We Met Like This

by Kasie West

“If you don’t like me back, you have to stop saying things like that. You’re sending me mixed messages.” My statement was followed by silence, and I wished the lights were on so I could see the expression on his face. But they weren’t, and I was literally left in the dark, wondering what he was thinking. He put me out of my misery by saying, “I do like you, Margot. A lot.” My eyes stung in confusion. “But?” “But I don’t know if I’m right for you,” he said. “You are. So right. I think what’s really stopping you is that you don’t know if I’m right for you.” Another stretch of silence passed where he didn’t deny my statement. His voice finally cut through the darkness, deep and scratchy. “I need to tell you something about my past relationship.” “I honestly don’t care about your past relationship. I meant what I said in the silo. We need to leave our pasts in the past. We can’t let the people who hurt us still have such a strong hold on us now.” “No matter who they were?” “Even if we were engaged to them or if they were our bosses,” I said, covering both of us with the statement. “I think we have to live in the moment. Do what feels right now because what if nothing feels this right again?” “You feel right,” he said. “You always have. From night one.”