Walk Away | A Short Story

I knew it was going to be a hard conversation. But I wish it didn’t have to be.

“It’s over,” she told me.

“We can make it work.”

She shook her head.

“Why not?” I asked.

“It just can’t, okay?”

I crossed my arms, heaving a sigh. “You haven’t even tried to make things work—”

“I have,” she interrupted. “I’ve tried. Trust me.”

“Try harder,” I mumbled under my breath.

That made her head snap up. “What did you say?”

“Nothing.”

Her head bowed forward. “You deserve better.”

My mouth opened, but no words came out. I didn’t expect to hear those words, especially from her. I didn’t know what to say next.

“Sorry.”

A shiver sent the hairs on my arms stand up. “Don’t apologize.”

“None of this is your fault,” she whispered.

I had a good idea of what she was trying to imply. “This isn’t your fault either. Nothing is.”

Her eyes darkened like the sky when a cloud conceals the sun. “I’m a mess.”

“No, you aren’t.”

She held up a hand. “This has been so hard.”

“Everything good in life is.”

“Everything in life also ends.”

I didn’t disagree with that.

“It’s over, okay?”

As much as I didn’t want to, I nodded. “Okay.”

She patted my arm, forcing a smile. “Take care.”

“You too.” I watched her walk away. She never walked back into my life.