"I have to go," he said to me, in the dark of the night, as he
wrapped his arms tighter around my body.
I tilted my head up to look into his bright eyes. Past him, the willow tree's branches swayed in the light breeze. "Do you have to?"
"I am needed elsewhere," he whispered, looking far off into the distance. "Other people need my presence, and so I cannot stay."
I pressed my ear to his chest, sighing when I heard the steady beat of his heart. "Do you want to stay?"
"I must go."
"Tell me you want to stay. Just say it, even if it's not true. I want to hear the words."
His arms loosened their grip on my small body. "I cannot say something that is not true. I cannot lie, especially not to you."
I took a step back, studying his expression, which was blank. "Go then. But when the time comes that you are not needed, do not come back here to this place, for I will not be here. I will not need you anymore."
A smirk appeared on his face. "You will always need me. You cannot let go."
"I can and I will. Goodbye, Oliver." I turned and walked away from my only true love, I walked through the dense fog, I walked through the heartache, and I walked through the realization that he was right. I would always need him. I needed his presence, I needed his arms, I needed him.
"I am needy," I whispered.
I tilted my head up to look into his bright eyes. Past him, the willow tree's branches swayed in the light breeze. "Do you have to?"
"I am needed elsewhere," he whispered, looking far off into the distance. "Other people need my presence, and so I cannot stay."
I pressed my ear to his chest, sighing when I heard the steady beat of his heart. "Do you want to stay?"
"I must go."
"Tell me you want to stay. Just say it, even if it's not true. I want to hear the words."
His arms loosened their grip on my small body. "I cannot say something that is not true. I cannot lie, especially not to you."
I took a step back, studying his expression, which was blank. "Go then. But when the time comes that you are not needed, do not come back here to this place, for I will not be here. I will not need you anymore."
A smirk appeared on his face. "You will always need me. You cannot let go."
"I can and I will. Goodbye, Oliver." I turned and walked away from my only true love, I walked through the dense fog, I walked through the heartache, and I walked through the realization that he was right. I would always need him. I needed his presence, I needed his arms, I needed him.
"I am needy," I whispered.