If you don�t love me � lie to me
�Cause baby you�re the one thing I believe
Let it all fall down around us, if that�s what�s meant to be
Right now if you don�t love me baby � lie to me, lie to me
Baby, I can take it
C�mon lie to me
Last night was single-handedly the worst night of my life. I couldn�t sleep, I couldn�t stop thinking about what I had done, and what it caused me. I know it was her who had the affair, but it was never my place to keep something like this from her. She did what she did because of love. I did what I did out of fear.
A photograph sitting beside the phone catches my attention. Me and her, with the twins between us, on their first birthday. We are all laughing, happy. What I would do to get things back the way they were.
That�s when I sense her.
I had spend the entire night wandering around our house, reminiscing about the past, cursing the present, and praying for a future. With her. The woman I love more than life itself.
And I feel her watching me.
I look up, half afraid that maybe it�s just wishful thinking. But she�s there, she�s back, and as terrible as she looks, she�s the most beautiful thing I�ve ever laid my eyes on.
A strangled sound comes unexpectedly out of my mouth before I can stop it, and I stumble towards her. Her hands reach out to steady me, but then she takes a step back. �Not yet. I have something to say.�
I nod stupidly, not daring to look away. She gestures for me to take a seat, and I do. But she stays standing, pacing before me.
�Hunter, what you did�I can�t say I�ll ever forget it, and you know forgiveness has never been my best trait. I want to say it, but I�m not sure now-�
�Lie to me,� I quickly interrupt. I don�t care. I just want her back.
She smiles faintly at me. �What is it that they say? Time heals all wounds?� She stops momentarily and gazes at the same photograph that had captured my attention just before.
�I�ve been thinking, and I realised that I�m not without blame. If he and I hadn�t- Well, I would never have been pregnant in the first place. But that was a long time ago, and I can�t pretend that the past five years never happened.� She takes a deep breath. �We have a beautiful home, beautiful children. And then there�s us. We were happy, weren�t we?�
�Yes.�
�I never should have done what I did, but I don�t regret it,� she continues.
As much as it pains me to hear her say it I know that now, more than ever, is the time for brutal honestly.
�I know that what you did, at that time, you thought it was for the best. What happened was a tragic accident that none of us could have controlled. What you did was a mistake��
�Steph-�
�Please, let me finish,� she interrupts gently. �What you did was a mistake, and I don�t want to make another one.� She stops right in front of me, and I look up at her, heart racing with both fear and expectation. She frames my face with both of her hands.
�I don�t want everything to just suddenly stop and disappear. What we have is something. It took us so long to figure that out, and I�m not just going to throw it away. But at the same time, I can�t-�
�Anything you want, it�s yours,� I cut in. I have to be content with small favours.
�Time.�
�It�s yours.�
A beat. �And you.�
�Always.�