* * * * * *
Prologue: Part Two
* * * * * *
//Five Years Previously//
"Don't look back Mackenzie," I whispered to myself.
I had to keep walking. I knew if I turned around I'd run straight back to him and return to the life I lived everyday. I'd continue to wait, I'd hang around waiting, I'd get old and die waiting for him. My pathetic existence, my pitiable excuse for a life.
I knew he was following me, I knew he knew I intended to leave.
My heels clacked against the floor, echoing in the hallway.
Clack, clack, clack.
I pressed the button to open the doors of the elevator. They opened, I stepped inside and closed my eyes. I made it without looking back.
That was when I started crying. Tears spilled down my cheeks as I waited for the elevator to arrive at the ground floor. With a sigh, I walked out and stopped, facing the doors of JAG.
"The last time," I thought, "This'll be the last time."
I stood watching the doors for a moment, thinking about that morning, yesterday morning and every weekday morning for the past 4 years... every morning, I'd walked through those doors. Every evening for the past 4 years, I walked through those doors. Twice a day for 4 years, 2080 times I'd walked through those times.
Absorbed in thought, I screamed when he grabbed my arm.
Damn him, I forgot about the stairs.
"Sarah, look me in the eye and tell me the reason you're leaving is because you don't love me.. Cuz that would be easier to deal with than this," he said.
Studying the ground intently, I mumbled an unintelligible response.
"Why can't you look at me?" he asked me.
I smiled and looked up, "Because I can't do that."
"Why not?"
"Because I don't like looking people in the eye and lying to them."
"How would that be lying?"
"Well, you've got it all wrong," I replied, staring at him sadly.
"How so?" he countered, taking a step closer to me.
I tilted my head further upward to meet his eye again.
"Because I do love you," I stated flatly, "That's why I'm leaving, because I love you."
"Don't go," he responded quietly, "Please Sarah, don't go."
"Then give me a good reason to stay," I challenged.
"Because," he pushed my hair off my face, "Because."
We stood in the uncomfortable silence, eyeing each other. Unconsciously, I leant towards him. He mirrored the action. As our lips brushed together, I closed my eyes.
"That's not a good enough reason," I murmured.
He reached out and took my hand.
"What would be Sarah?"
I avoided his gaze, "I don't know."
"Can I convince you?"
"You can try," I whispered as he kissed me.
I was still leaving in the morning.
* * *
//Two Hours Later//
Sniffling quietly as I put on my shirt, I watched him sleeping next to me.
Smearing the tears that persisted on falling across my cheek, I smiled sardonically.
"You almost convinced me," I murmured nostalgically, "Almost."
* * * * * *
Prologue: Part Two
* * * * * *
//Five Years Previously//
"Don't look back Mackenzie," I whispered to myself.
I had to keep walking. I knew if I turned around I'd run straight back to him and return to the life I lived everyday. I'd continue to wait, I'd hang around waiting, I'd get old and die waiting for him. My pathetic existence, my pitiable excuse for a life.
I knew he was following me, I knew he knew I intended to leave.
My heels clacked against the floor, echoing in the hallway.
Clack, clack, clack.
I pressed the button to open the doors of the elevator. They opened, I stepped inside and closed my eyes. I made it without looking back.
That was when I started crying. Tears spilled down my cheeks as I waited for the elevator to arrive at the ground floor. With a sigh, I walked out and stopped, facing the doors of JAG.
"The last time," I thought, "This'll be the last time."
I stood watching the doors for a moment, thinking about that morning, yesterday morning and every weekday morning for the past 4 years... every morning, I'd walked through those doors. Every evening for the past 4 years, I walked through those doors. Twice a day for 4 years, 2080 times I'd walked through those times.
Absorbed in thought, I screamed when he grabbed my arm.
Damn him, I forgot about the stairs.
"Sarah, look me in the eye and tell me the reason you're leaving is because you don't love me.. Cuz that would be easier to deal with than this," he said.
Studying the ground intently, I mumbled an unintelligible response.
"Why can't you look at me?" he asked me.
I smiled and looked up, "Because I can't do that."
"Why not?"
"Because I don't like looking people in the eye and lying to them."
"How would that be lying?"
"Well, you've got it all wrong," I replied, staring at him sadly.
"How so?" he countered, taking a step closer to me.
I tilted my head further upward to meet his eye again.
"Because I do love you," I stated flatly, "That's why I'm leaving, because I love you."
"Don't go," he responded quietly, "Please Sarah, don't go."
"Then give me a good reason to stay," I challenged.
"Because," he pushed my hair off my face, "Because."
We stood in the uncomfortable silence, eyeing each other. Unconsciously, I leant towards him. He mirrored the action. As our lips brushed together, I closed my eyes.
"That's not a good enough reason," I murmured.
He reached out and took my hand.
"What would be Sarah?"
I avoided his gaze, "I don't know."
"Can I convince you?"
"You can try," I whispered as he kissed me.
I was still leaving in the morning.
* * *
//Two Hours Later//
Sniffling quietly as I put on my shirt, I watched him sleeping next to me.
Smearing the tears that persisted on falling across my cheek, I smiled sardonically.
"You almost convinced me," I murmured nostalgically, "Almost."
* * * * * *