She was sat on her bed, knees drawn up to her chin and her back to the door. The floorboards creaked under my feet but if she heard my approach she ignored me. Rounding her side of the bed, I dropped the bag to the ground and sat down next to her. Her eyes flicked over to me briefly but then continued to stare at the wall in front of her.

‘I love you, you know that, right?’ I watched her closely as I spoke. She sighed and her shoulders slumped. Slowly, she turned her head towards me, eyes harder than I had seen before but tear tracks still visible on her cheeks.

‘This isn’t love, Shane. Its all in your head.’ I reached towards her but she flinched and stood quickly. ‘You’re just a kid, we both are, and this isn’t love.’ She turned back towards me, tears flowing once more. ‘Its all…‘

My lips crashed into hers, my arms moving quickly behind her. One hand in her hair, drawing her face to mine. The other on her back, pulling her body into mine. Pouring all of the hurt out into her. Crushing her into me, through me. Clinging to her. Fingers straining against her, desperate to hold on to her, anything of her. My head tilted, breaking the kiss, face scrunching as my tears fell. Foreheads touching, breathing close to her, breathing her in. It was too much. I drew her closer, my face against the crook of her neck, her against mine. I cried and her scent clouded my brain. It was all too much. This girl, the love, the blood running through my veins, pounding in my ears. It was way too much.

She was crying too, tears soaking through my top, her lips against my neck. Her breath was gentle against the bruised skin, soothing me, calming me. Her fingers dug into my skin, clinging too me as much as I clung to her.

I was whispering to her, ‘I’m sorry’s and ‘I love you’s repeated over and over as we stood there.

She started to shake her head. Her fingers loosened and I felt her flinch away from me as I tried to pull her closer. All my attempts just not enough to her keep her with me. She stepped back, eyes trained on the floor. Her head turned slightly, eyes squeezed out the tears and I could see her bracing herself for what she would say.