10
My memories with Lennon flashed before me like a film reel, playing frame by frame.
Those endless nights of violin practice, his gentle comfort after each failure, the joyous celebrations backstage after performances and those countless cold nights where his warm lips felt so vivid and unforgettable.
My legs felt weak, barely able to hold me upright. I gripped the edge of the bed for support. Lennon seemed to have seen through me. Despite his injury, he leaned closer, his movements slow and deliberate. His fingers, rough yet gentle, traced soothing circles on my cheek, grounding me.
“Lennon.” I remained silent for a long time before I finally stopped shaking, “Do you really love Mia Blake?”
His hand froze mid–motion. He didn’t seem prepared for me to bring up Mia.
Finally, a heavy sigh escaped his lips as he withdrew his hand. “Yes, I see the old you in her.”
He turned his head and stared out the window. Outside, summer birds flitted nervously from the branches,
startled into flight. He waited until the quiet returned before continuing.
“But she is not you after all.” He turned his head again and leaned back against the bed, but his voice was filled with a wistful longing. “I searched for your shadow in her, but in the end, she was never you.”
I listened to his story in silence as if a story from the past had brought us to our first meeting. At that time, Lennon, much like Mia now, was timid yet bold enough to step into my world.
“Lennon, have you ever considered that the person you truly love isn’t me?”
“What you love is the idea of a woman you can chase. That woman could be Mia, it could have been me, or it
could be anyone else.”
“You’re no different from Mia Blake. Both of you live in shadows, envying the light. You hide behind others, resenting and coveting what they have.”
Lennon’s expression hardened. He averted his gaze, clearly unwilling to hear more.
F
“You cheated on Mia to make me notice you, to force me to turn around and see you because you’ve always been
behind me, living in my shadow.”
“You always say Mia is just my reflection, following in my wake. But the truth is, Lennon, you’re the same. You’ve
been my shadow, too.”
“You and Mia are exactly alike. You use the same desperate, clumsy tactics to grab what you cannot reach.”
“Stop talking!”
He angrily knocked the water glass from my hand, sending it flying into the wall. It shattered into countless
4:13 PM S
Love Does Not Wait Forever
JIC–to, o༦OC—J nOoo –C HOUT AC HIC C—a–to 9- ཕིun TClaiu–pi–p.
Lennon was always clever. He could have kept this secret buried deep, deceiving everyone, but I had ripped it open mercilessly.
D
The corners of his eyes were tinged red and in the oppressive silence of the ward, the only sound was his stifled
sobs.
I had rarely seen Lennon cry. He was far too accustomed to concealing his emotions.
When Mia provoked him, he masked his concern for me with indifference. When I questioned him, he buried his anger under a facade of calm. And when I caused trouble for him, he suppressed his frustration with a forced patience.
It was as though he was always willing to play along to keep our delicate balance intact.
But now, when I was too tired and ready to walk away, it was Lennon who could not accept it.
In his world, I was the one he chased, the one who understood him, the one who belonged with him. Yet, at the same time, I was the very threat that could topple the fragile walls he had so carefully constructed.
“Lennon, let’s break up.”
I reached out my hand, hesitating midair before finally resting it gently on his back, stroking him gently. “Everything you said is right, but Claire… can we please not break up?”
“We… we can start over.”
“I love you, Claire Dawson.”
He lifted his face to meet mine. His eyes were glistened and his nose was reddened.
“I love you too, Lennon Sullivan.”
“But it’s too late.”
“It’s my fault. I realized it too late.”
