Actually, after getting the space I thought I wanted, I could say it gave me a chance to check myself out. To really breathe, to see if I could stand without Charlie holding me up. But the truth? I was lonely.
Charlie kept his distance, but it wasn't the kind of distance that gave me clarity. It was the kind that left me hollow. He was still there, across the room, down the hall, just a few feet away, but never close enough to touch, never close enough to feel safe.
And when he did look at me, his eyes carried something sharp. Jealousy.
He had always been protective, but now it was like his silence sharpened it. Overprotective. Overwhelming. Watching me when I talked to someone else, his gaze heavy enough to make my words stumble. He didn't say anything, but the message was clear: he hated seeing me with anyone else.
And me? I hated it too. Not because I didn't want him to care, but because it felt like I couldn't be myself. I had asked for space, but all I had done was create a cage with invisible walls, one built from his jealousy, my doubts, and the silence growing between us.
One afternoon, I sat with a few classmates, pretending to laugh at a joke I barely understood. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Charlie watching. His arms were crossed, his jaw tight, his stare burning a hole straight through me. The moment our eyes met, my smile faltered. My laughter died. And just like that, the air between us grew heavier again.
Later, when the others left, Charlie finally approached me. His voice was quiet, but it carried weight.
You looked like you were having fun.
I searched his face, but his eyes gave him away. That wasn't curiosity. That was accusation.
Charlie… I started, but the words tangled in my throat.
He looked away, shaking his head. You don't get it, Coral. Every time I see you with them, it feels like you're slipping further away from me.
Something in me cracked. You asked for space too, I said, my voice rising. You're the one who stepped back first. How am I supposed to live my life if you're going to stare at me like I'm betraying you every time I talk to someone?
Charlie's eyes flashed, a storm breaking loose. I stepped back because you asked for it, Coral. I gave you what you wanted. But you can't expect me to just stand here and watch while you let everyone else in.
My chest tightened, the words spilling out before I could stop them. Ever since we became so close, you have made me neglect all the friends I had before you. You know I had friends before you, but you always wanted me by your side. Anytime I spoke to them or even had a little moment with them, you'd say I left you all by yourself. Come on, Charlie! I might not be the most social person, but I miss the old me, not this sulky version of myself that I've become.
But you would leave me all alone sometimes too. To go play tennis with some guys in class or to play cards with them. And then you'd come back apologizing, and I would act as if everything was right, but no, it isn't.
The words tumbled out sharp and raw, louder than I meant them to be. For once, I didn't hold back. I wanted him to hear the weight of what I'd been carrying, the pieces I had been swallowing down just to keep the peace between us.
We stood there, staring at each other, both of us angry, both of us hurting, neither of us sure how to step back without shattering everything.
The silence between us stretched, heavy and unyielding. I could hear my own heartbeat, too fast, too loud, as if it wanted to drown out the weight of what I had just said. For a second, I almost wished I could take it all back, swallow the words and pretend none of this conversation had happened.
But I couldn't. They were out now, raw and sharp, hanging in the air between us like broken glass.
Charlie's eyes softened for just a flicker, but then the storm rushed back in. He looked away, his hands tightening into fists at his sides, like he was holding back something he couldn't let loose.
You think I don't notice, he said finally, his voice low but shaking. You think I don't see how unhappy you've been? Do you think I wanted this? To be the guy who everyone says is jealous, controlling, suffocating? His eyes snapped back to mine, burning. I only wanted to keep you safe, Coral. I thought that was enough. I thought… I thought you wanted me to.
My chest ached at the crack in his voice, at the way his anger folded into something more fragile, more human. But instead of softening, my own hurt flared.
I wanted you, Charlie, I whispered. Not the prison you built around me. Not the version of us where I have to give up every piece of myself just to make you feel secure.
I took a shaky breath, forcing the last truth out of me. You know when I told Michael about us, you were so angry. But you know what? The last time we argued, he was the one who helped me. And I thought… what if he hadn't known anything? Who would have helped then?
Charlie, you're not the only one who cares. I care too.
The words burned in my throat, but I didn't wait for his reply. I turned and stomped off, leaving him standing in the courtyard, the weight of my words hanging heavy in the air between us.
For the first time, I walked away not because I wanted space, but because I didn't know what else to do.