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?”