Asymptote or Adjacent?

Jude

Do you love me like that?
If I keep on driving

Once, being vulnerable with him had come naturally to her. It hurts to see her struggling to do it now, when they both know their relationship hinges upon it. He doesn't know how to fix this, and it's the hardest realization he's ever had to come to in his young life. For all his parents had advised and imparted wisdom, neither of them had told him what to do if all his honesty and explanations didn't work.

What's worse, he doesn't feel he has done anything wrong, so how is it fair that she gets to be angry? It's a small twist of bitterness in his stomach, not nearly to the level Sohalia herself is experiencing given how hard it is for such emotions to thrive in the environment of his own mind. He is far too meek for things like anger. Still, it hurts. And he's so very tired of hurting. Of them hurting each other.

"I don't want you to feel stuck, or like you're waiting on me. If you have things you want to chase then..." he falters, because the idea seems so wrong, so monumental. But how else is he supposed to take a word like waiting? If he's holding her back, then he needs to let her go. "I don't...have any other friends really." So who else could possibly be his best friend? How could he replace her in that role when nobody was eager to step up in the first place? Yes, he'd promised Koa they were friends, but it doesn't seem right to bring that up here and now given what a mood-killer it would be. Not that he thinks the mood can worsen at this point.

Staring down at his untouched breakfast, Jude berates himself for being a coward, for not being able to meet her eyes as he says, "Maybe...maybe we should just go back to being friends."

Would you hold me when we crash?
Or would you let me go?