once upon a fairytale...

"I love you."

The confession rang too loudly in my ears, too loudly in the air between us. His eyes widened in shock for a moment but his features slowly softened. And for the very first time in my life, I could not read what was going on behind those deep, grey eyes. His perfect pink lips bent upwards into that kinda smile that I have seen in my dreams for a million times. Those perfect pink lips that I had dreamt of kissing for a million times.

He spread open his arms wide, like an angel offering comfort for a hurt child and I gladly plunged into his chest, my heart almost bursting with happiness and relief as his arms folded around my body and his breath warmed my left cheek.

"I know that you would grow up into a great woman."

He whispered into my ear. I looked up at him questioningly. What was he trying to say?

"You are beautiful, smart and have the greatest gift that I have ever seen for art. But I am sorry."

He stepped back and as his arms unwrapped themselves from my body, I swore that even the two poles of Earth could never feel colder then this. He opened those perfect pink lips of his again and made the thin fissures in my heart grow into gaping cracks and holes that would never fully mend.

"You are young, Sara. There are other guys out there that would be better suited for you. And you are still studying, too. So dating a guy as old as me..."

He laughed. But I could tell that it was forced. The angle his head was thrown back to. The way his eyes kept shifting. I knew. I knew.

The laughter subsided and he looked at me squarely in the eyes, as if daring me to look and read what was within his but I did not want to. He took in a deep breathe. But I already knew what was coming next. I knew. Oh yes, yes. I knew.

"Sara, meet Pamella, my loving girlfriend."

A slim woman in a beige dress and brown heels walked out from behind me. I just nodded dazedly. I did not know what to say. Hell, I did not even know what to think.

Pamella nodded at me once and then delivered a peck onto Shane's cheek, the one that I had just rested mine on just moments ago. Had she seen that? Had she seen or heard me being rejected? Because of her?

Shane looked at me again. His gaze of uncertain, uncertain of what to say. Well, we're in the same boat now. I have to break this silence somehow.

"Haha."

Who was that? Who said that? Who had just laughed at my humiliating rejection? At my stoned face? At me?

"Hahahaha..."

Shane's eyes widened for the second time of the day. But shock was not just the culprit, concern also played a part too. His girlfriend seemed to cling onto him with those slut-like red fingernails of hers. Deep moon marks started forming on his skin and her eyes widened too, only disgust and alarm tainted them though; a stark contrast to her stoned boyfriend. I hate those eyes. I hate this. I hate everything.

"Hahahahahahaha!!"

It took a moment for me to realise that I was actually the one laughing. I was laughing at everything. The days I spent laughing and joking with him, trading insults after insults through text messages. The nights that I spent thinking of him, craving for his smile, his laughter, the little contact his fist did whenever he delivered a playful punch onto my shoulder. But most of all, the warmth I'd always felt in the air around him, the warmth that always ran through my body whenever I was with him. Were they just a lie? Were they just little tricks of the mind?

"Sara, are you alright?"

My head snapped towards their direction and as his girlfriend flinched at my sudden movement, Shane's hand automatically went around her body protectively. Oh, so I am a threat now huh? I laughed again and a slow, predator's grin spread across my face as a took slow steps towards them. Like a tiger moving onto it's prey for the final strike to put the pitiful creature out of it's misery. All the while, they were taking small, fast steps backwards and he was now patting the shoulder of his whimpering girlfriend.

I stopped. And so did they. Shane's jaw was now clenched. He looked at me with unreadable eyes. With dark eyes. Eyes that were meant for predators, one that was afraid and determined to get out of this, get out of this alive.

At that moment, I did not know why I suddenly slumped. It felt like all of the energy had been sapped out of me. It even too effort to just stand. I just looked at him. I knew that my eyes were drooping. That they looked sad and raw with the emotions churning deep inside me. My voice came out no louder then a whisper,

"Have a happy ever after."

I walked away. And never looked back.