As she walked by she heard his laughing grow louder, an obvious sighn he knew she was near. This was it; the final straw.
She marched up to him and his friends and pointed to him. "You. Now," she snarled.
He got up slowly, annoyed a bit, but pleased more than not. So, he had finally hit a mark?
He followed her to one of the trees and waited for her to say something.
"What the hell?" She obliged. "Do you just think I don't know you're sitting right there?"
"Oh I know you do," he replied, winking.
The look in her eyes was all fury. "Then why do it? Do you think I don't know why, either? Hello! I did it last year."
"To prove yout fine," she said, purposly leaving out the words that hurt the most, "Without me."
"I am fine," he growled.
"Then why do it?" She retorted. "I know you. And I want it to stop.
"I want the loud laughter, voices, whatever, to stop taunting me. I want to stop hurting when your name is thrown around in casual conversation. And that's what has an actual possibility of happening."
He just stared at her, wondering if she knew what she just admitted to.
"But I also," she continued, "Want to just stop there and walk away, so you can grab my arm and apologize, but I know that wont happen. So I want to keep yelling at you until you kiss me but, alas, I know that wont happen. Furthermore, I want you to be the person I thought you were, the person you actually were, but obviously you wont be anymore. Because you didn't care enough."
He didn't say anything. His eyes were closed.
"Well?" She asked, still p***ed.
"I do care," he answered.
"Not enough." She was close to tears. "Because you'd rather hurt someone who might have actually loved you, rather than risk your own hear."
"I know," was his response. "I thought I was saving us both the hurt; I didn't mean to hurt you."
"Just stop it," was all she had to say as she walked away.
No matter how much she had hoped and prayed, he didn't stop her.
When she was back with her "friends" he let out a breath.
"I love you," he whispered, holding his own hurt.