Love To Hate You

Fate

Brandon

Five years! Five, God damn year's and I get one day. I can't do this again. I can't go on wanting her. This morning, I stopped drinking and started packing. Halfway through, I realized that no matter how far I go, she will always be there. If two bottles of whiskey couldn't get her out of my mind, all the distance in the world wouldn't make a difference.

Why hasn't she called? I felt it; I know I did. There was something there between us. I've waited long enough. I stood back at the wedding. I didn't interfere in their marriage. I didn't chase her after my brother's death and look where it got me.

I opened up on the island and... I grab my keys. Not caring if she feels the same, I can wait. I've waited this long, I have to tell her how I feel...

Mary

His house is dark, and the door is locked. Damn it! He's not home, just my luck. I sit on the porch for an hour and try phoning a million times, but it goes straight to voicemail. It's cold and dark. I get back in the car, but don't give up. I plan to drive around town until I find his truck...

I can't find him anywhere. It's long past midnight. Everything in town is closed. One more stop at his house... is fruitless. I give up for now and drive home.

Brandon

I stop by the bakery and get her, her real favorite pie. I happen to know its lemon meringue. Jogging across the street, I just make the flower shop just before it closes and buy her a dozen roses. On the way to her house, I practice what I'm going to say but can't get it right. It doesn't matter, I'll figure it out when I get there. My stomach flip-flops when I pull in the drive. Her car's gone. Her new place doesn't have a garage. I knock on the door, not at all surprised when it goes unanswered.

Getting back in the car, I go to the next likely place. I'm not ecstatic about an audience, but it doesn't matter as long as she'll hear me out. Her dad comes out and tells me I must have missed her. That he's pretty sure she went to my house.

It's not until I'm in the car that I think to ask why she was headed to my house. I'm halfway there when I see her pass by me. She slams on her breaks at the same time I do. We both get out and look at each other over the roof. I grab her pie and the flowers.

Mary smiles widely, and my heart races.

"Lemon meringue!"

She's surprised. She shouldn't be.

"Still your favorite?"

I watch her set the pie down on the trunk of her car.

"Always has been."

Knew it. There's a long pause, and I use it to find my courage.

"I love you."

"I love you"

I shake my head, I'm not sure I heard her right.

"You do?"

"You do!"

She laughs, and my heart beats faster with excitement. I grab her and pull her into my arms, kissing her like I haven't waited five years, two weeks, six days, seventeen hours, and thirty-two minutes. I kiss her like I have all the time in the world. She pulls back, and I wipe away her tears.

"What took you so long?" She says, wiping away tear. I laugh, bending down on my knee and pull the ring from my pocket.

"This! Mary... will you marry me?"

She jumps at the horn, sounding behind us. I look around, and notice were blocking the way.

"Go around! We're in the middle of something." Mary yells before I do, which makes me laugh out loud at her pissy tone. She turns back to me and bites her lip. I narrow my eyes. She's toying with me.

"Yes! Brandon, I will marry you... and for our honeymoon we can go on a cruise... I know a really great island-" I haul her in my arms, shutting her up with my mouth the way I know she likes. I can't wait to wake up doing the same thing every morning for the rest of our lives.

THE END