Long Story Short

You're Losing Me

"Following up on our next segment, everyone's favorite 'it' couple, May and Drew, hasn't been spotted together in months, and fans are raising eyebrows. Is there trouble in paradise? Find out after this commercial brea-" May turned off the T.V. before show host Roxy could finish.

She sighed. The brunette never understood how her personal life qualified as news. It was no one's business to begin with, but throughout her skyrocketing career, she had her fill of rumors ranging from Drew to chatter about her hip and thighs. May got up from the couch in her living room and walked to the kitchen behind her. As she prepared to brew her tea, she couldn't help but think that the gossip channels held some truth in their insinuations this time. After setting some water to boil in the kettle, she pulled out her phone.

The black screen reflected the sleepless nights in her eyes. May tapped on her messaging app and scrolled through her chat history. Her unread messages tormented her.

8/13 10:31 p.m. "Hey, sorry I couldn't answer your call earlier!"

8/14 1:14 p.m. "Are you alright? You don't take this long to check in."

8/17 8:03 a.m. "It's been a few days. Maybe you need some space?"

8/25 2:25 a.m. "I miss you."

She sent dozens of other messages in the following weeks, but she had no success. Her messages said delivered, but that made her feel worse. She saw the dozens of unanswered calls she made to Drew. The only words she heard from him recently came from his nonchalant voicemail, "Hey, it's Drew. Leave a message." May tried to justify his unresponsiveness by assuming he was busy prepping for his upcoming performance, but her heart warned her something was off. Her eyes got watery thinking about the possibilities. Was he upset with her? Was he with someone else? Worst of all, did he stop loving her? Ever since she became famous, she'd come to expect the worst-case scenario. That was a result of the negativity she'd grown accustomed to.

In her loneliness, she blamed herself. She should've answered when Drew called. Maybe something critical happened, and he needed her? However, when she saw him on TV, Drew appeared fine. Perhaps that's what made it all the more distressing. When she saw Drew in an interview, he didn't look like the kind of guy concerned with responding to his girlfriend. Then again, Drew was good at hiding his feelings.

Her train of thought snapped when the kettle whistled. Her water finished boiling. She frantically turned off the stove, halting the kettle's cry. While she threw a tea bag in her mug, her mind reverted to Drew.

She'd never felt so isolated from him before. She felt like an imposition. May couldn't ignore the ache in her stomach or heart. The girl grabbed a teaspoon to stir her hot tea. She dozed off while staring at the green tea. She pictured Drew's emerald eyes. She'd never seen that shade of green until she met him. May lifted her mug and blew on her tea to cool it down. When she set the mug on the counter, she muttered, "Maybe he needs a little more time." The lie she told herself added to the pain inside her. Every excuse she made for him compounded into a condition weighing down on her. Some nights, she dreamt he texted her. Other nights, she dreamt he was at her door. Aside from the nights of tossing and turning, she couldn't remember the last time she had a decent meal. She refused to eat even when she trained with Wallace. Her mentor seemed oblivious to her distress, but May didn't want to involve anyone in her private matters. He likely wouldn't understand anyway.

She approached her coffee table, where the coordinator set her phone. She grabbed a seat near the balcony, which gave her a panoramic view of the city's skyline. The millions of city lights swallowed up the night sky. There were no stars to admire tonight.

May blew on her tea, then took a sip. Her sapphire eyes were dim as she thought about previous fights with Drew. They had arguments before, like any couple, but they never went so much time without speaking to each other. There hadn't even been an argument this time. May acknowledged that this wasn't like before. This time was different, but she was afraid to face it. She feared to think the rose she picked had pricked her with its thorn. That would be too brutal of an irony to confront, at least alone. Her family and friends were too far to comfort her. The only company she had were the darkness of her apartment and the sound of the clock ticking.

Was it over when their paths diverged? She wondered. They traveled and competed together for as long as she could remember until it got to a point where she kept winning and winning, elevating her star. May hadn't noticed then, but each victory pulled her away from him. Yet, Drew assured her that her rising stardom wouldn't impede their bond. He would be there for her, near and far. She vividly remembered the warm touch of his hands and the soft peck of his lips. It gave her the confidence she needed. Now, that confidence was hanging by a thread. May couldn't let go. The brunette clenched the mug's handle. Drew vowed he'd be there. She refused to surrender her trust in him so easily. The best thing in her life was what she and Drew had built together, especially when she had so little outside of it. Her heart wouldn't allow it to crumble. It's what kept her going.

Her eyes were fixated on the skyline for the rest of the night until her eyelids started weighing on her. Nonetheless, she remained seated in the dark with her tea that had gone cold. May's chin lowered on the table. She resisted the need to sleep. She feared she would miss a call or text from the love of her life. As hard as she tried, the weeks of poor sleep were starting to take their toll. May couldn't resist much more when she leaned on the table. Her arms rested lazily on the table. Her head stayed glued to the table. She couldn't budge. Then her eyelids fell, and May could no longer see the city lights.

Suddenly, the vibration of her phone set off all her senses. May jerked up in her seat with wide eyes, like someone who just got icy water poured on them. Her heart nearly leaped out of her chest. The phone's vibrating scared her, but amongst the anxiety and uncertainty, she found a glimmer of hope. Without hesitation, she grabbed her device to see what she got. A rush of adrenaline coursed inside her when she saw the message. She foolishly didn't even question why he sent a text at 3 in the morning. Truthfully, she didn't want to know why. If she asked, it might anger him. The only thing that mattered was that it came from him, finally.

"Come support me in Hearthome next week?"

May sighed with relief and grew a soft smile for the first time in weeks. She had a million questions and wanted to know how he was doing, but there would be time to save their relationship when she'd reunite with him. It was better to do it in person anyway. She'd make time for them. Their love was vital to her.

May scrambled her fingers across the screen. "Of course!"

Her faith in Drew and their relationship remained strong, or so she thought.