Chapter 6: Surprise!
The week following Starry Night Cliff avoided me every chance he could get. At first I thought that maybe he was busy at the Inn or trying to make new friends, but when I found him at his usual places I started to get suspicious. This was embarrassing I mean after everything that happened that night and I still needed a straight answer about if we were together or not. I wondered if something was bothering him, so one day while I was at the church I decided to confront him about it all.
*Flashback*
"I'm so sick and tired of waiting" I thought as I made my way towards the church. "I need and answer and I'm going to get one". I pulled open the heavy doors with a tug and quickly spotted Cliff sitting in the front aisle. I stormed up to him. When he noticed me a surprised look came across his face but was quickly masked by sorrow. I was tired of seeing his self-pity and decided to continue with my plan.
"Where have you been this week? Why have you been ignoring me? And why haven't you come by at all?" I asked all at once.
He said nothing and stared at the floor.
"No Cliff! I'm not taking silence for an answer, just please tell me." I nearly yelled.
He continued to say nothing.
"Why won't you say anything to me? Don't you care about me anymore?" I asked in a quiet voice.
This seemed to strike his attention as he looked up at me with guilty eyes.
"No…no Claire that's not it…" he struggled to get out.
"Then what? What could possibly be the problem?" I said.
The look in his eyes changed to something that I've never seen before and he gave a dark laugh.
"You won't understand, nobody will. That's why it's best you leave me alone" he grunted.
"Cliff… that's not what I want. And what do you mean I won't understand? How can I understand if you never tell me anything?" I said.
"That's it that's why because you just couldn't leave me alone that day I was leaving town. You had to give me hope that everything was going to be okay and that I could stay here forever. Well face the truth here Claire, I can't, I don't belong here. And I'm not going to bring you into this so just stop." He yelled.
I was completely shocked. Me, it's my fault? I had considered many things that could be troubling Cliff but I never stopped to consider myself.
"I just wanted to be with you and I thought you felt the same way" I pleaded.
He was silent for a moment and then muttered " I did".
I let it sink in for a moment. He did, meaning in the past. Tears threatened to pour from my eyes as a spun on my heels and started to leave.