I need you to believe me.

"I l-l-love you," I ruggedly croaked out.
His steps halted immediately, as though my words had turned him to stone.
His stance hardened: his slumped shoulders squared, his languid libs stiffened and his hands clenched into fists. He seemed to radiate rage from every part of his being. One question dominated my thoughts: why was he angry? I had just told him what I knew he desperately wanted to hear. He should have been euphoric!
When he pivoted to face me, any biting remarks that had been swirling in my mind, eagerly awaiting release, fled. I was left completely and utterly speechless. He said nothing but his eyes... The sheer intensity of the emotions swirling within them frightened yet mystified me. What captured my attention, however was an indescribable sadness saddled with disappointment and hopelessness. He didn't believe me. His words were the final nail in the coffin. Not because of the actual words themselves, but because of the conviction with which they were said.