“I love you.”

Karen stopped dead in her tracks, the 70 degree heat suddenly feeling like 97. In slow motion, as though afraid to see sincerity in his eyes, she turned to face him. They stood on the sidewalk in front of a small french bistro two blocks from her apartment complex. Here she was, the six-foot-three, broad shouldered Darien King towering over her. This dark-haired, brown-eyed, ruggedly handsome Darien King. The same one to whom she’d given her heart. The same one who’d, so coldly, shred it in a million tiny pieces and flushed it down the toilet. She had pinned for this day for about 5,475 days give or take – not that she was counting. Yet here she was, speechless. The words she’d rehearsed so many times, couldn’t make their way from her heart to her lips. All she could manage was a weak and confused sounding chuckle.

It felt like the bustle of the people and cars completely stopped. He looked so intently into her dark brown eyes, searching for something he knew was there. She gave him her coldest glare and watched him die a little inside. In fact, she almost wanted to celebrate the fact that he was hurting. So what was that thing in her heart still tugging at strings she thought she’d cut long ago? She would deal with that later. For right now, she had to get out of there before she said or did anything she would regret. So she turned away from the one man who will always have her heart. As she sashayed away, she knew he was breaking just like she had that day.

***

Karen Sway had never looked at him like that. Not even when he had told her she wasn’t good enough for him, and turned his back on her. That was the first time he really saw the pain he’d caused the only person he never ever wanted to hurt, and he wanted to slap himself for damaging her like that.

Now he was back and more in love with her than he’d been before he broke her heart. I had no choice.  He kept telling himself this, hoping that if he said it enough, he’d convince himself that she’d understand. Would she understand? Would she ever even let him explain? He wondered about all this as he watched her walk away from him. The love of his life was walking out of his life! What are you doing you idiot?! Follow her NOW!

“Karen, I’m serious. I love you. I always did. Please stop!”. She turned around so abruptly and started to say something. As he closed the gap between them, he saw her catch her breath like she’d decided not to confront him after all. She still couldn’t bring herself to say one damn word? He saw the tears start to gather in her eyes and she bit them back. Then it hit him. She hadn’t moved on. She still hurt deep down and now here he was, bringing all her buried pain back to life. He now understood that she wasn’t ready to face him. Who could blame her? When she turned around and briskly walked away, this time he let her go. He’d have to wait.