"You know, he doesn't deserve you."
The bright lights of the city below them reflected in her brown eyes, wide and innocent. She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, furrowing her eyebrows and pressing her lips together. He wanted to take her face in his hands, kiss her until she was dizzy.
"Stop," her voice came out in a trembling whisper. He could see her breath in the cold night air, and he grasped at the seat of the park bench to keep from touching her. She looked down at her lap, shaking her head. "I don't…you don't know anything."
"I know that he'd never love you the way that I do," he breathed, staring at her, waiting for her to walk away. She stayed where she was. "I can't stop thinking about you, Mitchie. I can't…I can't focus on anything. Everything, it all just comes back to you, and I don't…"
"I said stop," she said firmly, but he could tell she was breaking. Her shoulders were slumped over, her dark eye makeup running down her cheeks. "Why are you telling me all of this now?"
He bit the inside of his mouth, and his throat started to sting. "I just…wanted you to know."
"Well," she started. "I can't just…I'm getting married tomorrow, Nate. To your brother. I love him."
Blinking back the tears in his eyes, he let out a shaky sigh. "You don't love him, Mitchie."
"How do you know?"
"I just…I do, okay? I know that you don't love him. You don't look at him the way I look at you. You don't…you just can't."
She stood abruptly, clutching her jacket in her hands. "I do, Nate. I love Shane. I love him."
His hand was on her wrist, and he stood in front of her with one last look of desperation, one last hope that she'd change her mind. "I love you, Mitchie. I'm never going to stop loving you."
"Just…don't, Nate."
He pressed his lips against hers, and it was sweet and warm and everything good in the world. She pushed away from him, touching her fingers to her mouth.
"Why did you do that?" Her eyes were once again filled with tears, and she shook her head from side to side, her body trembling.
"I don't…"
She backed away slowly, clenching her jaw. "Why do you have to ruin everything?"
He watched her walk away, disappear into her car and leave him behind, like everyone else.