“I love you,” she said as they stared into one another’s eyes.

Joy filled him and he grinned from ear to ear. He grabbed her hands and was speechless and just as he began to talk she cut him off.

“But I’m not what you need. I’m not the answer for the questions that you still have,” she trailed off.

Dumbfounded and he released his grip on her hands. She took the opportunity to give him one last smile before she left him there alone in his apartment.

That’s where he remained alone for some hours to pass. Enough time for put away that fifth of vodka that seemed to taunt him as soon as she left and it inspired him in his stupor to go drive.

They found him the next day in the woods with a bullet through his head and a note clutched in his hands written for his now ex girlfriend.

The officer handed her the blood stained note without an explanation and she clumsily unfolded it and read it before she herself folded on the ground in tears.

“I don’t hate you,” it said.