This story is one of the August Writing Challenge entries chosen to be a featured story.
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we sit on a bench and look out over the town.
the streetlights. the lonely car creeping down a back street.
‘you know i’m sorry, i didn’t mean to…’ mark says
i cut him off ‘but you did, that’s the problem’
‘but you’re my best friend’
‘and you were mine’
a tear streams down my face. i bury my head into my knees
‘why does it always end up like this?’ he asks
i look at him ‘because we’re damaged’
‘but we’re working on it’
‘it’s not helping anything, we’ll always end up back here ’
‘you can’t just give up’
‘but i can’t keep going’
‘mark, I don’t need you anymore’
and with that, just a little bit of warning,
a moment’s notice,
he understood, he was gone.