it was windy out

It was windy out, dead in the night. She was sitting on the wall, waiting, wondering when he would return to her. She didn’t know how long she’d been sitting there. Hours. Felt like days. Maybe it was days. She had seen him only once, but that’s all she needed. His deep soulful eyes, brimming with curiosity, intense so much so that it made her shiver, devouring her whole even now when he was long gone. Believe in something, he had told her. Believe in my words, in my heart, in me. And so she had and now she was left with a broken heart, empty room, empty hands.

What a world we live in, she mused to herself, remembering all the things that have happened to her in the past years, not able to imagine what her life would have been like without those memories. She looked at her hands, small and slightly tanned from being outside all day. It was just the beginning of summer, just beginning to change seasons again, even though the weather around her only changed once a year. She missed him so much it hurt even to think about it, to even remember it, even though she knew she never wanted to forget. Love of her life, as short as it had been so far.

She hopped off the wall, landing sharply, her toes tingling from the sensation, hurting slightly. The wind blew harshly against her face, burning her cheeks red. She dug her hands into her pockets, moving quickly back towards home. No lights came from her windows, no lights except the slight flickering of a candle, far from the glass. She saw a shadow move inside the home, startling her still.

Her mind raced as she took off, running, tripping, falling onto the cold concrete, scraping her palms raw as she kept herself upright. She bounded up the steps, two at a time, not hoping only trying to make it true. She opened her front door, out of breathe, hands on her knees, inhaling roughly, and looking up. Her eyes took their time adjusting to the dim lights, trying to take in the movements. He stood, leaning against her countertop in her kitchen. She couldn’t see his face, but the candle illuminated his silhouette, the length of his arms, the rounding of his shoulders.

You came back, she whispered, edgy and nervous.

He walked slowly over to her, putting his hands behind her head, running his fingers through her hair, as she buried her face into his palm.

I never left, he mumbled back, kissing her.

_