Peach Silhouette

35 | smother

Afternoon light shimmered on the pale gray sea that stretched out before me. I watched as George leapt into the waves, emerging only for a moment to breathe. Water was like air to him, I'd come to know. Strange, that someone so frightened of change would love something so volatile. Opposites attract, I guess. 

I watched his graceful movements, my eyes drawn to his form. Something about his mere existence was elegant. I set my eyes on the skyline, the clouds drifting by as the waves crashed on the sand. 

"You alright?" I snapped my head away from the horizon to see George running his hands through his soaked brown hair. 

"Yeah." I fiddled with the ring on my finger.

"You sure? You'd tell me if you weren't, right?" He asked.

"Of course." I smiled weakly, unable to meet his eyes. 

I hadn't been fine in weeks, but sometimes it's easier to pretend than to tell the truth. I think everyone can agree on that. 

"Ok, well I'm done with my swim, do you want to do something else?"

"Sure."

"What do you want to do?" 

"Actually, I think I have some errands to run." I said bluntly.

"Oh, ok." I saw the hurt flash in his eyes as the words drifted away in the wind.

"See you later." I walked away, regretting my change of heart already. I almost turned around, but I kept going, the sand dulling the sound of my footsteps. 

I grabbed my keys from the hooks by the front door and unlocked my car, sliding into the driver's side. 

I didn't have errands to run. I lied. I just felt suffocated and claustrophobic. 

I took my phone out of my pocket and opened messages. 

Kay

hey, do you need anything from the store?

five pounds of flour, a gallon of milk, and coffee beans if that's not too much to ask

not at all! i was headed out anyway

I set my phone in the holder, and swiped through my playlists, finally settling on an old playlist called "next year (past tense)." 

Lyrics surrounded me as I pulled out of the driveway and onto the road. I parked in an open space in front of the small cafe I hadn't been to since November. 

Not much has changed in the space since I had last visited. The person wasn't at the piano this time. In fact, I didn't see them anywhere. 

But the same barista greeted me and took my order. He looked a little more tired, and when my eyes flicked down to his hands, they were ringless. 

I sat down at an empty table and waited for my name to be called. Faint music crackled through the speakers in the ceiling. 

"It may take some time but trust me, playing the long game is so so worth it."

I wondered if the long game had been worth it for them. If it was ever really worth it, or if one person would always hurt more than the other.