tate,
i love you.
you are beautiful. the way your hair falls in your face when you look down at your feet. the crinkles by your eyes when you smile. your cheeks that turn cherry red when you're cold. the deep brown, almost black, of your eyes. like a black hole, pulling me in.
your eyes were the window to your feelings that you hid from everyone. there had been so many times where a smile was plastered on your face, but your eyes reflected pain. your eyes gave it away.
no one could tell the difference between a real smile and a fake one.
except me.
maybe its because i've felt the same pain.
i wished with all my heart you hadn't felt that way, my love. i would've done anything for you. i wanted to save you from that darkness that was slowly taking over.
you probably thought no one noticed. but i did. i saw the way you would pull down the sleeves of your sweater. i saw the secret sadness hidden in your eyes. i saw all the demons that were killing you inside.
and so i approached you.
"hi," i said quietly, looking down at my feet.
"hi," you replied. your voice was soft, cozy, warm. like a cuddly blanket and a hot cup of tea by the fireplace in the winter.
there was a long silence. we stared into each other's eyes. it wasn't awkward. it was refreshing.
it was as if, in that moment, we made a connection. without speaking, we immediately knew each other.
i took your hand in mine. you were not startled or weirded out. i led you to the base of a large tree. branches twisted and turned above us, creating the most unique patterns and shapes. dead leaves crunched under our feet as we sat down together on a large root protruding from the ground.
"what's your name?" you breathed in my ear, pulling me closer to you.
"riley," i whispered back. those beautiful crinkles by your eyes returned again.
we sat there, your hand weaved with mine, admiring the red, orange, and yellow leaves floating effortlessly down from the tree, the breeze blowing our hair in our faces.
and for one of the first times in my life, i was truly happy.
