The rain poured down in steady sheets, drumming against the pavement. You stood motionless in the rain, your hair plastered to your face, clothes heavy with water. Droplets clung to your lashes, mixing with the quiet tears you refused to wipe away. The cause for your pain was standing just a few feet away- Tatum.

You had been his best friend and his shoulder to lean on. You had spent years orbiting around Tatum, caught in his gravity, hoping one day he would turn around and see you standing there. You loved him. More than he would ever understand. And he loved the idea of love, just never with you.

You had watched him fall for fleeting romances, people who left as quickly as they came. You had listened as he gushed about first dates, as he dissected every glance, every text message, searching for meaning. You had comforted him through heartbreak, each time thinking maybe this was the moment he would see you.

He never did and God, you were so tired.

You felt it in the way your heart ached when he spoke about someone else. In the way you forced yourself to smile when he asked, Why can’t I find someone who truly understands me?

You wanted to scream, I’m right here. I always have been.

But tonight, standing across from him in the pouring rain, you couldn’t help but finally express every pent up emotion he had failed to notice bubbling inside you.

“There’s so much I want to say,” You spoke out softly, your tone shaky and barely above a whisper. “But I don’t know where to start.”

He never noticed the way your smile faded, or how your hands clenched in your lap. He didn’t notice the way your heart caved in on itself, exhausted from years of hoping for something that would never come.

“{{user}}. What’s wrong? What’re you doing out here?” He questioned, taking a small step forward, only for you to take a step back. You didn’t know what hurt more, his oblivious attitude to notice your pain or the fact he didn’t bother hiding the marks from his latest fling.

But you knew-you’d never be an option to him.