Sorry

Based on David Archuleta's Let Me Go.

“Crap.”

“What now?”

“Stupid engine won’t turn on.” Ritchie growled under his breath.

You were the keys to the car

Now I'm just trying to make it start

Can't you see these highs and lows?

Take us down and slowly take their toll

Misguided, I don't know where we're headed

Tell me now 'cause…

“Try kicking it,” replied Mandy, annoyed, and got out of the car to kick it herself.

Ritchie pressed down on the accelerator to make it go once, but nothing happened. He pressed down on it a second time, but harder, and the engine reared to life

“So, where are we going?” he asked as he backed out of the car park.

“Palm Springs.”

“You do realize that California is 2 and a half states away, right?”

Mandy lowered her sunglasses to look at him. “You said we could go wherever I want. If we can’t go there, I’m outta here.”

“That’s true,” he replied. “But I don’t know how to get to Palm Springs!”

“So?” she shrugged. “Just follow the signs.”

She unwrapped a bubble gum, popped it into her mouth, and threw the wrapper onto the car floor.

“Hey. Watch that,” he said, but she ignored him and began chewing.

---

7 and a half hours later, they were still driving, but were driving through the sunny state of California by this time.

“I said turn left, d****t!” yelled Mandy. “See what you did?! We missed the turn!!”

“Well you could’ve pointed it out sooner,” Ritchie hissed back.

“You’re the one that’s driving! It’s not my job to look out for signs as big as a truck!” she said, attempting �" and succeeding �" to placing all the blame on him. “Now what?”

She slumped into her seat and stared blankly out of the window.

'Round, 'round and 'round we go

And when it stops you say you don't know

But each time I try to stop this ride

You say it's not time...

“I say, we keep on going and head to San Diego, hmm?” he replied, leaning towards her. “I heard it’s a beautiful place…” he paused, and looked down for a moment. “Almost as beautiful as you.”

But immediately as those words left his lips, he regretted them when Mandy gave him a death glare and leaned her face closer to his.

“Just so you know,” she began. He could feel her cool breath on his face, and her words echoed softly against his lips. “That’s what my ex told me the night we met.”

Her wavy auburn hair brushed gently over his face as she turned away from him and Ritchie placed his focus back on the road.

“Oh.”

This heart

My dreams

Have been taken down too far it seems

So hold tight

While I let me go

While I let me go…

“You know, there’s something I always wanted to tell you, way back in middle school,” started Ritchie, saying each word with slow deliberation.

He waited for her answer, for her voice to break the silence, and he counted the seconds with each lamppost that passed, but she ignored him, and continued to stare out of her window.

So much I need to say

Then the truth gets in the way…

Ritchie stared fixedly at the road, and drummed his fingers on the steering wheel, though to what, he didn’t know. Mandy sat with her arms crossed firmly across her chest, and her head was tilted backwards, her eyes closed.

“I’m sorry Dy,” began Ritchie again, and Mandy still ignored him. “I’m sorry because I didn’t tell you something, all those years ago. I’m sorry because we fought, and I’m sorry that we never really made up.”

“I’m sorry that I broke your heart,” he ended, whispering softly.

Mandy turned towards him.

“Oh yeah?! Why weren’t you sorry 8 years ago?! Do you know how much I loved you? Loved; as in, I did,” she replied, the fury in her voice piercing into him. “You just broke it off like that. You’re no better than my ex. You know what? You’re just like him.”

You cry me another one

And watch my words just come undone

Can't you see these lows and highs?

Tangled up, separating all our ties

Misguided, I can't find the way back in

So, maybe it's goodbye…

“The only reason I’m here, is because I thought…” she paused her a while and shrugged, playing with her fingers. “I thought that maybe you’d changed.”

For a second, it was evident in her eyes how much he’d hurt her, and all those lonely nights spent in tears could be seen, just by looking into her eyes. But then, she suddenly snapped back, a rubber band into its original form.

“But I was wrong. You haven’t. Your sorry doesn’t mean anything to me now Ritchie.” She started to shake her head. “You’re too late.

This heart (This heart)

My dreams (My dreams)

Have been taken down too far it seems

So hold tight (Hold tight)

While I let me go

While I let me go…

---

“Get out,” he ordered her.

“And I’d listen to what you’ll say, because…?” she shot back at him.

“Just get out, Dy. I know this place,” he said in reply, grinning that boyish grin that she recognized all too well.

She rolled her eyes at his turned back and followed him into the forest.

“Huh. This is actually kind of nice,” she murmured a few minutes later, when they were far enough that Ritchie’s silver SUV could no longer be seen. Though why he would need that kind of car was beyond her.

“What did you say?” he asked.

She shook her head and marveled at the scenery that slowly passed them with every crunch in the leaves. The trees wove their branches around in the cool breeze, each little shudder causing a browned and cracked leaf to fall to its demise amongst the others that lay withered on the forest floor.

Autumn, had indeed arrived.

But if you take a look around

You could really warm it up and you know (Always told you so)…

They walked side by side, in silence. The birds chirped at each other, and the wind whipped around them.

“Just a little bit further, Dy. Close your eyes,” said Ritchie, breaking the silence.

“Close my eyes?! Why would-“

Mandy began to protest, but it was too late; Ritchie already placed his hands around her eyes, and her vision of the forest disappeared. She bit down hard on her lip, as she fought every cell in her body that screamed out at her to yell at him until someone �" preferably him �" went deaf.

“Now, open,” he whispered softly into her eyes. Shivers ran down her spine, though she tried her best to deny it.

“How can I when-“ she started, when she snapped out of her daze.

His fingers released their clasp from around her eyes slowly; revealing one ray of the evening sun at a time. She squinted, when the sun shone in her eyes, but opened them wide when she saw the lake that was in front of them.

They stood just a few meters away from the rocky edge, and the sun cast an orange shadow against the glistening surface of the water. Mandy’s focus ran when a little puddle appeared towards the middle of the lake as a branch cracked and fell into it.

“Dy, about what I said earlier, I-“

“Just stop. Stop. I’m sorry too, Ritchie. But I miss you. I wish so much that I didn’t, but I do.”

“As do I,” he murmured softly, taking a step closer to her.

“So, what do we do now?” she asked, closing the 12-inch gap that had remained between them.

“How about this?”

Ritchie leaned in towards Mandy, and tucked a loose lock of hair behind her ear. Her breathing became uneven, the closer his lips came to hers. Here, in their little piece of paradise on earth, she felt vulnerable, and not the cold, independent woman she presented to the world. Here, she was the young, innocent girl whose heart he’d broken years ago. The same girl, whose heart he was about to heal.

Author's Note

Rated NC17 for mild language.

Reviews

[Natalie Elle Tyler]

Great book! I really liked it!!:)
I rated this 99 cuz even tho I absolutely love this book, I didn't like the language. And nc17 for mild language...? I've seen worst tho. PG-13 more for language I'd put. But otherwise, I love it! Amazing!!!:)

[Dalebear]

Good write