dont you bore us

A single utterance hung in the air, its syllables softened by informality. There it was. He froze completely then, his hesitation turning into chains and his heart skipping another beat. It was her, without a doubt. What kind of cruel fate was this? He wasn’t ready – wasn’t ready to confront the schism between them. He gritted his teeth, feeling emotion crackle through his brain and sear his veins. He felt tears well in his eyes, but stubbornly kept them open in hopes that they would dry before they could fall. They did not. He kept his face turned away for a moment as water drew a trail down his right cheek, and then he swung his head to the side to cast a glance over his shoulder. ”Lirika?” came the hushed, rough question. There was no doubt, he had missed her. She had been his only friend in the world when even their own parents left them. But he had left her too. He was afraid, so very afraid, that she would hate him for it.