Monday, February 28, 2011

He's your escape.

          She could hear the interstate from her small bedroom.  The hum and buzz of the late night traffic oftentimes provided her with the necessary amount of distraction to lull her to sleep.  But tonight, it kept her awake.  She imagined how easy it would be to drive the mile or so in her junker of a car, which she secretly loved dearly, and join the strangers traveling along the stretch of road that intersected with her daily life.  She wondered if going somewhere, anywhere other than here, would help ease some of the pain she felt.  There was an almost magnetic pull between her and the road, a pull that would most definitely lead to a magnificent escape. But leaving wouldn't erase anything.  Getting out would only aid her in getting more inside her own head.  The odd stillness that existed inside a moving vehicle would prove to be the perfect incubator for her troubles.  She could picture it now.  Driving silently down the road, listening to the thudding and strumming of a rubber tire against a paved road, the oddness of it presented a musicality that would act as a metronome to conduct the numerous thoughts that had the potential to explode all over her neatly manicured surface.
          She rolled over and faced him.  He was the only thing she'd miss if she were to leave.  He was one of the only good things she had in her life.  She watched as he breathed deeply in the shadows cast by the street lamps outside.
          Would he miss me, she wondered.
          Of course he would, her subconscious mind screamed.  Why do you do this?  You have this overwhelming need to make things more complicated than they really are.
          That's not true, she told herself.  I just wonder what his life would've become without me.  I need to know sometimes that I make him a better person.
          He knows that, her mind responded.  How couldn't he?  You two are perfect for one another.
          She reached up and stroked his cheek softly.  He snuggled deeper into the pillow and restlessly moved his head back and forth.  It reminded her of a baby or a dog nestling down into a comfortable slumber.  A small smile spread across her lips and she felt a warmth only he could arouse in her.
          You're right, she told herself.  He's my other half.  How can I doubt that?
          She leaned into him and planted a soft kiss on his exposed cheek.  The heat that he radiated made her feel safe and secure.  He opened his eyes very slowly and raised his head a little, startling her.
          "I didn't mean to wake you," she whispered softly.
          "Are you alright?" he whispered back, but much rougher than hers.
          "I'm fine," she replied.  She leaned into him again, this time brushing her lips against his.  He reached up and placed his hand on her cheek.  It ignited her skin and made her heart literally skip a beat.  When she pulled away, he slowly opened his eyes and stared at her.
          "I love you," he spoke softly to her.
          She felt tears welling up in the corners of her eyes as she replied, "And I love you."