“Jake stop!” I yelled grabbing his right arm.

He stopped and stared at the ground, the rain was pouring down hard now. I could barely hear myself talk, let alone think. I had him in my grasp; the challenge would be to get him to listen. Unable to think of a better way to start my sentence I start out with, “I love you.”

I stared at his back, he was breathing heavily. “What?” he asked.

“I love you! “I yelled so he could hear me. “Ok, I finally said it. Jake…” I looked away. “I wish I knew what to say.” I paused as I collected my thoughts, “But I know nothing I say will help.” I sniffed; the tears were starting to flow out. “You’re sick I get that, we don’t have much time left…I get that too.” I paused and wiped my eyes. “But that doesn’t mean I'm not going to stop trying.”

Jake turned around slowly, he looked ghostly pale white. It was as if all the life was sucked out of him. I knew at this moment that he was ready to go; the cancer had made him lose all hope. He looked like a lost puppy, I looked away. “I think you should go.” He said staring at me. “You know how this ends.”

I thought back to my mom, I thought about her struggle through her leukemia, and I thought about her last words to me. “No” I said staring at him, “It doesn’t have to end like this Jake. We don’t have to end like this. Just tell me once…tell me you love me…and I’ll stay.”

“That’s just it Ella, I don’t love you.”

I looked into his blue eyes, the same blue eyes that promised me he would never leave me, the same ones that held me when life sucked, and the same ones who told me they loved me two days ago. “I don’t believe it. You’ll have to convince me. You and I both know that we share something special.”

He glared at me, “Ok how about this then” he stepped closer to me. “I never loved you, everything I told you, every touch, and every kiss was a lie, yeah shocker huh? I hate you, ever since I first saw you.” He looked away, I could see him shaking, “I saw you one day, and saw that you had so many friends, a wonderful family, and that stupid glow in your face. I wanted to ruin you so much; I wanted you to feel EXACTLY what I was going through. Me…I had no one…have no one. My dad supported me but let’s face it, he was drunk 90% of the time.”

“I don’t believe you” I said, tears ran down my cheek.

“Oh yeah, well then believe this, it was me who ruined your chances of getting into every prestigious school in America,” he said his voice getting louder, “it was me who made all of your friends and your parents turn on you, and it was me who made you hopelessly fall in love with me like some crappy romantic novel! And guess what; because of me your life sucks now Ella.” He stepped closer raising his voice. “The ONE guy you decided to let into your life turned on you and now you’re broken because of it.” I stepped back and looked at the ground too shocked to say anything. “So just leave me alone” he concluded, “Let me enjoy the rest of my crappy life without you. Because every minute I'm with you or even think about you, is one minute where I’m in hell!”

With that he turned around and walked off. I crumpled to the floor now, I looked at the green grass, and then at the swing set where he used to kiss me. I smiled; this park is where he first told me he loved me. I sighed as I wiped the tears away, I made a promise that I would never leave his side, and I intend to keep it. Because when you love someone you never give up, you never lose hope, and you never ever lose faith. I grabbed a small daffodil and whispered, “I love you Jake…always have and I always will…” I got up, closed my eyes and made a wish before blowing into the flower and going to go find Jake.