Colorless Hearts

e i g h t e e n

More than a month had passed since they last saw each other, and he was starting to think she would never return.

He spent every day thinking about her, missing her voice and her face and her words. It was true what they said: one doesn't know what they have until it's gone.

Except he had always knew, and he had never taken her for granted. But he made the mistake of never telling her that.

It was another night at the jazz club, where he was playing yet another song on the saxophone. His eyes always floated over to a specific table, their table. But she was never there, and disappointment filled his heart.

The smooth blares of his instrument resonated through the building, and it became all that he could hear, until a faint clacking managed to find its way into his ears.

  He searched for the source of the sound, and his heart skipped a beat when they locked eyes.

  There she was, by the door, looking even more beautiful than he had remembered. He felt all of his muscles unknot at the sight, letting out a breath that seemed like was stuck in his chest for weeks.

  In the middle of the song, he dropped his instrument and walked off the stage. His band members gave him confused looks, but continued playing without him.

  His eyes never left hers until he finally reached her. It had been so long since he had seen her face, and he gazed at every inch of it, admiring each feature.

  She took a moment to look at him too, feeling her heart pound. She then swallowed down the lump in her throat and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry I disappeared for a while. I didn't know what to...what to say to you."

  "It's okay," he nodded, his voice matching the softness in hers. "I understand. I didn't either."

"I'm just so...so ashamed of what my father said to you. You didn't deserve any of that, no one does. And there's no way to justify how either of my parents treated you," she said as her vision began to cloud with tears again. "I'm so sorry for hurting you. I'm so sorry."

He slowly lifted both of his hands and cupped her cheeks gently, making her meet his eyes. "You did nothing wrong. Don't apologize for your parents' mistakes. You're a different person from them, and I know you would never do anything to hurt me, like I would never hurt you."

She sniffled, trying to hold back her tears. "But, Blue—"

"Eden," he cut her off; her breath hitched as her name rolled off his tongue like a beautiful melody. "You stood up for me, and for that, I am forever grateful. Please let me repay you. Let me show you just how much you matter to me."

Her lips parted open as his eyes bored into hers. She hadn't expected him to be so forgiving, so kind to her. She knew the cruel words hadn't come from her mouth, but she still felt like it was her fault.

She slowly nodded, and he lowered his hands from her face, reaching into his pocket. He handed her a ticket for his performance at the concert hall, closing her fingers around it.

"Will you come?" he asked quietly, almost pleadingly.

"Yes," she whispered, holding the ticket to her heart. "I promise."