The Other Half of a Heart and Soul
The Other Half of a Heart and Soul
©1999-2000
By Sarah
Short Story
        "It’s your own fault."
        "I know, but please, don’t leave!"
        "There’s nothing you can do or say to make me stay."
        "Baby, I beg of you, please don’t go!  I can’t live without you!"
        "You should’ve thought about that before you decided to sleep with her."
        "Please, I can make it up to you!  I swear to you, she meant nothing to me!"
        "How could she have meant nothing to you?  You kept her number, remember her name, the layout of her apartment, nearly called me her name!  I refuse to be your toy when you come home, I refuse."
        "But, honey, I love you!"
        ‘SLAP!’
        "You ever say that to me again, you’ll get something worse than a slap across the face."
        "I’m begging you, on my knees, please, don’t leave me!"
        "No, Nick, you cheated on me, not the other way around."
        Nick got up off the floor and hurried across the room.  "But I didn’t mean to!  I missed you so much, I didn’t know what I was doing until it was over!"  He grabbed her arm, stopping her from packing.  "Sarah, please!"
        Sarah wretched her arm out of his grasp.  "Don’t touch me, you disgust me.  And to think, I wanted to spend my life with you.  I can’t believe I was such a fool to fall for you.  And what are you talking about that you didn’t know what you were doing?  Brian said you were as sober as ever!  And if you missed me so much, you could’ve just called!"
        "You wouldn’t have answered!"
        "That’s because I was coming to see you!  Goddamn, Nick, I cannot believe you!"
        "Sarah, I’m begging you, please don’t leave me, she meant nothing."
        "Is that why you didn’t bother trying to come after me when I walked in on the two of you?  You didn’t seem to care!  It was like you were looking through me!  No, you never loved me, you just wanted someone to screw you and when I never did, you had to turn to some whore!  What hurts the most is knowing that you tried your damnedest to make sure I never found out.  You told the guys to not tell me!  You cheated on me and you expected me to never find out.  You were never planning on telling me, were you?  You know what, don’t answer that, I already know the answer," Sarah said, turning back to finish packing her suitcase.
        "Sarah, there’s no way in hell I would ever hurt you intentionally.  You know that!"
        "Nick, I can’t believe anything you’ve ever said to me now.  For all I know, you could’ve been lying to me the entire time," Sarah said crossly.  She zippered her suitcase shut and started tossing things in an overnight bag.
        "I haven’t lied to you!  I never could and I still can’t.  Sarah, I’m begging you, please, don’t leave.  Let me make it up to you, give me one night, that’s all I ask, one night…"
        "No, I can’t.  Nick, I told you in the beginning that I would tolerate the touring and everything, but if I heard anything that remotely sounded like you were cheating on me, I would disappear in a snap.  I warned you, Nick, and I’m not going back on my word."
        Nick ran out of the room and Sarah could hear him opening and closing drawers in his room.  She ignored it and finished packing her overnight bag, then moved on to stuffing things in her backpack.
        Nick ran back in the room and stood back as Sarah walked back and forth between her bed and the bathroom.  "Sarah, I beg of you, please, don’t leave!"
        Sarah shook her head and finished packing everything.  "I have to leave, Nick, I can’t stay here."
        Nick stopped in front of her and got on his knees.  He pulled a ring box out of his pocket and showed her the ring inside.     "Please, Sarah, please don’t leave.  I love you, marry me?"
        Sarah’s eyes filled with tears.  She shook her head and turned away from Nick’s pleading eyes.  "No, I won’t.  I have to go, my plane leaves in less than an hour."  She gathered her bags and carried them out to her car, Nick still chasing her.
        "Sarah, please, I can’t live without you.  You and I were meant to be together.  We’re two pieces that complete the puzzle.  Sarah, I love you so much it hurts.  I’m sorry for hurting you and I could kill myself for doing something so stupid.  Please, baby, don’t walk away from the perfect thing," he pleaded.
        Sarah paused at the car door and turned around.  She pulled Nick’s head down to hers and kissed him, deeply, for the final time.  She broke the kiss and slapped him across the face again.  "I love you and hate you at the same time.  Goodbye, Nickolas," she said, letting the tears flow freely.  She got in her car and drove away, leaving Nick sitting in the driveway, crying.  Sarah didn’t look back, knowing if she did, she’d go back for the other half of her heart and soul.

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