The End Of Book Search

III

He awoke the next morning to the sound of knocking at the front door. He opened the door to see Rose standing there.

“Huh? I didn’t expect to see here,” he said.

“I didn’t expect to be here.”

They didn’t say anything for awhile until Steve broke the silence.

“Um, so why are you here?”

“I don’t want break up. I know what I did was wrong and it will never happen again.”

Steve just stood there in the doorway.

“Well this is surprising. Why now?”

“Because I love you.”

“You love me? Sometimes love is confused with other feelings, you don’t love me, maybe at one point, but not anymore. When you left last night I realized something: I rely on you, and perhaps you relied on me too. That`s all I think we had left: reliability. But what now? Nothing, that’s what, I have nothing. But I can manage. At least I hope I can. I’m sorry Rose, you were right: this wasn’t working. I’m sorry. I’ll see you.” Steve closed the door.

He had to because at that moment he broke down. Tears rolled down his cheeks and dropped to the floor. Rose probably could hear him sobbing if she was still on the other side. But it didn’t matter. Steve felt perhaps that speech was made for him. Steve eventually stopped crying and just lay there heaving softly. He started to get up slowly and lit a cigarette. He started thinking of what the guy at the party had said: about he used to go to Withrow Park. Steve decided that he would check out the park. He grabbed his peacoat and left.

Steve got off the streetcar and was hit by the nightly chill. He buttoned up his coat. Steve walked down the street towards the park and admired how quiet and peaceful it was. As he reached the park Steve pulled a cigarette out and lit it.

The park was dark except for a few light posts. There were a few benches on the walkway and Steve decided that he would sit on the one under a huge tree. He sat there looking at the scenery while smoking slowly. This is actually calming he thought. Steve had been there an hour when a figure came out from the shadows.

“Hello there,” the stranger said.

“Hello… do I know you?” Steve asked.

“Actually you do,” the stranger said as he stepped out from the shadows.
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Anything? Should I even continue?