This Is Goodbye
I never meant to hurt you
I never meant to lie
So this is goodbye
'Porcelain' by Moby
Waiting has never been so nerve-wracking. In many a situation, he has had to wait but none of those times even remotely compares to this. He has counted and recounted the twenty seven pins thrust randomly into the cork board, many of them holding flyers in place. He has read the seventeen flyers. Two of them announce a garage sale. Five of them are wedding dates. Four are deaths. The remaining six speak of lost pets and rewards for their return.
"Mac."
He turns to look at her. Golden hair bounces around her face in curls he longs to run through his fingers. Eyes more intense than anyone else's stare at him. His throat dries. "Stella. I... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. I never want to hurt you."
"You did."
"I was trying to protect-"
"You lied to me, Mac," her voice is firm. "That's all there is to it."
"-your life," he finishes weakly.
A gust of wind tears down the street, rustling the flyers. One is freed from its pin and spirals downwards. It hits the street only to be picked up by the next blast of air. A teenager riding a skateboard whizzes past. There's a scratching sound as the wheels drag along the concrete. He disappears around the corner, leaving them alone once more.
"I can't do this any more. I can't be around you."
"What?"
He's surprised by his admission as much as she is. His eyes widening, he stares at her. As she frowns, it formulates in his mind. "I can't stay here knowing that I'm hurting you."
"You hurt me, Mac," she agrees, "but that doesn't mean you shouldn't be around me. I-"
"Goodbye."
Her shocked expression is the last thing he sees before he turns his back and walks away.
fin.