catharsis.

midnight confessions.

stop.

stop time, stop the world, stop everything.

I rewind his last few words.

"you love me?" I ask dumbly after the silence. I am stunned, I am not in my body, I am somewhere else far from this existence.

he loves me he loves me he loves me.

he laughs. awkward, and a little bit terrified.

"yeah," he answers.

more silence. my thoughts are racing like a hurricane.

"you're in love with me?" I ask again.

I am in disbelief, I am incredulous, I am so, so gone.

"yeah," he says again.

oh my god.

the tears start running down my face. I sob into the silence.

"wait- are you crying?" he sounds confused.

I inhale through my mouth, grasping for composure. "I don't know," I answer, and even though it was a stupid thing to say, he makes no comment.

a long pause. more hiccuping sobs.

"you never said it outright," I finally say.

I can hear his smile through the phone. "do you want me to say it?"

I close my eyes.

"only if you're willing to."

he laughs again. god, that laugh of his.

"I love you," he tells me.

in my head, in my heart, in the night air.

it echoes.