weak; mcduke

numb

numb (adj)- [no definition available]

same day / duke's pov

We were driving down the dirt road in the thick underbrush when Heather piped up.

"Heather... can we go to the cliff?" she requested quietly. I could feel her anxiety that hummed in the air like electricity. I'd been planning on taking her to her place to get medicine, but I guessed we could spare a few extra minutes.

"Uh, sure... why...?"

"I.. I'll e-explain once we get there..." As I pulled into the same spot we often went on dates, I saw her hand go into her pocket and produce a pill bottle. She had them on her all along? I handed her a water bottle stored in a cup-holder next to my seat. She chugged it and took the pills. We waited in a still silence and I kept close watch.

Her face relaxed a bit and she sighed, pushing back her hair. Heather turned to face me, shifting her entire body and letting her legs drape off of the seat. I followed suit. Something was wrong here. I could feel my back burn; some type of presence was behind me. I didn't check it out. I was just exhausted, I concluded.

// mcnamara's pov

My thoughts raced. My heart thudded against my ribs violently, but some eerie sense of calm still lingered around me. I had to do this. I'd denied it for months, but I needed to. Heather had convinced me to do so, so many things that could've gotten me in trouble...

She was becoming obsessed with me. I never wanted to face the truth, but she was throwing away her every thought just for me. And I couldn't take it; I didn't want her to be like that. She scared me now. The main reason loomed like a shadow, screaming at me to acknowledge it. I exhaled again. I didn't love her. I used to, but I didn't anymore. I had my sights elsewhere... even though she'd never love me back, I still loved someone else.

"Heather, we need to talk," I began slowly, not able to look her in the eyes.

// duke's pov

"What is it? You can tell me," I offered. Chills of dread snaked up my spine. F*ck, something was wrong. Why was I so nervous?

"Look... Heather..." Her tone wavered. "I think we need to... spend some time apart..."

"How much time?" I found it oddly ironic. She'd ignored me for months, then remembered my existence, and now she wanted to ignore me again? Well, I supposed I could deal with it.

"... I think we should spend, like, a while apart..."

"How long?" I couldn't mask the panic in my tone.

"...I really don't know how else to say this..." She sounded calm but sat rigid. I'd never seen her like this. My brain was freezing over, slowing itself for whatever was to come. Resisting the fact that I knew what was coming next.

"I'm breaking up with you, Heather."