The smoke billowing out of his mouth obstructed the view of his face. It hung there in the frigid air. He waved his hand and shattered the cloud. As it dissipated, Amie studied him. He was looking at her timidly, as if he was afraid of what she was about to do.
"You know what I'm going to say," she prompted him.
His gaze shifted to the ground. He started to shrug his shoulders but it turned into an exaggerated shiver. Amie waited for him to speak.
"Yeah, but it doesn't have to be like that. I mean, we can talk on the phone after work and it should only take a few months to save up for me to visit."
Amie dropped her head into her gloved hands and sighed frustratedly. Lifting her head, she turned to look around her as if searching for something to help her explain. She let out a groan.
“Jeremy, I just can’t wait around like that. I don’t want to wait around like that.”
Jeremy stared into her eyes, his expression wilting as she continued to speak. She met his gaze confidently.
“Jesus, we haven’t even been together that long. We don’t talk that much as it is. What would we even talk about after work? All you do is watch movies and Netflix. I hate movies! I just don’t think… no, I know don’t want to keep dating you. Not even if you were staying here.” She looked away from him, realizing how sharp the words sounded.
Jeremy’s stare broke and blinking, he flicked his cigarette butt into the snow pile at the edge of the sidewalk. He took three backward steps, slowly moving toward the driver side door of the U-Haul parked in Amie’s driveway.
“I am sorry you’re upset,” she said quietly to him.
“I’m not upset, Amie,” he replied quickly. We haven’t even been together that long, right? It’s only been what, four weeks since Becky’s accident? Maybe five? My internship was only 6 weeks, so yeah. Probably five weeks.” He yanked open the truck door.
“It’s fine!” he said loudly. “I mean, whatever,” he said more evenly. “I’ll have fun in Columbus. If you’re ever in the main office, look me up I guess? Or don’t? ‘Bye, Amie.”
He climbed in the orange truck and slammed the door shut.
Amie turned around and stiffly walked back into her house. She didn’t wait to shut and lock the door, but she lingered silently in the entryway, listening to Jeremy back the truck out of her driveway and take off down the street. She gasped, realizing she had been holding her breath.
"You know what I'm going to say," she prompted him.
His gaze shifted to the ground. He started to shrug his shoulders but it turned into an exaggerated shiver. Amie waited for him to speak.
"Yeah, but it doesn't have to be like that. I mean, we can talk on the phone after work and it should only take a few months to save up for me to visit."
Amie dropped her head into her gloved hands and sighed frustratedly. Lifting her head, she turned to look around her as if searching for something to help her explain. She let out a groan.
“Jeremy, I just can’t wait around like that. I don’t want to wait around like that.”
Jeremy stared into her eyes, his expression wilting as she continued to speak. She met his gaze confidently.
“Jesus, we haven’t even been together that long. We don’t talk that much as it is. What would we even talk about after work? All you do is watch movies and Netflix. I hate movies! I just don’t think… no, I know don’t want to keep dating you. Not even if you were staying here.” She looked away from him, realizing how sharp the words sounded.
Jeremy’s stare broke and blinking, he flicked his cigarette butt into the snow pile at the edge of the sidewalk. He took three backward steps, slowly moving toward the driver side door of the U-Haul parked in Amie’s driveway.
“I am sorry you’re upset,” she said quietly to him.
“I’m not upset, Amie,” he replied quickly. We haven’t even been together that long, right? It’s only been what, four weeks since Becky’s accident? Maybe five? My internship was only 6 weeks, so yeah. Probably five weeks.” He yanked open the truck door.
“It’s fine!” he said loudly. “I mean, whatever,” he said more evenly. “I’ll have fun in Columbus. If you’re ever in the main office, look me up I guess? Or don’t? ‘Bye, Amie.”
He climbed in the orange truck and slammed the door shut.
Amie turned around and stiffly walked back into her house. She didn’t wait to shut and lock the door, but she lingered silently in the entryway, listening to Jeremy back the truck out of her driveway and take off down the street. She gasped, realizing she had been holding her breath.
No comments:
Post a Comment