Tearing Paper

Regret

It was five and Devon was still fast asleep when Dianne woke Nate up. They tiptoed their way out the hut, and soon Nate realized that Dianne was taking him on a boat ride.

"The sunrise looks pretty from the sea," Dianne said as they got into a boat and rowed. Nate took over this time and Dianne giggled. "So you're improving?"

"I learned from you," Nate assured her. They stopped when they were quite away from the beach, and Nate chained his words in his head before saying them to Dianne.

"When you left town, I actually-met Lucio."

Dianne was silent, but he felt her body tense up as he continued, "What else can I do? We were both facing the same problem. We wanted to find you."

"I bet Lucio told you much about me. About us," Dianne said flatly.

"No, he didn't," Nate said. "It was actually-Ella. Remember? The girl Devon saved. She was actually my ex-girlfriend."

"The one you almost killed," Dianne smiled.

"Yes. Lucio looked for her when he found out Devon was gone. I don't know how Lucio and Ella became close, but Ella now knows about you-and she-she told me-"

"That I was a slut who spent every waking moment trying to please Lucio just for my own survival?" Dianne snapped sneerly. "That all I had in that town was Lucio and I was not able to be my own person?"

"No, no-"

"Well, I was exactly like whatever she said. When I met you in that café, for once I-I thought I could be somebody else. Somebody new. Somebody that goes home as late as she can to avoid spending another night with Lucio. Somebody that-"

"I love her," Nate cut her words, his weak voice betraying how strong he felt about what he said. "I love that somebody."

He took her hand and placed it on his chest. "When I met you in that café, I never thought somebody could so easily make me brave to love again. And-"

"But I'm not that girl, Lucio," Dianne said, turning away from him. She held back the tears that were clouding her eyes. "And now that you know everything behind my walls, you must feel so-disgusted."

"No."

"And regretful to ever think that we might have a chance."

She took the paddle and rowed back to shore. Nate stopped her, and as their boat stopped moving around, he held her in his arms without letting her go.

"Dianne, I will never-ever-ever... regret knowing you."