the end of us

"I like you."

You shouldn't.

"Well, I don't like you. And I never could."

I like you too much.

A gasp

and a sob.

"We would never work."

"You don't know that."

You just won't try.

I'm not enough for you.

Not worth it.

"I do."

I know that I can't live through it not working.

"You should find someone else. I'm not worth it."

And eventually you would realize that too.

"You're wrong.

You are everything."

Why can't you see that?

"I am nothing."

And you will leave me for it.

"Everything to me."

No.

That can't be true.

I could never mean that much to anyone.

"I don't think we should be friends anymore.

We need to move on, and we can't do that if we're still in contact."

I'll never find someone new if I'm still around you.

I never said we had to be more than friends.

Anything is better than this.

"Please don't leave me."

I won't survive it.

I have to be the one who leaves, before you inevitably leave me.

"I'm sorry.

You know I don't want to hurt you."

He turns and leaves.

But I won't give you the chance to hurt me.

"How could I know that?

Nothing has ever hurt like this

and nothing ever will."

Her whisper to the empty air.