Tales in the Shadows

II - Until the end

Love cannot be forced. If it’s not meant to be, let it go.

That's what everyone says, right? Let it go, move on. But they don’t understand how hard it is when every corner of your heart still echoes with memories, with the feel of his touch, the sound of his voice.

Even when I knew I should let go, it was like my heart held on tighter. I didn't want to be the one left alone, watching him fade into the distance of another life—another love.

I thought we were forever, but forever was shorter than I’d imagined.

Before I could even think of moving on, I fought for him. I fought for us. I begged, pleaded, and cried until my eyes stung and my voice was barely a whisper. I did everything I could to make him see that I was sorry. I wanted to believe that love was stronger than mistakes, that forgiveness was part of being together.

But he finally looked me in the eyes and told me he didn’t love me anymore. His words were cold, blunt, like a door slamming shut. And to make it worse, he admitted there was someone else. Someone who wasn’t me.

I remember the emptiness that followed those words, as if my entire body had gone numb. The world around me blurred as I felt my heart shatter, the pieces slipping through my fingers. I didn’t want to let go, but he left me no choice.

---

I was forced to let that man go.

I tried to hate him. I convinced myself he didn’t deserve my love, that he was the villain in this story, but no matter what I did, I couldn’t erase him. I couldn’t erase the way he made me feel—alive, wanted, like I mattered. He was my everything, my treasure, a part of me I thought I could never lose.

People told me, “Move on, you’ll find someone else.” But how? How could I when he was all I had wanted?

Flashback:

I still remember that first night. We were under the stars, talking about the future like it was just waiting for us to claim it. His hand was warm in mine as we lay side by side, sharing secrets under the sky. He told me he loved the way I laughed, how I made even the dull moments feel alive. He looked at me as if I were his entire world, and I believed him. I thought it would always be that way.

But then, as the months passed, things started to shift. Jealousy crept in, a shadow that clouded everything we had. I could see him smiling with others, laughing with friends who I felt took him away from me. I grew afraid that he would find happiness elsewhere. And so, I did the unthinkable—I tried to keep him close by keeping everyone else away.

It was selfish. I see that now, but back then, all I felt was fear. Fear of losing him, fear of being forgotten. I pushed too hard, and it cost me everything.

Back to the present:

I blamed myself for weeks, reliving every argument, every accusation, wondering if I could have done things differently. But then, a new question began to haunt me: *Why couldn’t he find a reason to stay? Why was I so easy to leave?*

Did he think I was disposable? Did I mean so little that he could just walk away, like a book he was tired of reading? He didn’t understand that I was hurting too. I destroyed parts of his life because the pain in my chest was too much to bear, and it was the only way I knew to stop myself from falling apart.

---

It’s midnight now, and the city is strangely quiet. Here I am, standing on the edge of a tall building, looking down at the empty streets below. The air feels cold, biting, as if even the world has no place left for me.

I can still feel the weight of his rejection, the sting of his words when he told me there was someone else. I can’t erase the look on his face when he said he was done, that I had hurt him too deeply to go back. And yet, I don’t know how to move forward without him.

---

Another Flashback:

We were in his car, and the night was heavy with rain. I remember watching the raindrops slide down the window, blurring the streetlights outside. He was silent beside me, his grip tight on the steering wheel, eyes fixed on the road. I could feel the distance between us, an invisible wall that had grown over weeks of misunderstanding and anger.

Finally, he spoke. “Why do you keep pushing people away?”

I was taken aback, his words piercing through me. “I’m not pushing anyone away,” I whispered, but the guilt weighed heavy on my chest. I knew I was lying.

He shook his head, frustration flickering in his eyes. “You don’t get it, do you? You’ve hurt people, people I care about. And for what? To keep me all to yourself?”

I bit my lip, fighting the urge to defend myself. But the truth was there, raw and undeniable. “I…I just didn’t want to lose you,” I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper.

He sighed, a sound heavy with resignation. “Sometimes love isn’t enough. Sometimes it’s too much, Neaki. Too consuming, too suffocating. And I can’t… I can’t do this anymore.”

His words echoed in the silence, a final blow that left me reeling. I wanted to argue, to make him see that I could change, but deep down, I knew it was too late.

---

Back to the present:

I feel the cold edge of the building beneath my feet, the wind tugging at my hair, pulling me forward. Part of me wonders if this is it, if this is how the story ends. I wonder if he’d even care if I was gone, if my absence would mean anything to him.

But then, another memory surfaces, one that brings a flicker of warmth in the emptiness.

Flashback:

It was our last weekend together before things fell apart. We were at a small park, watching children play and families laughing together. He was sitting beside me, and I leaned my head on his shoulder, closing my eyes to the warmth of the sun.

“Do you think we’ll make it?” I had asked him, a question that felt heavy with uncertainty.

He took my hand, squeezing it gently. “As long as we’re honest with each other, I think we can handle anything.”

Honesty. The word lingered in the air, a promise that I hadn’t been able to keep. I was never fully honest with him, never admitted my fears and insecurities, always hiding behind jealousy and doubt.

---

Standing here now, I feel the weight of that broken promise. I wasn’t honest with him, and it cost me everything. But maybe that’s the lesson I needed to learn. Maybe love isn’t about holding on to someone, but learning to let them go when you’ve hurt them beyond repair.

And another day, she was found dead.