Write a short story using the 3 words : Keeper, couple, time.

 Playing for Keeps: My Short Story in response to this writing prompt.

There was a time when our love was so vibrant, so alive it was all I’d think about during the day. I couldn’t concentrate  at work, I’d constantly check my phone for messages. On my lunch break I’d walk over to  the park and find a bench, I’d sit by the water and daydream or  scrawl through all the messages we’d exchanged, with a smile on my face.  We were in love. What happened? What changed? 

Back then I thought you were a keeper, someone I’d spend my whole life with. I never imagined things could go so sour -like rotten fruit sitting out in  the heat for too long. We’re  now spoiled, rotten to the core and fit for the bin. We were in love. What happened ? What changed?

Is it all my fault? Am I too much? Can I have done anything differently? I sit on the same bench I used to have happy thoughts  about us as a couple, and  I   go over this question in mind. It’s on constant replay time and time again. I sit here and it feels like a cloud is over me, I have no happy thoughts of us as a couple, I have no messages to scrawl through and we’re no longer a couple…. well at least it doesn’t feel like it anymore. There’s nothing more I can do, it’s not all my fault, but I AM TOO MUCH for you. I’m not the right ”type” for you, I think.

 We were  in a ” relationship” in the same house together but we  were distant, we didn’t  talk  much, we didn’t  laugh much and we certainly didn’t love much.  So we took time apart, now we’re apart and I feel alive again- I wonder is it time to call it time up on our relationship, so I can start again? I feel in constant limbo over  this, some days I do feel like  I have  some kind of love left for you, some days I just want to slap you.

 One thing is for sure, you disappoint me, you make promises you didn’t keep and I’m not a priority. I’m saying goodbye to all this. I  always tried to keep my end of the bargain. Why did you not try to keep yours? You ask me ” how do I feel?”, the first time  you see me  properly in months, spin me some bullshit  that we’ll always be connected- wishful thinking? We’re not a couple, don’t do that let’s not confuse things, c’mon you know what this is- you know what time it is and you know what the deal is. You’re either in or out. 100% or nothing at all. I can’t and won’t wait for you so that makes me out, time is not on my side my friend. Life goes on this I have been learning, and so I will too go on and find someone new, because of you and all that you do- I’m not convinced you’re a keeper, if you had loved much deeper, may be then I’d look at you and consider you a keeper. 

“MiracleChallenge Week – 7” dated 26th July – 1st August, 2016