She Said

by Ben Paddon

Telling him what I’d done was easier than I had imagined it would be, but his reaction wasn’t what I’d expected. He didn’t shout, didn’t raise his voice. He didn’t frown, or scowl, or cry. In fact he didn’t really say or do anything. He just… looked at me with this blank expression. No words, no nothing. Just silence. The absence of sound just loitered in the air like an unwanted visitor, until finally he took a sip of his drink, set it down neatly on the table, grabbed his coat and walked out the door.

I sat there in our apartment, just… just thinking. What had just happened? Wasn’t he angry with me? Wasn’t he upset, or hurt, or something? How did he feel? As it transpired, I would never find out. I never saw him again.

I don’t blame him for leaving. After what I did. What had I expected, though? Really? Did I expect him to just forgive and forget? To just let it slide, for us to carry on as normal? I wish he’d raised his voice. I wish he’d shouted, given me some idea of what I had done to him.

Comments

Average Reader Rating: 5.0 stars out of 5

  1. She Said

    SKermitgorf's Buddy Icon SKermitgorf

    Posted 6 months ago

    wow powerful end to a friendship..abigousous as to what he did that made the guy walk out and never see again.. what had he done so unforgivable. that he couldnt even muster up a fight..
    powerful writing.. my imagination is working overtime as to the what he did… but I like it more because you left it unsaid..
    LoA

  2. She Said

    THX 0477's Buddy Icon THX 0477

    Posted 6 months ago

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Great description of that paradoxical phenomenon of the entitled confession. The person makes the mea culpa but has this sense they deserve a show for their honesty. Well written as always.
    LoA

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