"Loving someone who doesn't love you back is like hugging a cactus. The tighter you hold on, the more it's going to hurt.."
--
Temple City, California
Annalisa Green -- February 4th, 1992 Location: 1341 Evergreen St
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"I'm in love with you."
..... What?
"I.. I have been for years," he continued. I sat there, frozen. "Since the day I had to leave. I realized how much I've really loved you. But I wish I said something that day." I was still silent, still unable to move.
He..... loves me?
Me?
Me.
"Please say somethin' Ana, anything. You can even slap me if you want, just please, don't leave me hangin'."
I felt his eyes burning through the side of head. But I still couldn't move. I was speechless.
"Ana," he put his hand on top of mine, gently clutching it. "Talk to me."
"D-Damien," I breathed out, blinking rapidly. His hold on me tightened, as I finally gained the courage to look at him. Then, I saw it.
I could finally see what Aunt Jolene said. The way he looked at me is how Uncle Harry looked at her. With pure love, but his eyes were forming tears. Almost as if it hurted for him to love me.
How could I have been so blind?
"Why .. wh - me?" I stammered.
"I don't know why, or how, I just know that I'm in love with you baby girl. I guess I always have."
Oh God.
I took a deep breath, working to calm myself down. Was it a panic attack coming on? I felt my heart accelerate at the fastest of speeds, so fast that I could hear it in my ears.
Damien noticed that I was having trouble, so without another word he wrapped his arms around me and held me. He talked to me calmly and softly, and helped me breath and relax until eventually I was relaxed.
For a moment we were silent, me taking short gasps of breaths every now and then. At this point I couldn't think straight. This felt so sudden. It just came out of nowhere.
But in reality, it's always been here. I just has to open my eyes.
Did I really want to face this, though? Was I really ready to have this conversation?
I guess not.
So I did the only thing that I could do; I sent him home. I didn't want to think about this at the moment. I needed time to fully take this in.
