Excerpt of Red Dirt Road by Annie Rose Welch

“Yes, you do. The games we both play. The way you constantly run away from me. How you hide in your office and watch me from afar, from behind the window blind. Do you need me to point out the indention you’ve made? I see you, just like you see me when I’m watching and looking for you. I refuse to love you from afar anymore. This is ridiculous!”

“No, it’s not! Yes, okay, I admit, I do watch and dream about you, because it’s the only thing I can do, the only way to keep you safe and satisfy myself. I refuse to lose you. I won’t.”

“You’re not going to lose me. Please, stop putting those thoughts in your head. I cannot promise you that I’ll live forever, but I’ll try my hardest to stay with you for as long as God’s willing to allow me.”

“Which won’t be long when the universe confuses you for me and takes you from me.”

The honesty was spilling out – slightly slurred but freely given.

“There is no force in the world that could take me away from you. I was meant for you. I was created for you. I can feel it. I come alive when you’re near me. Can’t you see that?”

He pulled my face toward his, forcing me to look at him.

“You’re killing me by forcing me away, yet you worry about my life being taken. You can’t see that you’re doing that yourself by pushing me away! You need to stop living life this way. You’re wasting your gift. Before you know it, your life is going to be over and so is mine, and there will be no going back. So please, it would be an honor to love you, freely, without any hesitation. You’re going to have to decide, right now: what do you want. Do you want me to leave? Or do you want me to stay and love you? Let me love you!”

The choice seemed so easy – it was either life or death – but I was so confused.

“I don’t know…”

He slammed his hands against the wall.

“Tell me! What do you want, Layla?”