July 16, 2013

She was standing in the dark looking away from me. The shadows of passersby stretching forward, fed by the light of the plaza behind us.
The cool night air buzzed quietly with the sounds of closing time, and the prospect of home and rest.
I took a couple steps to bring myself level with her and sighed.
"So..." I said before clearing my throat.
She laughed a little at my awkward breech of the silence.
"So?" She replied, still avoiding my eyes.
I knew what I needed to tell her. I'd been building up the courage, and more than that, I'd been preparing myself for the announcement that would break my heart and shatter hers.
"I never did this right before, you know?" I said somberly.
"Right? What do you mean?" she asked innocently, turning her head toward me slightly, but never looking up to meet my eyes.
"Girlie, I need you to look at me."
She fell into a fit of nervous giggling and finally turned toward me. A part of me wanted to take her hand, but I stopped myself.
"I..." I paused, feeling like the desert had taken up residence in my throat. "I think- no. Girlie, I'm ending things between us. I need you to know that I mean it this time. I wanted to tell you in person, the right way."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

This is how I wanted it to be. I couldn't write the rest because it wasn't just a story, it was leading into a dialogue.