Anna

The Puzzle Piece

"Anna?"

I snapped my head up from the blanket, tears staining my cheeks. I was disappointed when I saw it was Mitch. "What's wrong?"

I just shook my head, letting out a sob. "I'm just stupid, Mitch, I'm stupid."

He gave me a concerned look. "Anna, is this about Harry?"

I let out a deep breath, looking at him hopelessly. "Yes!" I exclaimed finally. "I'm an idiot. I missed my chance and now he's–" I threw up my arm, gesturing to where he was, letting it fall back into my lap. "He's moved on to someone new."

"Harry!" Mitch yelled.

I got to my feet. "Mitch, what're you–"

Harry came in, a concerned look on his face as he looked between Mitch and I. "What?"

"I hate both of you."

"What?!" Harry and I both exclaimed in unison.

He threw his arms in the air. "You're both ridiculous!"

"Mitch, what are you talking about?" Harry asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

Mitch sighed, shaking his head as he rubbed his fingers against his forehead. "Okay," he said, looking back up at us. "Obviously you're both too blind, and too oblivious to see it but you're in love with each other, so would you both please just get over yourselves and go on a date or something?"

I was silent for a long time before realizing. "But, he-you called Octavia."

Harry shuffled his feet, looking down at them.

Mitch looked at Harry expectantly, before rolling his eyes and turning to me when Harry didn't speak. "He hung up as soon as you left."

I looked at Harry. "You–is that true?"

Harry nodded, looking back up at me. "Can I go out on a limb, here?"

I nodded, almost desperately. "Yes. Please."

He sighed before starting. "I'll never be able to get you out of my head, Anna. No matter how hard I try, you're always there. I close my eyes and try to sleep at night but I can't, because all I can think about is you, and how you're not mine." Mitch took this as his opportunity to slip out of the room. "And once I fall asleep all my dreams are of you. And when I wake up? You're the first thought that crosses my mind. All throughout the day, every day, for the past eight years, it's just been you on my mind. Any time I was with any other girl, somehow my mind would always go back to you. None of those relationships lasted because I just wanted to be with you. People say time is supposed to heal a broken heart but if anything time made it break more. There hasn't been a day where I haven't thought about you. I mean," he looked up at the ceiling, and I noticed he was holding back tears. "If I had a flower for every time I thought of you–I would be walking forever, just to be able to reach the endless amount of flowers I had. And I know that sounds cheesy...but I read it somewhere and it felt like the most accurate thing ever."

He may have been able to hold the tears in but I wasn't that strong, I felt them rolling down my face as he spoke, I could hear my heart pounding in my ears as butterflies sky rocketed throughout my stomach.

"Anna, I tried to call Octavia because I thought maybe she would distract me, and that maybe I would somehow finally get over you. But I couldn't even get a word out to her, I had to just hang up. I realized as I stood there that there was no way I could ever get over you...because I love you. I always have and honestly, I probably always will."