I stared at her forlorn figure from my rearview mirror as she stood at the edge of the empty sidewalk as I stomped my foot on the pedal furiously, driving off, and soon her drenched silhouette disappeared from my view within seconds.
I left her.
Just moments ago I was trying to utter three of the most cursed words out of my mouth, and when I couldn't, I knew there was something wrong with me.
I
Love
You.
What was so hard about that? Those words had been running through my head since the minute I had looked into her eyes, and her presence always seemed to trigger those words everyday until I knew it was time for me to get her off my mind.
I was protecting her, I was trying to do what was best for her, couldn't she see that? It had been three long years since I had lost her to my best friend, and what she saw in him was something I knew that I could never see for myself.
FLASHBACKThe soft purring of the sleek convertible soothed our calm silence as she sat motionless in my car while I drove, unable to keep my eyes on the dull road as I gaped at her beauty.
Her hand came in contact with her forehead suddenly as she heaved a sigh. "Why are we still doing this?"
I felt my heart burn with fire as I tried my hardest to restrain myself from losing my control around her, from showing her my weakness, and I turned my head to the road for the first time since I had started the car.
"Doing what?"
"This," she whispered. "I don't know why you keep insisting that we hang out like this. I'm engaged; we both know we can't keep seeing each other."
"Why are you marrying him anyways? You don't even love him," I muttered thoughtlessly.
Her eyes stayed focused on the view outside the window as it poured rain, and thunder echoed throughout the city. "He's your best friend; I don't even know why you think that you can be the judge of that."
"Kori-" I began.
"You had your chance three years ago!" she cried disbelievingly. "You can't just come waltzing back into my life expecting for me to just be yours!"
"I never said it was that easy-"
"Drop me off," she whispered.
I stared at her, gawking her instant request. "What!"
She turned to me and looked at me fiercely, a fusion of emotions swimming through the tears that were now formed in the corners of her emerald orbs. "Stop here, and let me get out. I can walk home on my own."
"But we're still five miles away from your-"
"I don't care!"
"Kori, it's pouring outside. I'm dropping you off at your house."
I slowed the car down and glided past the empty sidewalk, sliding slowly against the cement curb, and finally stopped.
A cursed silence filled the already stuffy atmosphere between the both of us, and I never before thought I would feel this distant from her. Her quiet sobs echoed through the small convertible, making it unbearable for me to stay content with myself.
"Prove it." Her head hung down, and a curtain of her misty, auburn colored hair separated her jade green eyes from my blue ones.
"Kori-"
"We've gone over this at least," she sniffed, "A million times. Say it."
I turned my head and averted my eyes to anywhere but hers. "I- I…I can't."
Her sobs died down, and I found myself watching her fragile figure getting out of the car and slamming the small car door with a great force.
END FLASHBACKWas it true? Did I still love her? Was it that obvious?
I could feel myself slowly turning the steering wheel around as I made a slow U-turn, almost colliding into another truck as I did so. What the hell was I doing?
Half of my brain was telling me to turn back and keep driving away from her until I got her off my mind, but the other side of my conscience kept me insane with what I was doing.
I had to go after her.
A crowd's cheers suddenly echoed in my head, and as it felt as if it was me who was being rooted for, a boost of self-confidence surged through my blood, and I felt the car's soft purr turn into a ferocious roar as I stepped on the gas pedal hard once more.
I could tell she had already seen me coming from a distance, for she began to hasten her walk as she tightened her folded arms against her chest. Slamming the car door shut I broke into a run after her, my breath waning as she sprinted away from me now. But I was faster nonetheless; I caught up to her and grabbed her shoulders, pressing her to the brick wall as she struggled from underneath my grasp.
Screaming, she called out hysterically, "Help! Someone's-"
I crashed my warm lips onto hers softly, and her yells began to die down as she quit trying to fight me off. The warm crackling of our lips seemed to drown out the loud rainstorm above us, and I could feel the tenseness in her body begin to wither away as we stood out in the lonely alley.
Suddenly, she pulled away from me and looked at me with hurt eyes, her tears blending in with the raindrops that fell on her face. Her damp, red hair was strewn across her face. "I'm- I'm sorry. Roy's a good man...I can't do this, not to him. "
"But Kori-"
Her green eyes were wounded with the pain I had caused her, and another tear rolled down her cheek as she threw her thin arms around my neck impulsively. "I'm sorry…" she whispered, her warm breath burning my ear. She pulled back once more and began to walk backwards out of the alley. Her face looked pained, and before she turned her heel she looked at me.
"Kori," I begged.
"You're too late," she whispered, tears streaming down her face.
She backed away now, and I began to chase after her footsteps. But when I reached the sidewalk it was me who was standing out on the sidewalk this time, me who was staring after her car as the taxi she was in hurried off in the distance.
And it was that moment when I knew that I had truly lost her.
A/N: Review!
Also, I'll be updating Blinding Twilight soon.