kidding so I couldn’t sleep after finishing with the grading so I wrote something incredibly sad to fit my attitude hahaha
A week since she’s called and told him that she misses him. He’s played her voicemail so many times that he has her words committed to memory.
Luke, I’m just calling to say…well, I don’t really know. I miss you. Sigh. It’s been difficult, and this message probably doesn’t help. Everything that’s happened, everything I’ve done, I’m sorry. I hurt you, a lot, and I don’t know how to make it better. Hell, I don’t think that I can. Pause. I understand why you said what you did. I don’t blame you. You deserve better—you deserve stability and a woman who can be there. Someone dependable. Pause. I’m just sorry I couldn’t be her. Listen, you don’t—you don’t have to call me back or anything. I just wanted to let you know. Love—Pause. Take care.
Luke plays with the small device in his hands. With each passing moment, he isn’t sure if he should call her. He wants to. He just wants to hear the sound of her voice, if only one last time. He wants to know that he’s made the right decision.
He checks the time. 3:02am. Luke knows she’s asleep—she’s never been one to stay up through the night. The ghost of a smile plays on his lips as he remembers all the times she tried to stay up to wait for him when he would return from The Crow’s Nest.
A sigh forces its way from behind his lips as he looks down at the phone again. He shakes his head. Better now than never—at least you can say you tried. His thumb slides over the numbers that have been ingrained in his memory. Slowly lifting the phone to his ear, he listens as the phone rings: once, twice—
Luke freezes. His muscles seize up, and he can’t remember what to say. He can’t remember if he had anything to tell her in the first place. She’s already made him forget himself, and it’s only been a few seconds.
This isn’t how he envisioned it—how he envisioned any of this. He wanted to clear his conscience of the voicemail she left him. Silence is so deafening, he thinks to himself. He focuses on the sounds he can make out from her end. She’s started to shift in bed, the sheets rustling around her. Her breathing becomes even, but not so much that she falls back asleep. She’s waiting for him.
Essie calls his name softly, sleep clinging to the edges of her voice. She sighs into the silence, and Luke finally replies.
“Essie,” he whispers roughly.
Her voice hitches as she whispers an “oh god,” fighting back the tears she knows are coming. Lu shuts his eyes as he tries to gather his thoughts. He rests his head in his free hand.
“Please say something,” she whispers hoarsely.
“What do you want me t’say?” he asks quietly.
A pause. “Something. Anything.” She laughs once. “I miss the sound of your voice.”
“I don’t want t’mess this up,” he replies. Silence.
“There’s nothing you could ever do to mess anything up.”
“I was the one who pushed you away. I pushed you too far.” Silence. “I’m sorry. Gods, I’m so sorry.”
Luke breathes in quietly. “’S okay.”
“No, it’s not okay. It never will be. I hurt you—gasp—and there’s nothing I can do to take it back. I would give anything. I love you so much.”
A dull ache blossoms in his chest. He doesn’t want this. He doesn’t want to hear this. He hates hearing her like this.
“We both were wrong.” Silence.
“I want to make this right.” Pause. “Will you help me make it right?”