This Love is Difficult, but it's Real

Chapter 20

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Blue eyes met blue. Both royals stood there, afraid of what the other would say or do next. It seemed that it would go on forever until Jack broke the silence.

"Elsa, I-"

"Don't you dare speak to me!" she shouted, eyes hot with fury.

Don't cry, don't cry. Don't. Cry, she told herself. He's not worth it anymore.

"Where were you?" she screamed at the top of her lungs. She didn't care if anyone heard her. She didn't care how pathetic she looked or sounded. She had been keeping this inside for too long and it was about time to let these feelings come out. "Where were you when I needed you the most?"

"Elsa, just let me-"

"No!" she said. "For once in my life, someone is going to listen and let me talk!

"Everyday, I waited for you. I waited for you to come, in some way. Any way. You could have written a letter, sent a message, even passed word to someone to contact me. Anything, Jack. Anything to try to keep in touch," she said.

"I went out and looked for you everyday, nonstop, hoping to see that beautiful snow-white hair, those wonderful blue eyes, that mischievous grin out of the crowd. I asked royals who visited, sailors who were passing by, citizens who were out in the marketplace. Even though their shaking of their heads and their two word answers discouraged me, call it what you will, me being extremely stubborn, pride, hope, kept me going. That one day, fate might bring us back together.

"But as the days passed and there was no news of you and your whereabouts, my faith in you faded slowly," Elsa whispered, shaking her head. "I didn't notice at first, but the hole in my heart became big enough for me to see it clearly.

"Even though I constantly had many people around me at all times of the day, I still felt lonely. Does that seem selfish? Maybe so. But yet I still yearned for that one person who could make all my worries and problems seem to drift away with just a snap of his fingers.

"Yet you never came," she said, looking at him, hurt and betrayal visibly evident in her voice, eyes, and body. "You never came, Jack. I've been waiting for you but you never. Ever. Came.

"I remembered that today was your last day in Arendelle. Your six-month mark," she laughed bitterly. "Yet, here you are, standing right in front of me.

"I told you some time ago that I didn't know what my feelings were to you," she whispered, taking a deep breath. "But now I do. Jack Overland, I am in love with you. Completely, helplessly, utterly in love with you.

"But my question to you right now is this: Why didn't you leave?" she whispered hoarsely. "Why didn't you leave, Jack? There's nothing stopping you from going. So why didn't you leave when you had the chance? Wouldn't it have been easier for you, me, the both of us if you just left without a word?" Hot tears finally spilled out from her uncontrollably.

Jack swiftly and instinctively came to hug her, to embrace. He was now crying too. He wanted to stop her from crying, to stop her from being so miserable, but for the first time, he didn't know the means how.

"Why are you doing this?" Elsa whispered. "Stop being kind to me. I'm so naive...so if you act kind to me, I'll get the wrong idea."

"Elsa! Stop!" Jack cried, tears running down his cheeks. "Stop doing this to yourself!"

"How can I stop when you're part of the reason why I'm like this?"

"Elsa!" he shouted, rapid gasps coming from him. He slowed his breathing down, taking on a softer voice. "Just let me explain, okay?" he said. "Just let me tell my side of the story."