A Thousand Unspoken Words
Some goodbyes are not about leaving—but about survival.
The clock on the wall ticked relentlessly, each second stretching the silence between them. Russel sat on the edge of the couch, his fingers clenched into fists. Across from him, Adelline stared at her hands, her breathing shallow.
"You’re leaving," Russel finally said, his voice tight.
Adelline flinched. "I have to."
A sharp laugh escaped him. "Have to?" He ran a hand through his hair, his frustration barely contained. "Adel, you make it sound like you don’t have a choice."
Her lips parted, but no words came out. There were too many things she wanted to say, but none of them would make this easier.
Russel exhaled heavily, shaking his head. "Tell me why. Not some vague excuse, not some half-hearted lie. Just—tell me the truth."
Adelline bit her lip until she tasted blood. "Because if I stay, I’ll keep hoping."
Russel stiffened.
"You and I... we keep trying to fix something that’s already broken," she whispered. "We keep hurting each other, over and over, and pretending it doesn’t matter." Her voice wavered, but she forced herself to continue. "I can't do it anymore, Russel."
He swallowed hard. "So, what? You just walk away?"
Adelline blinked rapidly, forcing back the tears threatening to spill. "You think this is easy for me?"
Russel clenched his jaw. He wanted to scream, to break something, to make her stay. Instead, he whispered, "Then don’t go."
Adelline stood up, wrapping her arms around herself as if it would keep her from falling apart. "If I don’t go now, I never will. And someday, we’ll hate each other for it."
Russel's throat tightened. His mind screamed at him to fight harder, to find the right words to make her stay. But deep down, he knew—this wasn’t about love. It was about survival.
She took a step back. Then another.
Russel didn't move. He just watched as the woman he loved turned away, her silhouette framed by the cold light of the street outside.
And just like that, she was gone.
A thousand words stuck in his throat, but he never spoke them.
He never would.
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