Nothing could have prepared me for this moment. I grimaced as he threw me into the lift to which i landed with a heavy thud.
I glanced back to see the doors slid shut. I heard a grunt and a sound of breaking glass. The door was jammed shut.
"NO! Aris, look at me. You don't have to do this. Please! Aris,PLEASE!", i choked. My eyes caught his through the glass pane. Tear started streaming down my face, his face mirrored my expression. I bawled and hit the door with all the force my tired body could muster.
"It has always been like this, Monica", he smiled at me, with his caramel skin glistening with sweat and the tears, just the tears, glinting in the light, framed by the dark hallway. His lips quivered.
"Please,Aris, noooooo", i whimpered. His fingers scampred to hold on to the edge of the window.
"Listen, when you go back, tell Sherry i am not coming back", his voice shook." Tell my mom i died a quick death and i died peacefully".
"Then... What ab-about me?", i choked on my tears. My heart was gripped by an unbelievable force, it hurt.
He laid his index finger on the narrow window. Then he laid his middle finger. I followed suit, putting both fingers. The bloodied hands met for one last time, unable to hold each other, to tell him that its fine and thath we would be happy again. This threw me back to when we first met, two souls seeing each other through a glass pane of Fickle's Diner, madly in love with each other at first sight.
"Go out sometimes, Niki", the use of my nickname made me burst into violent tears."Go out and...", he panted but continue to smile at me." Go out and see the world for real this time. Dont let me hold you back. I should have taken you to dinner that time at the Rockerton. I should asked you to dance with me. Dont let me hold you back. I have loved you far more than anything i have ever loved and it is my pain to not have given you enough".
"You gave me everything already, isnt it?", i try to smile through the gut wrenching pain. My top lip quivered as were my entire body.
" I did not spend enough time with you. So, now you go back home, and you forget all about me. Love another and marry him, i am pretty sure he will be astoundingly lucky", he croaked.
"But i wont forget you", my finger started tracing his chin, needing his touch even if it is for one final moment.
"Forget about me. Love the lucky man. I have been lucky to see you, to love you and i have been the happiest man to see heaven right before i died", he smiled widely this time and even though his whole face shaking, he gave me the warmest smile a man could give in the whole wide world.
"I still wont", i pleaded. "There wont be another man like you".
"There is, you'll see", his lips arched upwards one last time as the door opposite us hissed. He turned to face it.
It was then i heard him again, whispering, right before he fisted the control panel at the his side of the door.
"You'll see"
The lift began to move downwards, leaving me to my weeping self and my agonized heart, curled up in that metal box, waiting for the worst but hoping for the best.
If only there was a better ending to my story.
If only there was.
If only.
P.S. inspired by Rag'n'Bone Man-Skin.
