Is This True Love? (DNF)

Chapter 80: The Treeline

George POV.

Clay wrapped his arm around my waist, not noticing that I was carrying something. Then he connected our lips, pulling me closer to him. The blond continued to kiss me for a few moments and my hand tightened around the rock. After he backed away I glared and forced the rock up, hitting Clay in the side of the head and forcing him to stumble to the ground with a groan.

“Ger-ge!?” He asked, sounding agitated and confused. He was rubbing his head and squinting his eyes as I stepped back. “What the freck di- you do!?”
Blood was running down his forehead from somewhere hidden in his hair, dipping the blond hair a pinkish-red colour.

It was clear he had been concussed and I took a step back, still holding the rock in case he tried to move. “Wha- what the fuck?” He repeated, squinting slightly.
“I’m sorry Clay.” Was all that I muttered, continuing to back away. In fact I even turned to leave but his voice made me pause.

“Why?” He asked. “What wha did I do?” He honestly looked upset when I glanced back at him and I figured that perhaps I did owe him an explanation. I mean if I had my head hit with a rock I’d want to know what I had done to deserve it.

So I spun back around, now having both hands holding the rock as I looked down at him. “Because you don’t love me.” I answered, eyes dim as I watched him.
“What are you talking about?” He asked. “I do love you. I do.”

“No you don’t.” I shook my head. Part of me wanted to yell and curse, part of me wanted to physically hurt the blond who lay beneath me. Yet I felt calm.
“George.” Was all that he said, he attempted to stand up but when I stepped back towards him with the rock again he shrunk back. “Why?”

“All that you’ve done is try and control me while I’m here. You locked me in your room, yelled at me for wanting to leave, and kept manhandling me.”
“That was because people would try and take you.” He tried to explain. “Keeping you inside and being near you would keep you safe.”

“From who?” I was exasperated, raising my voice ever so slightly. “If people were looking for us they would have been here by now.” I took a glance around the garden, my gaze catching on the treeline, longing to head towards it yet I still decided to stay here for a few more long moments to look down at the blond.

“People want you.” He explained. “They want to take you and keep you for themselves and fuck you and just… treat you however they want.” I saw the tears in his eyes, filling me with more guilt and regret towards him, but then it clouded itself over.
“You did the exact same thing.” I grumbled.

Hearing that seemingly made Clay’s heart break, as though he hadn’t realised how far he had taken this. I watched the way he basically squired at the thoughts that ran through his head. “I would never George.” He tried to defend himself, not that I was listening.
“But you did.” I ‘hmph’ed. He still looked confused.

“You are in love with a younger version of me.” I explained. “The version of me that you grew up watching. Talking about all of my interests from years ago and not about anything from now. I’ve only been at your home overnight and I don’t think you’ve had a single conversation with me about anything other than me hiding away from the world or an interest from a decade ago.”

Both of us were crying now. It wasn’t the big weeping motions or stifled under-your-breath sobs, instead just water rolling down our cheeks. I allowed my eyes to close for a moment, embracing the feeling of the tears as I took a few deep breaths. When my eyes fluttered open I saw Clay beginning to approach me, attempting to reach towards the rock I continued to hold.

“Don’t you dare.” I basically growled, hitting him with it in the arm and sending him falling back again, now nursing two injuries.
“Let’s go inside… please…” He begged. “We can talk about this… and I think that my arm is starting to bruise.”

I shook my head, continuing to hold the rock while taking another half step back. “You don’t seem to get it, Clay.” I sighed. “I want freedom. I want a life where I am not being controlled, either in the shadows or out in the open. As much as I love you… as much as I have loved you… you haven’t given me that freedom.”

The blond’s face kept changing, expressions flicking from angry to upset to annoyed to confused. Then there was nothing, he just lowered his head so I couldn’t see how he was feeling. “I love you George.” He sniffled, his voice growing quieter and quieter as he repeated the short phrase over and over again.

“No you don’t.” I answered. “You do not love me. You do not love me right now, as I am standing here.” He muttered about how he did, I listened to him as he spoke and when his voice seemed to crack as he whimpered over painfully while cradling the injury on his arm.

“No you don’t.” I repeated, managing to keep calm. “You are in love with a younger me. The younger me that was on the show. That is why you have all of his… my old interests. You are in love with him. You are in love with me from when I was on a show, from when I was being manipulated for entertainment.”

Clay managed to stand himself up, body swaying as he attempted to fight against his concussion. He began walking towards me, hand out as though he wanted to touch and grab me. I held the rock and was prepared to attack him again but then he froze

“I love you George.” He said. There was a moment of silence as he continued to sob, almost pathetically. “Please let me show you.”
“You treated me like an object.” I answered. “Keeping me in your room.” Then I sighed. “I love you too. You are someone I’ve loved more than anyone else, but I can’t be with you.”

He didn’t move as I slowly approached him, moving to kiss him on the lips before leaving him again. “I love you.” I repeated. “But I am going.” Once again I kissed him before turning to walk away, leaving him alone. I noticed the way he stumbled before collapsing down, either from the pain of me leaving or the pain of his injuries, I wasn’t sure.

So this was the end of my story, I guess. No more people to manipulate and control me, instead just me having the chance to finally control my own life. I’ll be free. Nobody will be able to put me back on a show or lock me in a room. Just a chance to disappear from the world stage and become like everyone else.

Clay, still is the love of my life. Unfortunately no matter what he does I can’t simply forget him or the way I feel. But for now I just have to be on my own. A chance to find my own life with my own new friends, one where nobody, not even you, can find me
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1277 words

The end ❤️

Who knows what happens next.