What I Once Called Love: The Drafts

Remembrance

I remember when our fairytale started to unravel at the seams.

You were still my knight in shining armor and I your damsel in need of saving. You craved my kiss as you strode off to battle, but you knew you'd soon be home and curled up in my arms. In an attempt to quell your thirst, you found solace in the burning of dark contents from a bottle. One drink became three, and you found your need to be touched growing stronger by the minute. You decided to sleep it off in the barracks, but you didn't expect her to be there waiting for you.

The next morning, you grimaced at the smell of cheap perfume that was most definitely not the calming scent of my neck. You rolled over and noticed the disheveling of your armor across the floor along with an unknown stocking that peeked out from the foot of your bed. Grabbing the pillow behind you, you muted your screams of guilt as the memories of the night before flooded your mind.

I remember the night you told me.

It was the middle of the night, and, thanks to yet another firestorm within my household, I was wide awake. No words could have expressed how much I missed you nor could they explain how often I checked my calendar for the date of your return. In the midst of trying to reason with my body to go to sleep, your name flashed across the screen of my phone. I was overjoyed to hear from you, but you sounded like you were in pain.

You began speaking at a rate in which I could not understand what you were saying. I begged you to slow down, but you continued on, leaving me to catch only a few words standing at a time- drunk...girl...sheets... child. I held back tears as you told me that you still loved me and that would never change, but our story had to end so you could do the right thing. My breaths shallowed as you said goodbye, but I could not bear to put the phone down. 

Because putting it down would mean letting you go, and I was not prepared to close the book on us.