She stood at the edge of the cliff with her eyes closed and her arms spread out as far as they could stretch, palms facing the sky. She took a deep breath, feeling her too-quick heart beating faster than normal in her chest. The wind whipped her short hair across her face, stinging her cheeks.

Like this, she could remember the pain. She could remember the love she felt and the hate she feels. The happiness she had and the sadness she now carried. She could remember the subtle slope of his deep brown, almost black, eyes and the way they would squint slightly when he smiled. His short black hair, soft like a dog's fur. His laugh, loud and full and so full of happiness. She took in a deep breath. As she released it, she opened her eyes and tilted her face to the sky, her tears running down into her hair right as the first drop of rain hit her cheek. And then it was pouring.

The irony was there. She could laugh it off—move on like everyone expected her to. Because honestly, what chance did she have now? He loved her, and she could never be her. Maybe she could have been once, a long time ago. Because he used to look at her the same way. Because he used to laugh like that with her. Because he used to love her like that. Now it seemed as though she didn't exist. He only had eyes for her, like she was the only girl he'd ever seen.

How was it possible that he couldn't see how he was killing her?

Everyday, forced to stay and dying to leave, she had to watch him learn to love her more than he'd ever loved anyone. She hated him so much. If she could so something, anything, she knew she would. She wouldn't skip a beat. Because somewhere deep down she knew that he had to still feel something for her. There was no way so many moments together could suddenly be so insignificant. So meaningless. There was no way he just suddenly didn't give a damn about her. But that was it. He didn't. He couldn't. He wasn't allowed to love her, even if he wanted to. She hated him. She loved him. There would never be anyone but him. And somewhere, deep down, she believed he loved her and he hated her, too. He needed her. He wanted her.

And Leah would never be her.