10/28/12

The Void
By Kayla Lesko


He had finally gathered up the courage to tell her how he felt. Out of the three years he had known her, he had loved her for two years. He hadn’t set a particular day to tell her, just as long as it was just the two of them. When he woke up that morning and began getting ready to go to her apartment, he decided that today would be the day. For a fickle thing such as love, maybe a split second decision was best.

He was leaning against her sofa with a notebook on his lap while she sat in her favorite chair reading the latest issue of a magazine. For a moment, he hesitated but it would start to eat away at him if he didn’t get his feelings off his chest. Getting up, he walked over to her chair. Her face was hidden behind the magazine but she sensed he was there. She looked up at him, her hazel eyes full of curiosity.

“Is something wrong?” she asked.

“No… I…” Damn it he was already losing his nerve. It hadn’t seemed so bad when he thought about how it was going to play out. He looked at her expectant face and took a deep breath. It was now or never. Leaning down, he pressed his lips to hers, his hands gripping both sides of the chair. Neither of them moved.

After what felt like years, he withdrew his lips, hands still on the chair. There was a heavy silence in the room as she looked at him in confusion. Occasionally, the faint sound of cars outside drifted in through the window.

Please say something. Anything. He thought. Then, the mood in the room appeared to shift. She stood up prompting him to do the same. Her head came to just under his chin. He felt like wrapping his arms around her or touching her face, but decided on keeping them at his sides.

“Dennis.” She ran her fingers through her brown hair. “How long?” The term ‘beating around the bush’ was something she didn’t believe in.

“A little over two years.” Her eyes widened in surprise. “I realize that what I did was… random.”

“Those girlfriends you had?”

“What’s the word?” He was silent for a moment. “Placebos.”

The situation was getting awkward, at least to her. He seemed to more comfortable about it. “I had no idea.” That sounded so cliché to say, but what else could she say?

He was getting restless, as if there was something coming. “I know that it’s a lot to take in at once.”

She rubbed her temples, and then looked him in the face. Pity was beginning to set in and that would complicate things. Leading someone on was something she didn’t do but it was more out of logic than principle. It was a waste of time. “Look, I’m not going to lie to you.” He knew what she was going to say.

“You don’t feel anything?” he inquired with a hint of irritation in his voice.

“I don’t feel what you feel.”

“Is there a possibility for the future?” He hesitantly lifted a hand and placed it on her cheek. “I’ll wait for as long as it takes.” She felt like she had been placed above a deep hole. He placed his lips on hers. “I know we'll be together one day, Olivia.”

Oh yes, a deep, dark hole.


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Kayla Lesko has a Creative Writing degree from Seton Hill University. She likes to jump between genres so she won't get bored. Aside from writing, she enjoys reading history books.