Imperfectly Real (A Series of Imperfections) by A.E. Woodward Page B

broken as she fought back tears. “Liz, please, don’t cry. This is already hard enough on me.”
    My plea did nothing but open the floodgates. The tears started falling freely from her eyes but she wiped them away just as quickly. “I just don’t want to go home,” she sobbed. I pulled her into my chest, and her tiny frame was lost in my arms. “I’m so miserable there, I just don’t know who I am anymore.”
    “You can call me anytime,” I offered. “Whenever you get lonely, and you forget what it’s like to be happy, call me. I’ll tell you a stupid joke and we’ll laugh and you’ll remember that you can be happy.”
    We spent our last few moments together kissing. We were better at communicating through actions, rather than words. I’d already realized that and although I didn’t know if that was particularly a good thing, damn, it felt good.
    Once we separated, she walked away to her car. It pained me to watch as she kept looking over her shoulder at me. I stood there, waving, as she drove past me back to her unhappy home. And just like that she was gone again, leaving me more confused this time than the last.
    After pulling myself somewhat together, I eventually slid into the front seat of my car and pounded my hands against the steering wheel. “FUCK!” I yelled. It took a few more moments, but finally I turned over the ignition for my long journey home. At least I had plenty of time to think things through. My relationship with Elizabeth had been a whirlwind up to this point, and I was just as confused as I had been the night she whispered in my ear at the club.
    I started driving and grabbed my cell from my pocket. I considered leaving it off, but curiosity finally got the better of me. I turned it on and was immediately bombarded with text alerts—all from Rob—each of them spewing some sort of insult.
     
    Tyler Johnston—Man-whore Extraordinaire
     
    Did she at least pay you?
     
    Is this some sort of Band-Aid for your mommy issues?
     
    What a jerk! I was beyond annoyed, so, I took the phone and threw it over my shoulder into the backseat … yes, again. I didn’t need him rubbing salt in the wound—I could do that on my own. I knew carrying on with Elizabeth was stupid. I was being dumb and selfish. I didn’t need anyone else to tell me that, Clearly I wasn’t thinking, but I just couldn’t think straight when it came to Elizabeth.
    I enjoyed the hours of driving in silence. I cherished every moment, trying to not think about the situation I had put myself in. But no matter what I did, images of Elizabeth kept creeping into my head. They weren’t all recent memories either. I was taking a trip down memory lane, hoping for some sort of clarification on it all. My feelings … her feelings … anything. I just wanted to understand something .
     
    “Hey, Half-Pint,” I waved as I started to stalk past the couch where she was sitting, but for some reason she looked particularly sad. I paused before heading up the stairs and looked at her. “Everything okay?” I asked, knowing that I might be the only person to notice.
    She shrugged in response and continued to flick through the television stations. I sighed and turned around to join her on the couch. It was my duty, Elizabeth was the kid sister I never had but always wanted, and I wanted to make sure she was okay—it was the least I could do. She slid over to make room for me. I plopped down and the leather immediately stuck to me as the August humidity dampened my skin. “What’s up kiddo?” I asked, as I knocked my knee against hers.
    She sighed. “You guys are leaving me.”
    “No, we’re not. We’ll be back to visit,” I promised as she played with the elastics attached to her braces. “You make it sound like we’re moving to the end of the world, Half-Pint. It’s just New York.”
    “Yeah I know,” she sighed. “But I know you guys wont be back, and I’ll be stuck here forever.”
    Without thinking I reached over