He Said, She Said

The man walks through the door. The woman looks away, the hurt evident in her eyes. The phone calls stopped, the attention faded away. The man moves to his group of friends - a safe spot in his world of self-consciousness. She glances constantly while chatting with her friends. They catch each other more often than comfortable. He laughs louder than usual, wanting to show no weakness. She smiles and nods, knowing no greater fear than showing how hurt she is. He grows quiet, looking to be rid of the situation, looking back at the times and only seeing how he screwed up. She ties her hands in knots under the table, looking back at how she scared him away, knowing how she just wanted to open up in a way she never had with someone before. He makes a comment about a passing female, trying to draw his attention away from the woman who occupies his mind space. He could handle the situation, could handle the affection, just not the giving, not feeling comfortable opening up and reciprocating the emotions falling from her heart to his ears. She knows he had to let go of something, waiting patiently for the release. Wanting to be the one, wanting to feel the need he had for her, to be so close emotionally that only God could know his heart more.
He looks at her, thinking the damage done is unrepairable, the bridge burned completely. She was so close. The emotions and things of his heart, the closely guarded castle could not be brought down so easily. The walls where so high. He almost let down his guard once. She had lowered the rope from her heart and he had started to climb, then realizing the height decided to turn back and leave that path untraveled. After that point they had never really connected with each other, never again communicating with their hearts. She was slower to see the trend in their relationship until, of course, he was gone. This place being the only place they might see each other. In the back of her mind, so hoping, knowing that he would walk back through that door, but not knowing how or why she would feel the way she did. He knew she would be here eventually after the “time period”. She would just appear back in his life and all the emotions would flow again. Things he didn’t want to talk about or feel or even think about came flooding back. She wanted to run, either way, out the door or try to enter his arms again. He wanted to feel her touch, the warmth of her breath. She needed the security of his being. He needed her to be there to touch. She wanted his taste in her mouth. He wanted to smell her again. The temptations bombarded both. He needed her, she needed him. But both looked away, drawn back into their folds of security and doubt. Both turned away.