Words, Words

"You cause me so many tears, you know."

His face was tired, shadows staining the vivacity behind his eyes. He looked down into his coffee, black, bitter, steaming into his face. He looked up again into her eyes.

"I'm trying so fucking hard to be happy."

Her eyes shone and wavered again, threatening to spill tears once more, to smear her mascara beyond repair. He reached across the table and took her hand into his, the first time they'd touched since that final hug a year before. A tear splashed on the table.

"Just make it all worth it. Make my pain worth it. Make it the cost of your happiness, or it was all for nothing."

He let go of her hand. She stared into his eyes, and their gazes melted together, old and familiar.

"You have to be happy. You fucking owe it to me to be happy."

He looked down at his coffee again and took a sip. It was salty.