Short Story
All Our Scars Cynthia Wright
I watched him silently…my eyes strained on the conversation he was having, the way his hands wandered down her arm as they talked. She was beautiful, light skinned and had a dark mane of hair. Her eyes were bright as she stared at him, looking up at him with adoring eyes. He was smiling that smile again, that smile that’s made my heart ache, especially when it wasn’t directed at me. I couldn’t hear what they were talking about but I could tell that he was complimenting her at the moment with the way she giggled and flipped her hair over her shoulders with a shy smile. As he stood there I wondered what line he was using now and if he had used it once on me. The possibility of that was very high. Maybe he told her that her hair reminded him of a mermaid’s, the beautiful flow as it fell down her shoulders calling onto him like the seductive call of a siren. Or maybe he said her eyes looked like a thousand stars were trapped in them and he wanted to be the only one their light shone on. I could think of a thousand and one things he was saying to her, the tone he was using and the smile…that goddamned smile that he sent her way. His hands were covering hers as they talked some more. From where I sat I noticed she was leaning heavily on his body. He was rather tall, with long legs and a lean waist. He looked perfect to lean on and I didn’t blame her for taking the opportunity. I knew the moment he recognized the fact that she had landed in his perfectly set trap, he smiled large, his white teeth glittering in the sun and I chuckled a little because I knew that smile would come sooner than later. He was charming, and he knew it, every word that left his lips were aimed at her strengths, aimed perfectly like a sniper’s favorite weapon at all her walls, sending them tumbling down like a pack of oddly set
cards. It was a rather sad sight to see.
felt no tingles, no blimp in my heartbeat, no shortness of breath, I Another heartbroken soul to add to just felt… numb. the long list of ladies already cursing his name. Maybe at an earlier time I Mike placed his hands over mine and would have been disgusted at the gave my palm a kiss, resisting an eye sight, I would have turned my nose at roll; I looked back at James whose the way he caressed them, like I always eyes were already on me, watching did when he pulled out a blunt… now me silently. I wondered what ran it was familiar and rather amusing as I through his mind whenever he laid watched the impending heart break his eyes on me, did he think I was unfold right before my eyes. I guess beautiful? Or did he imagine me in with the amount of time I’d seen it erotic positions under him with his happen, I had become rather lips running slowly down my neck, unfeeling to the countless girls and my legs wrapped around his waist as their faceless faces because for some I g a s p e d a t t h e f e e l i n g o f reason, they always reminded me of penetration? My eyes had glazed myself. With the way they melted at over when I realized that I was the his smile, the way they laughed at his one imagining all of this, I was the jokes and most shamefully bent to his one who wanted to be beautiful in will. But what I do know…they had his eyes, I was the one who wanted to s o m e t h i n g I d e s p e r a t e l y be under him in the most intimate wanted…They had James. They had way possible. I hated when my him…I didn’t. thoughts took this direction because ‘Did you see her?’ He asks loudly as he I hated the reaction my body had to sits at our table, taking a swing of his the thoughts. Tingles. I felt tingles, forgotten beer, his eyes shining like tingles up my spine, tingles at my they did after the predator in him had gotten their prey, he watched me fingertips, tingles on my lips, I felt tingles everywhere. And sucking in a waiting for my response. sharp breath, I looked at my Nodding my head wildly I smiled and b o y f r i e n d . H e w a s t a l k i n g replied with enthusiasm ‘She was animatedly to James who was really cute!’ I wasn’t lying however, she laughing at his jokes and nodding his was beautiful. She wasn’t me. His dark head in amusement. I looked at brown orbs shimmered as he watched Mike’s face trying to find which me with hooded eyes, his lips curved imperfection was there that made it in a small smile as his eyes wandered my face, as if searching for something. Our eyes met, and we maintained the eye contact, I held my breath as I watched his lips closely as they were about to move. ‘Baby, I’ve been looking all over for you!” Mike’s voice rang loudly in my ears breaking the concentration I had on James’s eyes. Moving my gaze to my boyfriend as he sat beside me and pulled me in for a kiss, I closed my eyes tightly, trying to imagine the fireworks and butterflies I should be feeling at the simple fact that his lips touched mine. Numb. I felt numb, I felt no tinges, no blimp in TIL Magazine 28
