Living In Her Shadow
Chapter 3
Matt was dumbfounded. This wasn't what was supposed to happen. He couldn't grasp what was going on. Part of him was angry. How could she leave him like this? What made her think she could issue an ultimatum to him? Yet another part of him was ashamed. Had he made her feel this way? Matt knew things had been difficult lately, even trying, but hadn't he always shown Samantha that she was loved. Mostly, he was confused. He felt like he'd been blindsided. Why didn't he see this coming?
Samantha backed away from him, placed the clothing in her arms into the suitcase on the bed, and closed it. She looked back at Matt, still on one knee. He seemed to be wrestling with his thoughts. This was the hardest thing she ever had to do. She was leaving the man she loved. She tried to rationalize her leaving to herself once again. "If he can't convince me that he's not thinking of Mac, how can he convince himself? How can he move on? And how could I let myself be with someone who doesn't see me?" She murmured under her breath. "It's for the best, it has to be. Maybe he'll finally be able to let her go." She picked up the suitcase and walked past Matt, avoiding eye contact. Quickly she glanced back at him. He seemed hurt and broken. Tears began streaming down her face. She didn't want to hurt him, but she couldn't pretend that everything was okay anymore. She was at the door when she heard him calling her.
"Samantha . . ." He spoke, barely audible.
Samantha stopped where she stood, but didn't turn around to face him. She knew that if she faced him she wouldn't be able to leave.
"Samantha, we can work this out. I know things haven't been great, but they haven't been all that bad." He said. There was a lack of compassion and understanding in his voice. He didn't know what to say, what she wanted to hear. He loved her, he knew that and so should she. He meant to make her stay, but he came off more as a man who simply didn't understand her feelings.
That's all he has to say to me? She thought. I thought I meant something to him, I thought he cared about me. He doesn't get it. Samantha walked away with a heavy weight on her shoulders. Not only did she lose the only man she ever loved, it turns out he didn't really love her. As she approached the door to their apartment, she could hold back the tears no longer. Her eyes were flooded and as she let her emotions go. She began to hyperventilate, but kept moving. She needed to leave, this was the hard part . . . leaving. Samantha reached her car and placed the suitcase in the back seat. Once she was seated in the driver's seat, she tried as best she could to get herself together. As she backed out of the driveway, she saw Matt run out of the apartment. He was coming towards her. She threw the car into drive. She knew that if he were to catch up to her, she probably wouldn't be able to do this.
He wasn't able to catch up to her. She couldn't wait to get away from me. Matt collapsed in the driveway, where her car had been. Matt didn't know what else to do. Wasn't my proposal proof that I wanted her, loved her? What else does she want? "Why? What went wrong? Why is this happening?" Matt howled at the sky. "Samantha!" He yelled, pounding the ground. The neighbors across the street were staring at the scene. One whispering to the other about what they had witnessed. After a few minutes of watching Matt bloody himself, lost in a flood of tears, a man from next door picked him up from the ground and helped him back into the house.
Chapter 3
Matt was dumbfounded. This wasn't what was supposed to happen. He couldn't grasp what was going on. Part of him was angry. How could she leave him like this? What made her think she could issue an ultimatum to him? Yet another part of him was ashamed. Had he made her feel this way? Matt knew things had been difficult lately, even trying, but hadn't he always shown Samantha that she was loved. Mostly, he was confused. He felt like he'd been blindsided. Why didn't he see this coming?
Samantha backed away from him, placed the clothing in her arms into the suitcase on the bed, and closed it. She looked back at Matt, still on one knee. He seemed to be wrestling with his thoughts. This was the hardest thing she ever had to do. She was leaving the man she loved. She tried to rationalize her leaving to herself once again. "If he can't convince me that he's not thinking of Mac, how can he convince himself? How can he move on? And how could I let myself be with someone who doesn't see me?" She murmured under her breath. "It's for the best, it has to be. Maybe he'll finally be able to let her go." She picked up the suitcase and walked past Matt, avoiding eye contact. Quickly she glanced back at him. He seemed hurt and broken. Tears began streaming down her face. She didn't want to hurt him, but she couldn't pretend that everything was okay anymore. She was at the door when she heard him calling her.
"Samantha . . ." He spoke, barely audible.
Samantha stopped where she stood, but didn't turn around to face him. She knew that if she faced him she wouldn't be able to leave.
"Samantha, we can work this out. I know things haven't been great, but they haven't been all that bad." He said. There was a lack of compassion and understanding in his voice. He didn't know what to say, what she wanted to hear. He loved her, he knew that and so should she. He meant to make her stay, but he came off more as a man who simply didn't understand her feelings.
That's all he has to say to me? She thought. I thought I meant something to him, I thought he cared about me. He doesn't get it. Samantha walked away with a heavy weight on her shoulders. Not only did she lose the only man she ever loved, it turns out he didn't really love her. As she approached the door to their apartment, she could hold back the tears no longer. Her eyes were flooded and as she let her emotions go. She began to hyperventilate, but kept moving. She needed to leave, this was the hard part . . . leaving. Samantha reached her car and placed the suitcase in the back seat. Once she was seated in the driver's seat, she tried as best she could to get herself together. As she backed out of the driveway, she saw Matt run out of the apartment. He was coming towards her. She threw the car into drive. She knew that if he were to catch up to her, she probably wouldn't be able to do this.
He wasn't able to catch up to her. She couldn't wait to get away from me. Matt collapsed in the driveway, where her car had been. Matt didn't know what else to do. Wasn't my proposal proof that I wanted her, loved her? What else does she want? "Why? What went wrong? Why is this happening?" Matt howled at the sky. "Samantha!" He yelled, pounding the ground. The neighbors across the street were staring at the scene. One whispering to the other about what they had witnessed. After a few minutes of watching Matt bloody himself, lost in a flood of tears, a man from next door picked him up from the ground and helped him back into the house.