Tearing Paper

The Idiot

“I’m really sorry.”

“How could you?”

“Dianne, I said I’m sorry—“

“Ditcher.”

The air was silent as Dianne dropped the harsh push she landed on Nate’s chest. She turned away and hid her face as she felt the hot liquid rising in her eyes.

She was not mad.

She just wanted to assure herself that Nate was really standing in front of her.

She didn’t even care where he’d been. What was most important was…

“You came back.”

“I’m really sorry,” Nate closed the wooden door behind him with his foot as he advanced towards the girl he missed so much. His brain commanded him to pull her close to him, to fight the distance he had hated so much, but his arms were frozen. He felt himself broken, for a reason he did not know why.

There you go, Nate, making another girl cry.

But if Dianne cried—was it really because of him?

Were her tears a sign that losing him tortured her like it tortured him?

“I did. I—I should’ve told you, but… it’s something urgent. Like, really urgent and—“

“Much more important than staying in a stupid hut with a crybaby,” Dianne shrugged. “I’m so… weak.”

“You’re not!” With one pull, Nate brought her into his arms and hugged her tight.

He was not planning to let go.

He was not planning to push her away again, even though he knew that his shirt would be fully wet with her tears again after these few seconds.

He wanted it to be that way…

“I got you now. I’m sorry for leaving like that,” he whispered as he ruffled through her messy blonde strands. “I swear… I owe my whole life to tell you where I’d been.”

“I…” Dianne tightened her grip around Nate’s body, not understanding why her lips managed to smile when she knew she would still be crying for some time.

“Yes?”

 I love you, idiot...