Anger leaves my head like air rushing out of a balloon. My throat burns now. Sunlight trickles through the window behind you, painting you into a celestial form. Unnecessary tears well up in my eyes and threaten to spill but i blink them back. The expression of shock on your face still hasn't gone away. I'm tempted to contort my face to mirror yours but I don't have the right to be surprised. Instead, I allow the lump in my throat to grow and the silence to rise up into a monstrous thing, filling my entire house. 

        As you standing in front of me, I already notice your eyes don't look the same as they did ten minutes ago. The light held in your iris went out the moment my face touched your face. I have a distant memory of an argument. Funny, for the life of me, I can't remember what it was about now.

        Your hand cradles the left side of your face and I wonder if it will ever hold mine again. My hand throbs and I imagine how much worse your face must feel. I so desperately want you to be the first to break this impenetrable silence, but you say something. In place your words, all I receive is a stare I can no longer read. A single trickles out of your left eye.

        I'd like nothing more than to embrace you and reassure you. I'd love nothing more than to turn 10, 5 minutes back and take back the thousand slips of the tongue and the one slip of the hand. 

        Words rush out my mouth in a torrent. I hope the river of apologies can erode my betrayal. But erosion takes time and you are far too strong to give me time. Your heart is strong enough to withstand the floods of my regret. 

       Without a word, you move to the door, ignoring my pleas for forgiveness and my promises of penance. When you drop your hand to turn the knob, I see the large red area spreading across your cheek. You turn your head to me and I finally grasp the message in your gaze. "I once trusted you." In that  moment I know everything has ended. A gust has blown out the flames  and I am blinded by the ashes that remain. The door shuts with a  soft "thump" behind you, marking this day in my mind forever. Loneliness quickly comes and fills the halls and rooms and overtake me.

        I'm not even remotely surprised when three days late you call me, asking for a meeting at a very public drive-through restaurant. As I soon as you see me, you waste no time; you tell me what ever was once shared between us is gone and the events of that day will never be shared as long as I never contact you again. With dry eyes, I tearfully agree.