Michael
Hissing noise
Punch
Punch
Hiss
Hiss
Duck
....
"Mike are you okay?" Steelo quizzed unbeknownst to me.
Hiss
Hiss
Punch
Punch
Duck
Only this time I didn't duck. Steelo did. Causing me to pull my AirPod pros from my ears for the first time today.
"Bro?!" He called out.
"Sorry." I mumbled slowly removing my boxing gloves from my hands.
"Are you okay?" He asked wiping the back of his right hand against his brows.
"I'm good. It's all good." I lied throwing more fake punches into the air. And hissing.
"Are you sure?" Steelo asked catching one of my punches with his bare hands. Then cowering over in pain.
"Steez!" I yelled in frustration. Quickly calming myself. "You good?" I asked feeling like a big piece of shit for blindly hitting him.
"I'll be okay." He whispered. "Are you okay?" He asked for the umpteenth time.
Something about the way he had asked easily and quickly exposing my true feelings. "I just feel like everything is caving in around me." I admitted shakily. "She almost ruined my life right? I should be mad at her right?" I quizzed. "And thankful she left when she did." I murmured. Making my way over to the punching bag in Steelo's gym.
"Bro ... I was just talking shit.You know ... to make you feel better. But now I can see that it's not helping." Steelo admitted.
"What?" I questioned. "She's not the worst thing that ever happened to me? Something I need to escape?" I quizzed easily becoming overwhelmed with emotion.
"In all honesty she might have been the best thing that ever happened to you." Steelo admitted turning a weird sort of sour apple brown.
"I know man." I admitted as a small knot formed in the pit of my stomach. Slowly growing as my shoulders fell. I could fell the tears began to well in the corners of my eyes. "Steez ... I'm lost without her."
"Then go get your girl back." He whispered. Softly placing his hand on my shoulder.
It had been two weeks since she left.
I could remember the look in her eyes when she broke up with me ... almost vividly. Those eyes I had grown to love now vacant of the same love she once shared for me.
"I used you." Those words left her lips so effortlessly. I began to roughly shake my head at the memory alone. "I did. But now I don't need you anymore. We had a good run. But it's over now. I'm moving to Atlanta. Filming my movie. And moving on with my life. I suggest you do the same."
She didn't mean that. She couldn't have. Could she?
Not after all we've been through. After all the memories we'd created. All the love we shared. She couldn't have meant it.
I don't care what her mouth said. For a moment her eyes told the truth. Just before tears formed in them and she walked away from me.
Not taking the time to look back as she went to our room to gather her things.
