The Purple Heart by Christie Gucker

just want to be with
you.” My heart quickly became a puddle in my chest. I wanted to
give this man everything. I always believed that when love knocked
at your door, you put your own feelings aside to give it anything
the heart desired. There wasn’t anything I wouldn’t do to make
Aiden happy, even if it included returning him to his family and
possibly losing him.
    “ Don’t you miss them? Don’t
you want them to know you’re alive and safe? At least let them know
where you are?”
    “ No, Sydney. No one needs
to know where I am but you and me. Why are you asking me all these
questions? Did your friend put doubts in your head about me?” He
looked very upset, and even his voice had a quality of sadness. Or was it panic?
    “ Actually, yes, but just a
smidgen. When I’m with you I don’t care, because all I feel is
what’s between us. And believe me, it’s so strong and deep. And I’m
being a little bit selfish there too, because I want you all to
myself. And right now, I have that. However, I’ve asked you things
about who you are, and I get no response at all, or you just tell
me it doesn’t matter. We did just meet. Getting to know each other
is part of the whole experience. It’s part of the fun of a new
relationship. It’s not fair that it’s so one-sided.”
    “ Because it doesn’t matter.
Trust me, it really doesn’t. All that matters is right here, right
now.”
    “ You keep saying that,
Aiden, but I’m not buying why. I’m starting to think you’re hiding
something.”
    His face grimaced as though he was in
pain, and his skin tone turned a slight hue of gray.
    “ Why can’t you just trust
me? Please,” he begged.
    “ Because I don’t know you,
Aiden. I mean, I do trust you or you wouldn’t be here alone in my
house with me. Honestly, I just need these questions answered for
work.”
    “ Please, don’t insult my
intelligence. Work has nothing to do with this right now.
Everything was fine until your friend starting making you over
think everything.”
    “ Maybe when she meets you
on Friday, she’ll change her mind. And maybe, if you tell me some
things other than benign facts, I’d feel more comfortable,
too.”
    “ I’d rather wait until you
have faith in my existence with you, and then meet her. I’m not
sure I make the best impression.”
    “ What is that supposed to
mean? You don’t want to meet my friends? You also don’t want to
introduce me to anyone who knows you. Are you embarrassed of
me?”
    “ It’s nothing like that,”
he said sternly.
    What was happening? Our
wonderful day was quickly being ruined by this entire conversation.
My emotions were all over the place. Getting some space between us,
and fast, seemed to be the best course of action.
    “ I’m going to my room. I
want some time alone to think. I’m pretty sure you need to do the
same thing.”
    “ Sydney, please don’t go. I
can’t exist without you. You mean everything to me. I’m sorry.” His
pleas were desperate.
    I didn’t understand why he was acting
as if this were the end of the world. I just thought we needed a
break for a little while to cool down. I didn’t really want to
leave him, but I needed to reset myself for his sake. An emotional
Sydney is not the best person to have a serious conversation with.
I was all about emotions first and logic second. It was an
occupational hazard. Let your emotions free; don’t bottle them up.
At this point, though, I certainly didn’t want to blurt something
out that would hurt him anymore than I probably already had. I
wanted everything to go back to the light-hearted fun we’d been
having.
    “ I’m just going to my room
for a little while. You can help yourself to dinner. It’s still in
the kitchen. I’m not really hungry right now.” I was sure my voice
held no secrets to the fact I was pretty upset at the moment. I
didn’t want to be.
    I walked up the stairs, and noticed he
was following me with his head hung down like a child being