When You Left Me

52

Our End

Laurent

Stupid and immature, both words that fit me far too well.

Stupid for hurting her and immature for every word I've ever spoken since that day we graduated,

When Jasmine told me of all she had been doing to ensure our life together was stable and what she had endured the past few months, I realized just how much I didn't deserve her with all of my sleeping around and cursing her name and just how much I truly loved this woman.

I didn't care about any of those other girls, faceless bodies that were used to warm my hotel beds.

They had been nothing more than a coping mechanism that malfunctioned and left me desperate for Jasmine, for what we had together.

I needed to let her know, to speak what was in my head and the emotions that filled the aching chasm that was my chest.

But it was as though the words were stuck, unable to make the trip from my vocal chords to my mouth.

Say something Laurent!

I hissed to myself as I stared at her, her brown eyes now laden with hurt and defeat.

Let her know how you can't live without her!

But I was frozen inside of my own fear of rejection for what I had said in anger earlier and now I was at an impasse that could potentially destroy the one thing I cared about the most. How does a person even begin to say I'm sorry for discrediting and disbelieving in you?

"I see you don't care." She whispered but to me, the words were loud and glaringly clear. What? I didn't care? Was she crazy? I care more about you than I could ever express, more than words could ever imply.

"Fine, I see that this is a lost cause then. How about we both agree to let this be the last time we will ever see each other?" Her eyes dropped to the ground and she averted looking back at me. I was convinced she was crazy, she must've lost her damn mind if she thought this would be the last time she saw me.

"We will move on with our lives without each other, just like back then." The last words were said in a broken and shaking whisper, her emotions finally taking hold. My heart clenched tight in my chest, I really needed to speak up because at this point Jasmine was two seconds from walking out of my life and that could happen. After all, she was stuck with me for life and we were in this forever.

And just like that, it hit me.

I saw a movement that snatched my attention from my inner thoughts and I heard the sound of a lock clicking open. Wait, she was already nearly halfway out the door.

No!

I felt the blood rush to my head and I panicked, my body shooting into action. Before I even realized what I was doing, I had snuck up behind Jasmine before she could reach the hallway and snatched her body back inside, shutting the door closed behind her with both of my hands, being much rougher than I had planned but I had to take action! I locked Jasmine in between my arms and leaned down until my mouth was just above her ear, there was no way she was leaving here without me, no way I was losing her again.

"Marry me." Two words breathed in desperation never rang more true and honest.

Who else would be able to make me so crazy as this woman did? Who else could drive me to the point of nearly hating them, only to make me love them again with a single look?