Unanswered questions

Once upon a time, she would look into his eyes and see love. Desire. Herself as the beauty he described her to be. But now those eyes were hard and angry.

She twisted a blonde ringlet around her index finger before letting the curl spring free and starting the process over again. It was a nervous gesture that she never quite broke herself of.

Waiting was not one of her strong suits...

She could hardly breathe. Tears threatened to spill from her eyes. She willed them not to fall as she waited in silence. The words still echoed in her head, making her wonder whether she actually said them aloud.

Forget about how you feel about me in this moment when you're so angry. All that matters is the answer to this question. Do you want to be with me?

It should have been such a simple thing to answer.
The words should have instantly sprung to his lips.
Yet the minutes continued to tick by.
He said nothing, staring angrily down at her.

The tears finally fell and her voice broke as she spoke for them both. If the answer was yes, you would have already said so. I have to assume then that the answer is either no or that you aren't sure.

He continued to stare at her without a word.

The scene would have broken her heart if it hadn't been torn apart too many times before. She knelt next to where he sat on the couch, now staring at the television to avoid meeting her pleading eyes. Here she was, just a woman asking to be loved by a man. By the man who, years ago, had been down on his knee, asking her to marry him and love him forever...

He finally spoke, voice cold and hollow. "I'm not happy. I haven't been for a long time." This wasn't news, but the next part? Those words would always remain engrained in her memory, on her heart... "I don't know whether I still want to be with you."

The words were a crushing blow, one that set her world reeling. Part of her wanted to scream. To cry. To punch at his chest. It took all her self-control to keep that part of her quiet. Instead, she looked at him with an eerie calm.

I've always wanted you to be happy, even if it's not with me. Figure out what you want so we can move forward with our lives, together or apart.

She turned on her heel and walked away. Sliding between the sheets of their bed, she never felt more alone. With absolute certainty, she knew his side of the bed would remain empty that night and probably for several more to follow. But whether he would rejoin her? She could only wish she knew how that mystery would resolve...