A Dangerous Attraction

Haley and Jack were never meant to be. They wished every day that that wasn't true, that somehow they could get through all the fights and chaos that seemed to define their relationship. But no matter what they did, they couldn't fight the truth.

They met when they were seven years old. Haley pushed Jack off the monkey bars for saying she was weak. She refused to let that word define her. As they got older, it seemed that their differences drew them closer together. Perhaps it was just because they were both stubborn and wanted to beat the odds, or perhaps it's true that opposites attract.

Once the attraction started, there was no going back, even on the bad days. One day they'd be so obviously in love. They could barely keep their hands off each other; they couldn't get enough. Then the next day they'd spend the whole day screaming at each other. They knew they had taken it too far when, one night, Haley threatened to set the house on fire if Jack didn't leave. Without hesitation, he refused. He would rather die than give up. Something clicked in both of their minds then. They knew their love was too toxic to keep it going. They both had to leave.

They tried to reason with each other. They could stay together and get counseling, or just learn to give each other some space. But for once, Haley decided she needed to be the voice of reason. She needed to be strong.

"You'd want to keep me," she said. "I'd want to be kept. What a disaster that would be."

"I can change," he told her. "I can be better."

"You will be," she assured him, before leaving forever.