He backed off and turned away from her, vigorously shaking his head as if to ward away ghost fingers that were icily creeping across his face to cover his note and shut out the air supply. But this was no dream - it was real and she would not go away.
"Can't you see...?" She said as she rounded the table which had been a physical barrier between them to stand in front of him again. Her eyes boring deep into his. Then she said the words which up to that point, no one else had mustered enough courage to say for fear of breaking him any further. "If she wants out, then it means her heart has drifted far, further away than you can ever reach. There is no other explanation!"
The gloom re-settled on his face and the earth-shattering howl inside could have been heard a thousand miles away but the demeanor outside did well to shackle it in the hallowed chambers. For a long time, he stared back at her with foreign, glassy eyes. Long and hard, distant and dead. She whispered to him gently as moved closer and a soothing hand placed gingerly on his shoulder; soft, blue eyes pleading to be let in to offer more comfort and warmth. "She doesn't deserve you. You don't deserve to be treated so, let me..."
"No!", retorted sharply and took a step backward beyond her touch. "If anyone is undeserving, it is I!" With that, he turned slowly and reached for the door, leaving it open and not once looking back.
With tears in her awe-struck eyes, she stared at the hunched frame and bowed head as he sauntered away into the welcome embrace of grief; and wondered how a man could love a woman so that in his eyes, she could do no wrong!
