Out-Dated

13.

We were both exhausted and emotional and it resulted in complete silence. The scenic drive to Spence's house seemed long and uninspiring.

"Why would he say that?" Spence interrupted my thoughts.

"Say what?" I glanced over at him.

"Why did he say that you break everything you touch? What is he talking about?" He asked curiously.

I swallowed and looked at the quiet road ahead of me.

"I don't know." I mumbled.

Spence scrunched his forehead in confusion. I knew he hated unanswered questions.

"Ella, what does he mean?" He persisted.

"I don't know, Spence. He was drunk." I snapped.

"Hey." He asked for my attention.

I glanced over.

"Nothing you've done can make me love you less. Just tell me." He said with warmth.

"What?" I breathed

"What?" He asked.

"What did you just say?" I asked, glancing back and fourth from the road to his face.

His eyes grew wide. "Sorry."

"It's... fine. I just-didn't think I heard you correctly." I muttered nervously.

"You heard me." He said revealing a small, soft smile.

Chills grazed over my body.

He took my hand and placed it over his heart.

"I love you." He said. And there it was plain and simple, with no possible misunderstanding.

I pulled the car over abruptly to a lookout.

I burst into a hysteria of tears and lost my breath.

"What's... wrong?" He looked at me like I terrified him.

"Please... please don't." I squeezed his hand.

"What? Don't what?" He asked panicked.

"Don't say that-don't- love me-you can't-I can't." All my words ran together in a frenzy of emotions.

"What? Why? What do you mean?" He held my hand faithfully.

"My dad is right. I'm broken. And in turn I break people. I'm not capable of being in true love. I'll ruin it. Every time." I wiped my tear-soaked eyes.

He shook his head "That's not true." He mumbled.

"I don't trust myself with you. You're just.... perfectly fragile." I said.

"El." He took my face in his hands and looked right into my eyes.

I felt weak in his grip.

"How do you feel? In your heart. About me." His eyes scanned over my face.

I looked at him, just inches from my face, into his eyes that seemed to really see me and I couldn't say anything but the truth.

"I love you." I admitted.

His eyes lit up and he couldn't help but kiss me.

"Then thats all that matters."