She had arrived ten minutes after he had stopped pacing in the front yard. He had taken to slumping down on the large outside steps of his house in partial darkness. She slides out of the driver seat and approaches. "Hey, how was your day? Oh! If we leave right now we can get there in time to hear this karaoke regular's rendition of Smells Like Teen Spirit." She stops in her tracks. "Are you okay?" She looks down from him at his spot on the steps.
"You need to leave, right now. Go."
"Wha-
"I can't breathe around you. It's infuriating that you're always here. You're at the company, and the doctor's office, and here, at my home. Get out." Mísol tried to rack her brain around his mood then counters with how unhealthy shutting himself up in his house or the office is. She doesn't know where this attitude was coming from. He suggested his fair share of their dinners and movies. The argument continued to escalate. She called him temperamental. Pierce was furious she couldn't see it.
He fired back. "You're everywhere, you're every person. I get drinks with you. I look at my doctor and see you. You're my mailman. The maid is you. Sometimes Sylvia is you." Mísol stands there in front of him. Unsure of what to do for the man she's looking down at. She wants to think about how beautiful the massive lanterns flickering with fire are, against the flat tan brick of the house and black starry sky. About their possible duo at the bar. Despite herself and her racing heart what she thinks about is how poorly received she would be if she tried to sit next to Pierce on the steps.
"I didn't want to believe it." The heels of his hands are digging into his eyes and his elbows are propped on his knees. "You said all the right things." His own murmured words make him furious. "I wish I had never seen you in the first place."
"You don't mean that."
"I d-
"No. You can't possibly mean that."
He jumped up from the stone steps. "You don't understand how much this meant to me. I NEEDED YOU TO BE REAL!" He moves to hold her wrist but his fingers grasp nothing. He looks down at the fist that was supposed to be holding her hand right now.
She takes a single step back. "Stop it. Stop." She was completely stunned. And there was nothing left to do but respect his wishes. She unlocked her jeep behind her with a click...but... doesn't move for nearly half an hour. She stands there in the cool air. Face-to-chest and he isn't even looking at her.
"What-what were you going to sing at karaoke?"
"Float On or Ocean Breathes Salty on guitar." She gave a dazed but approving nod. She would have liked to see that. To hear him play from his own memory more often. She begins to leave.
"What were-
She turns on her heels and shrugs as she continues to walk backwards to her car. "I don't know...anything but Wonderwall." Even in the car she couldn't tell if she was angry or miserable.
She didn't understand him.
Comments (0)
See all