Long, Long Time
7:50 PM - 10:43 PM
“Go find somewhere else to hide from your screaming fans,” There she was. Sitting on the ledge of the pool, her dress in folds in her lap, her heels carelessly flung behind her and her feet were soaking in the water.
“What?” I sputtered out. The entire room was dark except for the eery glow of the swimming pool.
“Go. This is my hiding spot. Besides, you looked like you were enjoying yourself out there. Mr. Hot Shot,” Her legs swung back and forth in the water, creating ripples and waves causing the lighting to shift, casting an ethereal glow on her face.
“What if I don't want to?”
“Well, I was never able to stop you before.”
I strode over to where she was. I kicked off my too-shiny, too-new dress shoes and my cashmere socks. I rolled up my pant legs and sat next to her, close enough that our knees touched. “So what have you been up to the last couple years?”
“Seriously? You just waltz in here after four years and just ask me whats up?”
“Why is that illegal? Should I have started with some bullshit small talk and then ask these questions? Tell me Carly what exactly is the protocol after four years.”
“Well it would have been nice to have gotten something in between. A letter, a postcard, an email, a phone call. Something! We were young then, heck we're young now, but we knew what we had was something special. Something that not everyone experiences.”
“Then why the fuck did you break up with me?”
“Because! If I didn't, then you would have stayed in Ontario. You wouldn't have left and gone to Tampa. Don't you deny it. You knew you would have stayed for me. You would have given up your dream for me.”
“You're right I would have given up my dream to spend forever by your side, to wake up to your smile. I loved you that much but did you think it was easy for me to leave? I was torn between playing in the NHL and being right where you are. I didn't write. I didn't call because I was that angry at you for not even wanting to try.”
“Try? What was there to try? Did you expect me to drop out of high school? To leave my family behind?”
“We would have figured out something. Before you, there was no one and after you, there can be no one else. Every word you say, everything you do is so warm to me. I love you so much that I can hardly breathe.”
Carly looked down and kicked her legs back and forth in the water, swirling the light.
“Who are you hiding from anyways?” I ask breaking the fragile silence surrounding us.
Carly looked up at me with those blue-green eyes, “You,” She whispered so softly that I thought I imagined it. “I was afraid. I am afraid of you and how I felt and all the things I wanted to say four years ago. But I'm not afraid anymore. I want to be with you forever. Forever is a long time but I wouldn't mind spending it by your side.”
“What?” I sputtered out. The entire room was dark except for the eery glow of the swimming pool.
“Go. This is my hiding spot. Besides, you looked like you were enjoying yourself out there. Mr. Hot Shot,” Her legs swung back and forth in the water, creating ripples and waves causing the lighting to shift, casting an ethereal glow on her face.
“What if I don't want to?”
“Well, I was never able to stop you before.”
I strode over to where she was. I kicked off my too-shiny, too-new dress shoes and my cashmere socks. I rolled up my pant legs and sat next to her, close enough that our knees touched. “So what have you been up to the last couple years?”
“Seriously? You just waltz in here after four years and just ask me whats up?”
“Why is that illegal? Should I have started with some bullshit small talk and then ask these questions? Tell me Carly what exactly is the protocol after four years.”
“Well it would have been nice to have gotten something in between. A letter, a postcard, an email, a phone call. Something! We were young then, heck we're young now, but we knew what we had was something special. Something that not everyone experiences.”
“Then why the fuck did you break up with me?”
“Because! If I didn't, then you would have stayed in Ontario. You wouldn't have left and gone to Tampa. Don't you deny it. You knew you would have stayed for me. You would have given up your dream for me.”
“You're right I would have given up my dream to spend forever by your side, to wake up to your smile. I loved you that much but did you think it was easy for me to leave? I was torn between playing in the NHL and being right where you are. I didn't write. I didn't call because I was that angry at you for not even wanting to try.”
“Try? What was there to try? Did you expect me to drop out of high school? To leave my family behind?”
“We would have figured out something. Before you, there was no one and after you, there can be no one else. Every word you say, everything you do is so warm to me. I love you so much that I can hardly breathe.”
Carly looked down and kicked her legs back and forth in the water, swirling the light.
“Who are you hiding from anyways?” I ask breaking the fragile silence surrounding us.
Carly looked up at me with those blue-green eyes, “You,” She whispered so softly that I thought I imagined it. “I was afraid. I am afraid of you and how I felt and all the things I wanted to say four years ago. But I'm not afraid anymore. I want to be with you forever. Forever is a long time but I wouldn't mind spending it by your side.”