"Congratulations."
"You don't really mean that."
"No, I do. Truly, I mean it."
An awkward silence settled over the two, not like their past comfortable ones. It seemed so strange now. Everything that before had seemed easy to do or be in had taken a turn for the worst. Neither of them knew how to interact anymore. One of them had hurt the other and now that hung over them, on a thin wire just waiting to be snipped.
"You were never a very good liar.....You still aren't a very good liar."
"Well, I don't really do it very much. Lie, I mean. I don't have the expertise of people who make it their life's work to fool others."
They could only fake niceties for so long. Maybe previously this would have been a joyous occasion, but now they would have given anything just to not be here, and certainly not with each other.
"Ouch! My heart is bleeding!"
"Oh I'm so sorry. Did I say something to hurt your feelings? At least I didn't give your heart the impression that it was safe and then break it into teeny tiny pieces and if that weren't enough, you stole the damn glue!"
By this time, the pitch of the voice had stopped all other conversation in the room. Everybody stared at the pair with interest and in the case of the newly engaged, a slight hint of panic. The two slipped into a different room to continue the fight that was so long overdue. They had never spoken, it had simply happened, and now, before one of them made a life changing choice, battles needed to be laid to rest and truths needed to be spoken.
"God! Come on! Show some respect! This is my engagement!"
"Why did you even invite me?"
"I didn't. My courteous love thought it would be nice if we made peace. It seems I was mistaken in listening. I should have known you'd cause a scene."
"And what is that supposed to mean?"
"It means that this is what you do. You just have to pick at me because I'm happy and you aren't, don't you?"
"Oh yes! Yes! I'm the one to blame again! Because you think you're the only one with feelings! You think I can just get over what you did?"
"That's not what I mean and you know it!"
"No I don't! I never know what you mean. If I knew what you meant, I would have moved on long ago! If I knew what you meant, we wouldn't be having this conversation!!"
They paused abruptly. Both were breathing heavily and looking at the other as though they were despicable."
"You know what? It was a terrible mistake to invite you. I made one mistake and for that you're willing to wreck everything else in my life."
"I'm willing to wreck your life? Quite the contrary. In fact, as I recall it, wasn't it you who broke my heart?"
"Oh my God! You will never let that go! What can I do or say to make you just get over it already!!"
"Nothing! There is nothing you can say! You can't possibly understand how I might be feeling at this moment. The one who broke my heart, standing in front of me, celebrating an engagement to sometime you've known for 33 months less time than you knew me!"
"So I'm not allowed to move on?"
"Well why shouldn't you? You don't seem to be shedding any tears. I guess I didn't mean very much to you after all."
And then, nothing. They had said the thoughts from the deepest of their hearts. The thoughts that had plagued them each and every day that they had went unsaid. And now, there was nothing left for them. One was broken hearted and the other had found another love, and yet, in a way, neither's hearts had moved on from the other till this very moment when the feelings held in for so long had spilled over and into the world.
