I Love You, Darryl

“I’m cheating on you, Darryl,” I spat. The tears fell, and I wished they hadn’t. I wished I could just fold away and disappear like I did when I was 7 years old. Except I wouldn’t go to Heaven like I wished. I would be in Hell...forever.

“How…? W-why?” he asked. It was all he could say. Tears flowed down his cheeks as well. He was clearly upset, and there was nothing I could do. I was nothing. Just the pretty girl in the catalog they forgot about.

“Diana, you didn’t-”

“Look, Darryl, stop, please stop…it’s over… I can’t… I can’t…” I walk away and fall to the ground outside in between our houses. But miraculously, he catches me and looks deep into my eyes with…love or something. Love, I don’t know love, but he speaks it. I barely look at him.

“It’s okay,” he says. It’s all he needs to say. For me to get lost in his eyes. I don’t search them, but I know. In that moment, that finally someone cared. I always knew, but I knew this when he loved me at my worst and didn’t run away.

I run through the soft voices in my head all along.

I love you.