Gone Forever

By Dee (Darla P)

Summary: She’s sitting alone with only memories keeping her company. What has she done wrong?
Why’s love so complicated? Only four words echoed through her mind, why hasn’t he called?

XxxxX

Too much time had passed since she’d last seen him. She missed him, but there was something that made her think he didn’t feel the same anymore. She’d tried to call him a thousand times but he never answered.

Liz brushed her blonde hair out of her face sighing sadly. They had been so close, met as much as their busy schedules allowed, and when they were apart they always spoke on the phone or sent cute text messages to each others. She’d believed him when he’d told her he loved her, could she have been so wrong? Had it all been a lie? If he still cared, he would never stay away from her like this. Liz had tried to deny it but she knew she had to face the truth sometime. Mike had gotten tired of her, he didn’t want her anymore…

There had been twenty-three days but Liz thought it felt like an eternity. She was disappointed, sad and hurt. Couldn’t he at least call her and tell her it’s over? Why let her hanging there wondering? She suddenly felt angry, how could he do this to her? But the anger was soon replaced by sadness; Liz stared at her cell phone on the glass table in front of her.

“What did I do wrong? Why don’t you want me?” she whispered as a few tears rolled down her cheeks.

For a brief moment she could have sworn she felt someone touch her hand. She stared at it for a long time, and then she shook her head slowly. It had only been her imagination of course. She was alone in the room. She shivered despite the heat. Was she really alone? She could almost feel the presence of someone.

She closed her eyes and opened them again, looking around. The room was just as empty as her heart felt. All she wanted to do was to curl up in a ball and cry. But she knew that wouldn’t make anything right. She stared at the phone still lying abandoned at the table in front of her, and with a sigh, she picked it up.

With trembling fingers she dialled his number, one last time...

She didn’t expect anyone to answer, and when she heard a woman’s voice on the line she almost dropped the phone by pure shock.

“Ehh hello… it’s Liz, is Mike there? Who is it?” she finally managed to say. The painful silence that followed didn’t make her feel any better.

“It’s Meg,” Mikes sister answered harshly. Liz swallowed, trying to breathe normally. What was going on? Why did Mike’s sister answer his phone, and why did the normally sweet girl sound so cold?

“Hi Meg!” she tried to sound as if the other girls tone hadn’t bothered her. “Is Mike there?”

“Why won’t you just stop calling?” Meg snapped angrily, avoiding the question.

“… why?” Liz was confused.

“Okay listen, Liz, where the hell were you when he needed you? Now it’s too late so just stop it okay! Stay away!”

A long silence spread across the phone line. Everything was spinning around in Liz’s head. What was it Meg had just said? What did she mean?

“I have no idea of what you’re talking about…” she finally managed. Her voice trembled as she spoke and tears threatened to fall.

Another silence.

After what felt like an eternity Meg finally talked. “What do you mean? Why didn’t you answer when I called, I must have tried a hundred of times.

“No…you haven’t… I would have known. You must have had the wrong number, I don’t know…”

Liz could hear Meg mumble something. And when she finally said it out loud Liz realized something was terribly wrong. It wasn’t the words the other girl had spoken, it was the way she said it.

XxxxX

A week had passed since the phone call and no matter how Liz tried; she couldn’t understand how the sun could still be shining. She blamed herself for what had happened, if she’d only known. She would have done anything to turn back the time, so she could be with him again. Now it was too late…

She would never see him again; never hear his soft breathing as she watched him sleep. She remembered all the times he had been so tired, he had fallen asleep in her arms. And she’d held him close and watched his beautiful face, once and then running her fingers through his brown hair.

Everything felt like a horrible nightmare and Liz was praying she would wake up and realize none of this had happened. But she never woke up, it wasn’t a dream, it was her life, and for the first time she didn’t feel like continuing it. What did she have to live for? Mike had been her everything, and now he was dead.

She couldn’t understand how everything could have gone so wrong. She’d thought she would spend the rest of her life with Mike, she had trusted him when he’d said forever. If she’d only known better…

Liz hugged her pillow tight, curling up in the sofa and tears silently rolled down her cheeks. She didn’t bother to wipe them away; she didn’t really care about anything…

The phone call from Meg was still echoing in her head. She hadn’t been able to say much that night, but she had listened to Megs sad voice as her own tears had been streaming down her face.

It had been raining the whole day, but Mike hadn’t let bad weather stop him from driving to Liz to surprise her. In the passenger seat he’d had a bouquet off roses, and in his pocket a box with a golden ring…

When he’d seen the truck coming towards him at the wrong side of the road, it had been too late to do anything to avoid a crash.

But miraculously Mike had survived, and ended up in a cold hospital room, instead of in Liz’s loving arms.

Meg had been trying to reach her for more than a week, but now afterwards, they realized she’d been calling the wrong number all these times.

Liz knew it wouldn’t have made a difference. She couldn’t have done anything to save him, but she could have been there when Mike had been asking for her. She could have been there for him when he’d needed her the most. But instead he was left, spending his last days wondering if she didn’t care enough to even come and say goodbye.

Everything felt like her fault. If she’d only trusted him enough to know something had happened. Instead she had been feeling sorry for herself thinking he had found someone new. She had been missing him and crying herself to sleep, but she realized now, the pain she’d felt then was nothing comparing to what she was feeling now.

As she was sitting there in her sofa, with nothing but memories keeping her company, she suddenly got the feeling of being watched. Half-heartedly Liz looked up and let her eyes sweep through the room, but as expected she didn’t see anything. She let out a sigh, hugging the pillow closer to her body, hoping to get some comfort.

Liz had thought they’d trusted each others completely, but now she realized they really hadn’t. She should have known he wouldn’t have stayed away like that, and he should have known she would have given everything to be there for him whenever he needed her.

Everything had been a simple misunderstanding, but for Liz, it felt like the end of the world. It was nothing that could be changed or talked through. What had happened was forever and no matter how much she prayed Mike wouldn’t come back to her…

…he was gone, forever.

That’s when she felt it, and she could swear it was the light touch of fingers caressing her cheek. Liz closed her eyes thinking it must be a dream.
And maybe it was just her imagination, but for a brief moment she could hear him whisper…

...”I’ll love you forever.”

XxxxX

The End.