Never Forgive

A Story by KatieMay

Short story that you should totally read.

"You're gonna get cancer and die, you know that right?"
I didn't so much as blink when the deep voice behind me shattered my silence.
"You just don't care do you, Maybell?"
I didn't flinch when he crouched beside me; I just kept staring out at the frozen lake.
"It's really cold out here. You can smoke inside."
He was ruining it. It was perfect before he got here. Everything was perfect before he started interfering.
I pulled the cigarette from between my lips, blowing the smoke out slowly. I could feel his eyes on my face. I didn't even have to look at him to know that he was watching me, his cold blue eyes void of emotion.
"Maybell.... I'm sorry."
I flinched at that. Hearing him say it out loud.... I wasn't prepared. I fought with everything I had to keep from looking at him, to keep from crying.
"Please, look at me."
His hand grabbed my shoulder, and I turned my head sharply to face him. Our eyes met and I felt my throat close up. I could feel the tears welling in my eyes, slipping down my cheeks.
His own cheeks were flushed from the cold winter air. Snowflakes nestled in his soft brown locks, they landed on his black hoodie, on his old jeans.
His eyes were empty. I could see my reflection in them. Messy curls, puffy brown eyes, mascara on my cheeks, red face.
I'd been out here in the cold for over an hour. My flimsy hoodie and t-shirt did nothing to protect me, and my skinny jeans were wet from sitting in the snow. The ends of my fingers hurt from the cold, and my lips were numb. I was a mess, on the inside and the outside.
He leaned closer, pulling my body to his. His forehead pressed against mine, sending warmth down my spine. His mouth was centimeters away from mine, but neither of us leaned closer.
We sat like that for half an hour, the snow falling around us, sticking to our clothes. Our clothes and hair were damp, our cheeks pink, our hands frozen. But we didn't move.
"I can't forgive you."
The words slipped from my mouth easily, erasing the silence we had previously been soaking in. He kept his eyes on mine, staring into my soul.
"I know."