“You’re smiling. That means you’re not upset with me anymore,” he said.
“I’m sorry to disappoint you but I’m still very angry,” she whispered through her red, shaking lips.
“But I made you laugh… almost. It means it isn’t beyond forgiveness.”
“It’s over, Robert.”
“I won’t give up,” he said putting on the brave face of a soldier, which made her smile again because it had something childish in it. “You’re smiling again.”
“No I’m not,” she argued but still smiling.
“I can prove it.”
He approached her while she still smiled with the purpose of defying him. He couldn’t prove it. It was his word against hers. Robert grabbed her arms confidently and slowly touched her lips with his. It wasn’t a kiss. He was just trying to copy the shape of her mouth. It was a gentle touch that puzzled her. He backed up a bit, proudly, saying:
“See? This is how your mouth looks like. You’re smiling. I don’t want it to be over. We’ll build our own world; create huge walls around it so that no evil could penetrate it. You mustn’t believe everything you here. Damn it! You mustn’t believe anything. I’ll make that castle for us and you won’t be hurt again. I know how you feel. You feel… you can’t trust anyone. You feel alone. You feel abandoned. You can trust me, you know?! I’ll always be here and I’ll never betray you. Give me a chance! I’m not as cold-hearted as all the people you know. I love you. Please!”
She looked at him behind her ice-cold tears and said with a rough voice:
“It’s over.”
All he could see then was her back… her body, quickly furthering itself. Then the ghosts of her steps. Then her ghost. The pain was too much to bear.
“I’m sorry to disappoint you but I’m still very angry,” she whispered through her red, shaking lips.
“But I made you laugh… almost. It means it isn’t beyond forgiveness.”
“It’s over, Robert.”
“I won’t give up,” he said putting on the brave face of a soldier, which made her smile again because it had something childish in it. “You’re smiling again.”
“No I’m not,” she argued but still smiling.
“I can prove it.”
He approached her while she still smiled with the purpose of defying him. He couldn’t prove it. It was his word against hers. Robert grabbed her arms confidently and slowly touched her lips with his. It wasn’t a kiss. He was just trying to copy the shape of her mouth. It was a gentle touch that puzzled her. He backed up a bit, proudly, saying:
“See? This is how your mouth looks like. You’re smiling. I don’t want it to be over. We’ll build our own world; create huge walls around it so that no evil could penetrate it. You mustn’t believe everything you here. Damn it! You mustn’t believe anything. I’ll make that castle for us and you won’t be hurt again. I know how you feel. You feel… you can’t trust anyone. You feel alone. You feel abandoned. You can trust me, you know?! I’ll always be here and I’ll never betray you. Give me a chance! I’m not as cold-hearted as all the people you know. I love you. Please!”
She looked at him behind her ice-cold tears and said with a rough voice:
“It’s over.”
All he could see then was her back… her body, quickly furthering itself. Then the ghosts of her steps. Then her ghost. The pain was too much to bear.
Irina was sitting on the stairs in front of her house. The entire sky was grey as if mad at something or someone. Tomorrow she would have to meet him at the university and talk to him. It all had gone on for too long. She just couldn’t cry every night anymore. Everything had to end because it had turned in a game of mutual stabbing. It was actually more like a chess game as they waited for the other to make the next move.
