Seventeen: Xander

Four days had passed and Priya hadn't talked to me ever since that night on the roof. It was perfect, but it was dream-like and I was aware that it would turn into a nightmare if I didn't act rationally. She didn't understand that this was all for her own good. She thought it was easy for me to do that to her, but it wasn't. I was adding salt to fresh cuts while telling her that we had to stay away from one another. It was painful to see that look in her eyes. Terribly painful that I wanted to inflict on myself the same pain I made her go through.

It was almost impossible for me to just stop kissing her, to take my hands away from her body, to tell her that kissing her and holding her was a mistake. She thought I didn't see her blue eyes that I had grown to adore glisten with tears. I hated myself for doing that to her, but this was for her own benefit. I couldn't do that to her. Even if she hated me for doing that to me now, she was going to be thankful later.

When