The Truth About Forever √

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Not edited.

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The sound of the waves lapping against the shore filled the silence that had built between Flynn and I. With my hand grasped tightly with his and his finger rubbing over my engagement ring, I looked around at the people that surrounded us and watched them carefully. I was amazed at how the families, the couples, the people were all unaware of the world around them as they were absorbed in their own happy lives. Happy families messing around on the sand, lovers sitting arm in arm watching the waves together and people laughing and having fun on the beach.

"I'm sorry, Ella," Flynn said pulling me out of my thoughts, "I just can't do it anymore," Flynn said quietly, his voice barely above a whisper. "I can't love you. It's just too hard."

I pulled my hand out of his tight grasp and looked up at him in confusion. My mind racing through the different scenarios that could explain how I could be standing here on our eight year anniversary listening to the man that I loved more than anything in the world say that he couldn't love me anymore.

He squeezed his brown eyes shut, hiding any little details of the truth that could explain why he was saying this, why he was thinking this, and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I can't ask you to love me anymore when I can't return it."

"Wha-what?" I stuttered as my mind tried to comprehend what he had just said, "What do you mean you can't? How can it be too hard? How can you ask me that?"

He ran his hand through his blonde curly hair, gripping it tightly at the back of his head. "Exactly that Ella. We can't do this anymore." He dropped his hand from his hair and motioned between us.

"We can't do it, or do you really mean you can't do it?" I answered harshly as my eyes began to water.

He shrugged. "I can't do it. We can't do it. I can't love you anymore. I don't." He said flatly as he shoved his hands in his pockets.

I could feel my heart beginning to break into a million pieces, each word felt like a shard of glass piercing my heart. A loud white noise filled my ears as my mind replayed his words over on repeat in my head.

I can't love you anymore.

I don't.

I can't love you anymore.

I don't.

I can't love you anymore.

I don't.

I took a step back, distancing myself from Flynn and his cold and blank stare. I shifted my head to look around my surrounding area, my eyes jumping from person to person, they were still all lost in their own world and unaware of mine falling apart.

My eyes landed on a bench that was situated opposite the sand and ocean, the need to sit down and process hit me hard. Without thinking I walked away from Flynn who was watching me with a careful eye and plopped down onto the cold seat. I rested my elbows on my knees and dropped my face into my hands, my fingers gripping my hair tightly and I allowed myself to think.

Eight years of laughter.

Eight years of pain.

Eight years of history.

Eight years of trust.

Eight years of love.

How can he just change his mind just like that?