Deal
Prologue
“We have to talk.”
The words hung between us like a dense fog. Unlike the cool spring air I’d just walked in from, the suffocating atmosphere within his house had me reeling and it took all of my strength to take in a shaky breath. Meanwhile, a voice in the back of my head screamed at me to run. Haven’t you lost enough? It screeched incessantly, but I was glued to his welcome mat. Trapped in this sorrowful fate.
Though I tried to keep my eyes averted, peering around his colonial home which had, in effect, become my own these past five years, I found myself peeking over at the lean, tan man just beyond me. Unsurprisingly, the differences in our countenances were obvious. While I found myself fidgeting awkwardly just beyond his front door, he leaned coolly against his kitchen counter several feet away. His dark eyes were trained on me, but I could see no emotions behind them. Fearing their penetrating power, my attention immediate fell to the hardwood floor. He seemed completely unaffected by the pregnant silence after the words were spoken. I, as per usual, was swallowing back a sob.
“Zack– ” My voice trailed off as I brushed a blond strand of hair from my face to look up at him again.
Another pause. Our eyes bore so far deep into each other’s, it was as if we were seeing passed what was right in front of us, passed this situation. We weren’t thinking of what was or what could be. We weren’t thinking of the lake house we’d planned to buy or the golden retriever Daisy we’d said we’d adopt someday. We weren’t envisioning meeting for lunch on our breaks when we would both be working in Boston, Massachusetts, I as a nurse and he as a lawyer. We weren’t even thinking of a tomorrow, but instead of what we were that day, a sunny unassuming May 7th, when everything went to pieces. And what we were was an almost-perfect couple of five years, the relationship that everyone was envious of, the high school sweethearts that were going to make it. Well, supposed to. But I’d long since realized that even the most wonderful and blessed circumstances came to an abrupt, bitter end eventually.
“I’m breaking up with you.”
And I flew out the door, tears streaming down my face, sobbing my final goodbye to my almost-perfect life forever.
The words hung between us like a dense fog. Unlike the cool spring air I’d just walked in from, the suffocating atmosphere within his house had me reeling and it took all of my strength to take in a shaky breath. Meanwhile, a voice in the back of my head screamed at me to run. Haven’t you lost enough? It screeched incessantly, but I was glued to his welcome mat. Trapped in this sorrowful fate.
Though I tried to keep my eyes averted, peering around his colonial home which had, in effect, become my own these past five years, I found myself peeking over at the lean, tan man just beyond me. Unsurprisingly, the differences in our countenances were obvious. While I found myself fidgeting awkwardly just beyond his front door, he leaned coolly against his kitchen counter several feet away. His dark eyes were trained on me, but I could see no emotions behind them. Fearing their penetrating power, my attention immediate fell to the hardwood floor. He seemed completely unaffected by the pregnant silence after the words were spoken. I, as per usual, was swallowing back a sob.
“Zack– ” My voice trailed off as I brushed a blond strand of hair from my face to look up at him again.
Another pause. Our eyes bore so far deep into each other’s, it was as if we were seeing passed what was right in front of us, passed this situation. We weren’t thinking of what was or what could be. We weren’t thinking of the lake house we’d planned to buy or the golden retriever Daisy we’d said we’d adopt someday. We weren’t envisioning meeting for lunch on our breaks when we would both be working in Boston, Massachusetts, I as a nurse and he as a lawyer. We weren’t even thinking of a tomorrow, but instead of what we were that day, a sunny unassuming May 7th, when everything went to pieces. And what we were was an almost-perfect couple of five years, the relationship that everyone was envious of, the high school sweethearts that were going to make it. Well, supposed to. But I’d long since realized that even the most wonderful and blessed circumstances came to an abrupt, bitter end eventually.
“I’m breaking up with you.”
And I flew out the door, tears streaming down my face, sobbing my final goodbye to my almost-perfect life forever.
♠ ♠ ♠
And let the story begin. Enjoy!