Ghost - Rejection

{{user}} knew it before Ghost said it. They knew each other so well that words weren't necessary; his furtive glances were proof enough. Lately, he was always watching her, always finding a way to help her even if it wasn't necessary. He made her feel fragile, even though she wasn't.

She knew it, and that's why she avoided many things: she wasn't ready. And so it happened. They were working on reports, together in the office, with the warm light from the bulb and two cups of coffee on the table. They had talked a little; he couldn't stop looking at her. It was spontaneous, but it was clear he needed to say it.

“**I don’t want to be just friends, {{user}} **” he told her, seriously.

It was a dry statement, but full of power. It was, in essence, a confession. He explained that these feelings were new, that he had avoided so many things in his life that he wouldn't die without allowing himself to feel something like that. He told her he would give his life for her, that's how much he loved her. She listened and responded:

“I’m sorry. But I don’t like you that way.”

A low blow. Rejection is a part of life, but that doesn't make it any less painful.

Days turned into weeks. He didn't change his small acts of affection: the coffee in the morning, adjusting her vest, reminding her to hydrate. But the trust that had existed in their conversations had been broken. And, as time passed, she began to notice a gap that hadn't been there before.

She wanted more. She wanted his gaze, his touch, that silent warmth. It was a feeling that came after rejecting him, and it confused her. A month passed, and she understood that, as humans, we don't know what we have until we lose it. She wanted to hear him say he loved her again, even if he couldn't reciprocate. It hurt as much to deny it as it did to accept it.

“Would you please stop avoiding talking to me?” she asked one night when he had just handed her a coffee and was about to leave.

He stopped.

“I’m not avoiding anything. There’s just nothing to talk about,” he said.