Believe in You

Baby that's all I need
Is someone like you
Burning through me
Oh and it's never fair
The way that we meet and you disappear
No, it don't feel like sleep
When I'm this alive it's true
I believe in you

- I Believe In You by Tyler Hilton

Believe in You

"You're saying goodbye, aren't you," he says. It's not a question, his eyes are clouded with sad acceptance, already knowing the answer.

She tilts her head to the side and smiles softly. She nods her head.

He pulls her to him, hugging her fiercely as if he never wants to let go; like if he just holds on tight enough, for long enough, he'll get to keep her and won't have to watch her walk away.

"Set the world on fire," she whispers, and presses a light kiss on his neck before she pulls away.

She picks up her guitar and hands him the sheet of paper with the lyrics to their song. "I'll be watching for the flames."

With one last smile, she walks out of the bar… out of his life.

And like a match to gasoline, he sets the world ablaze with the spark she ignited within him because he knows that somewhere in the world she'll be waiting for that moment.

He pictures her sometimes; she's driving along a lonely highway, content in her own company. Her guitar is in the passenger seat and the wind from the rolled down windows blows her hair around in beautiful chaos.

She's smiling that smile of hers, the one that can have a million meanings but this one is all for him as his voice sings out from the speakers of her old beat up car -- the car she refuses to get rid of despite the fact it costs her more in repairs than it would to simply buy a new one.

She doesn't need to hear the intro the DJ gives or the interview that follows to know the song is about her because all of his songs are about her in one way or another, it all leads back to her. They both know it.

A tear streams down her face as the song comes to an end but she doesn't stop smiling because she knows she did the right thing and he smiles when he thinks of her because even though he misses her with his every breath, he knows she did the right thing too.

A love like theirs was too much to last, too brilliant and passionate. With a love like that, if you let it run its course, it consumes you and burns up everything you have until you're just left with the ashes of the person you could've been.

She walked away before it got that far and he let her because he knew it had to be done: together was too much, but being in each others lives and not being together would never be enough.

Sometimes loving means letting go.