A Little Something For Him

Short Story 1: It'll Work

I can't read you.

Your face is blank.

A perfect poker face that probably took you years to perfect.

"I still-" I cough and choke on tears, "I still don't understand why yer' doin' this."

Pain flashes in his deep forest eyes.

No matter how hard he tries, he can't hide those emotions from me. The emotions I've trained myself to see in him. And only him, because no one else bothers to hide their thoughts or feelings the way he does. His pain was always there, I just had to see it.

"I'm doing this because I love you-"

"Bullshit!" I shout, crying harder

He can't lie to me. He can't and he knows it, but he'll be damned if he doesn't try.

"It's because…"

"Spit it out Nick," I whimper, "Yuh can't hurt me anymore than yew already have…"

There was silence. A long silence that I tried not to break by screaming 'Fucking tell me!' Because no matter what he was going to tell me, I didn't think there was anything I could do to help the situation. Nick didn't want to be with me.

"Ellis, darling-" the man started

"Don't 'Ellis darling' me! Just tell me why we can't be together! What did I do wrong! Please Nick, tell me what I can do to fix this!"

My conman stared into my eyes with raw, obvious pain masking over his face.

"You think this is your fault!" He asked in complete confusion

"Well what else could it be?" I wondered, wiping the steady stream of tears that escaped from my eyes.

"This… Oh, Ellis. This is on me, it's not you."

"Haven't heard that one before!" I about stabbed my heart out right then

"Really Ellis-"

"Nick, you-"

We were both trying to talk over the other. Neither of us listening. Fighting a war that couldn't be won.

"Ellis, shut up you stupid hick!"

My mouth snapped shut with an audible snap and a natural pout formed on my lips as I narrowed my eyes at my lover.

"Alright Ellis," Nick wiped a hand over his face, then tilted his head back and stared at the ceiling, "I am fucking scared of being in a relationship."

"Why?" I whispered so quiet that I don't think he heard me, but he explained anyway.

"I had one fuck-up marriage." He sighs, "After that it was one night stands and drunken dances, never asking for numbers or remembering names."

The man in the white suit continued to stare at the ceiling.

"I don't want another fuck-up. I don't want to break your heart, Overalls."

Tears flowed hot down my cheeks, but got caught on my smile. There was no hesitation in my movement towards him. I wrapped my arms around his neck and tilted his chin down so that he had to look me in the eyes.

"Don't be scared," I told him, "It'll work out for us, I know it will."

"Forever an optimist," he smiled, accepting the truth in my words and wrapping his arms around my waist.

I lean forward on my tiptoes and he kisses me with a passion he must have been hiding.

End short story 1