I wanted to see my f–girlfriend. I missed you too.” He pulls back slightly and gently brushes the hair from my face, looking down into my eyes, smiling. “I have a question for you though.” He moves back slightly, his hands sliding town to intertwine with mine.
“Yes?”
He pulls back more, and gets down on one knee, “Brielle, you are the only girl I’ve ever loved and the only one I ever want to.” My right hand flies to my mouth, too stunned to respond. “I can’t picture my future without you by my side because without you, I don’t have a future. I know we’re young, but I love you so much.” He pauses. “Will you marry me? I don’t have the ring with me yet, but I couldn’t wait any longer.”
“Yes, yes, of course, yes!”
He stands, kissing me gently. “How about we go to that new restaurant down the street tonight to celebrate? I’m gonna go shower and change, then we’ll go.” I nod and he kisses me on the forehead before walking into the hall.
At that moment, my phone rings. I view the caller ID before pressing answer.
“Lacey, oh, my God I have so much to tell you! I found this video that James took of him and I at the corn maze last year, and I was watching it, and we really are the cutest couple ever, but anyway–”
“Bri I actually have something to tell yo–”
“I was watching it and thinking about how much I missed him and then he came, I guess he finished his trip early or something but you’ll never guess what happened–
“Brielle, you need to–”
“He asked me to marry him and of course I said yes, and oh my God we have so much stuff to prepare for the wedding. We’re going out to dinner at the new restaurant tonight to celebrate, and I’m so excited I can hardly wait.”
“BRIELLE LISTEN TO ME,” Lacey exclaims, her voice booming over the phone. Y-you might want to sit down.” Her voice wavers as she speaks, seeming like she’s on the verge of tears.
“Hey Lace, you okay?”
“I’m s-so sorry to tell y-you this, Bri,” her voice breaks, “James was in an accident, a car accident, about three hours ago.” She’s crying now, and her next words make my heart to stop.  “He-he didn’t make it.”
“That’s impossible. James was just here, I just talked with him, he’s in the shower.” I panic. “Why would you say something like that! You know how much he means to me, why would you even try to play such a sick joke on me!” My voice has become raised by the end of my sentance.
“Why would I joke about the fact that my twin brother is dead Brielle? Why?” She’s screaming now, and I can hear her sobs through the phone.
I can still hear the shower running in the bathroom. Cautiously, I make my way down the call, my hand slowly falling to my side as the sound of Lacey’s sobs becomes fainter. I knock on the door, my heart pounding in my ears. Hearing no response I tentatively push it open. The shower is running, and the curtain pushed back, but James is no where to be found.
In a moment, my entire world freezes, and the last thing I remember is everything turning black as an ice cold breeze encircles me.