Branch's POV*
It's been two weeks since Poppy walked out of my life and I went back to being gray; I hated it. I had hardly left the bunker since and turned away all of our friends, the only one who I would let in was Floyd. He has been pushing me to confront her and to get some real answers but I can't face her yet. The wound on my heart is still open it is too soon to talk to her. The pain is overwhelming like a tidal wave that crashes over you repeatedly, physically exhausting and it leaves you feeling cold. I spend my days torn between bitter tears, cathartic numbness, and worse yet a smoldering anger at the core of the mess that has become my heart. Apart of me needs her to come home to me, to talk this over and fix it before this hits the point of no return, but the other side is terrified. At the absolute bare minimum I want to hopefully keep our friendship intact, to lose her completely would be the final blow that shattered me. I open my mouth and begin to sing.
There's a thousand words that I could say
To make you come home, yeah
Seems so long ago you walked away
Left me alone
Everything was going so well up until that day, she always seemed like she was so happy with me. Honestly, I don't understand what caused her to break up with me so suddenly. She had always been big on the two of us sharing our feelings, why would she hide her unhappiness from me? Could I have honestly been that blind to her suffering and instead was projecting my feelings onto her? Was it me that was the problem this whole time? Did I say or do something wrong that hurt her, or worse yet was there another man? I kept replaying the memory of her in my mind during that day, trying in vain to find the catalyst that caused this mutual suffering.
And I remember what you said to me
You were actin' so strange, mmm
And maybe I was too blind to see
That you needed a change
Was it somethin' I said
To make you turn away
To make you walk out and leave me cold? (Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh-ooh)
If I could just find a way
To make it so that you were right here
Right now
Reaching over to the picture of us I kept by my bed I caressed your image gently, a soft sob passing my lips. I wish it was you here right now, you would know what to do or what to say. I'm not as strong of a man as you think I am Poppy, every waking moment you are on my mind, you haunt my dreams and I see you everywhere I look. Little reminders of you are strewn about the bunker: a bottle of glitter forgotten on my dresser, your mug next to mine in the cupboard, and a plate that you brought over when you baked cookies just days before you left me. I feel like I am going crazy with grief. My sobbing grows louder. I feel like I am going crazy with this heartbreak.
I've been sittin' here
Can't get you off my mind (can't get you off my mind)
I've tried my best to be a man and be strong
I've drove myself insane
Wishin' I could touch your face (touch your face)
But the truth remains you're (gone)
You're (gone)
Baby, you're (gone)
Girl, you're gone
Baby girl, you're (gone)
You're (gone)
You're
If this is truly the end I don't know what I am going to do, she was my everything. I could turn to her about anything and she was always so understanding and patient. Did I push her away by being overly reliant on her while I was working through my trauma? Did I not give her enough attention or listen to her when she needed me the most, did I fail her so completely that she had to leave me behind? Who am I without her? She was the final piece that completed me! Is it possible that she still loves me even a little bit? I hope so.
What will I do?
If I can't be with you?
Tell me, where will I turn to?
Baby, who will I be?
Now that we are apart
Am I still in your heart?
Baby, why don't you see
That I need you here with me?
Oh, oh-oh-oh, oh
My bedroom door opens and Floyd walks in, he must have heard my crying. "Oh Bitty B." He softly murmured in a breathy voice as she made his way over to me and folded me in his arms. My sob grew to a heart-wrenching keen as my older brother held me like a small child, and in that moment that is what I felt like; a little boy who was hurting and angry at the world. "Branch maybe some time away from the village would do you some good, and the sooner the better. We could go visit Bruce, Brandi, and the kids. You can work on some of the songs there. I think you have something with this last one you were singing, it sounded really good." Floyd uttered in a hushed tone slowly releasing the grip he had on me. I nodded slightly unable to find my words among the tears and stood up. "Get packed Branch we will leave in the morning alright?" Again I nodded as Floyd gave me a reassuring smile and walked out to give me some privacy. I grab her picture and place it face-side down.
But the truth remains you're