12. The sound of waves
The sound of waves was an oddly appropriate soundtrack to the moment when Ren's world crashed down around his ears.
"What...?" He asked uncomprehending. He reached out his hand towards Kyoko, his heart clenching when she flinched away from his touch. Defeated, he let his arm drop back to his side. "I don't understand."
"I'm sorry." Kyoko said miserably, staring at the ground. Unable to look him in the eye as she carved out his heart. "I just...I can't do this anymore. I tried. But...you didn't try with me."
"Didn't try?"
At the sound of his incredulity she jerked her head up. Ren could see the tears that were threatening to fall. He could also see the hard glint in her eye, before it softened into defeat.
"Ren, over the past six months I've seen you a total of four times. And we've talked seven times on the phone.
"You never answer my calls, and when you do you make them as short as you possibly can."
"I..." He tried to defend his actions but realised with a start that she was right. He had sacrificed Kyoko for his work and now everything was wrong and didn't know how to fix it. Didn't know if he could.
"I'm so, so, sorry." She whispered as she kissed him on the cheek, backing away before he could grab her and demand that she stay, to make this right.
"Goodbye, Ren."
Then she was gone and Ren was left standing on the beach as the waves crashed behind him, staring at a line of footprints that led away from him and fingering the ring box in his pocket.
Hahahaha! *ducks*