A love that breaks.
The door locks with a heavy click behind you.
You turn,and there’s Joe.
Not smiling. Not faking kindness anymore.
His usually soft eyes,are flat now,unreadable...like he’s already somewhere else in his head.
"You lied" he says. His voice is even. Too even.
"I didn’t want this. You made me." he continues, after a short pause.
You step back don’t even meaning to. Your body reacts before your mind can catch it.
Joe notices. His jaw tightens.
"You’re scared of me," he says quietly "After everything I did for you... you’re scared of me?"
"No, Joe," you breathe, forcing a smile that feels like it might crack your face in half. "But right now... you're looking at me as if I were a stranger."
He laughs...a hollow, broken sound.
"Because you already are."
He moves fast.
One second you’re standing there, the next his hand is wrapped around your throat: not squeezing yet, just holding, almost like a promise.
"Shh" Joe whispers. "It’s better this way. You don’t have to be afraid anymore"
You feel your heart thundering against your ribs.
You know he’s too far gone to reason with,but you try anyway.
"I love you, Joe" you say. "I never stopped."
For the first time, something flickers in his eyes;doubt, pain.
He loosens his grip just slightly.
You take your chance, reaching up with trembling fingers to gently touch his face.
"You saved me," you whisper, voice breaking. "You were the only one who ever really saw me." you actually just want to run away, you regret not realizing who he was sooner. But do you think, would yelling at him do any good?
Joe’s breathing shudders. His hands shake.
He leans his forehead against yours.
"I just wanted you to stay" he whispers, almost childlike.
You nod, tears spilling freely now.
"I’m staying. I promise. I’m yours."
For one suspended, awful moment — you believe you might have reached him.
But Joe is Joe.
And this Joe is broken,too broken.
His hand tightens again,fast and reflexive.
And he whispers against your skin:
"If I can’t have you the way you were supposed to be... maybe it’s better this way"
His hand still grips your throat, the pressure steady and unwavering. He’s not yelling. He’s not screaming. But there’s something about his stillness that scares you even more.
"I tried, you know," Joe mutters, his voice low, as if trying to convince himself. "I really did. I wanted this to be perfect. I wanted us to be perfect."
You open your mouth to speak, but the words feel useless...
You try to soften your expression, to calm him. "Joe, please..." you whisper, your voice trembling. "I love you. you know I do."
But there’s no warmth in his eyes now. There’s only the cold, haunting look of someone who’s already made their decision.
Joe’s lips curl into a twisted, almost mournful smile. "I loved you too," he says softly, his voice cracking as he pulls you closer, like he’s holding on to something slipping away from him. "But you made me... you made me do this."
In that instant, the grip around your throat tightens again, this time with finality. It’s not a reflex anymore. It’s a decision. His decision.
You can’t breathe. The panic claws at your chest, and everything inside you screams for air, for him to stop. But he doesn’t stop.
His voice is soft, almost gentle, as if he was tucking you into bed. "You’ll be safe. You won’t ever leave me. You will always be remembered" His words are haunting, coated in love and madness. "I’ll make sure of that."