It always started with a
"Wanna something sweet?"
as if you didnʼt just read
the restlessness in my silence.
And somehow,
you always knew
what to get̶
not because i told you
but because you remembered
that i like it cold,
sweet,
and full of crumbs.
just like that stupid
Oreo ice cream.
I never asked for it.
you never asked if i wanted it.
You just
bought it.
Every single time.
And then,
weʼd sit in your car.
Not driving.
Not talking much.
the city buzzing around us̶
but we were still.
just you,
me,
and the melting mess between our hands.
Our friends waited.
Somewhere across town.
But you never seemed to care.
and i?
I wouldʼve waited a lifetime
just to keep you
in that front seat,
with your windows cracked open,
and your eyes tired,
but kind.
Youʼd say things like
"donʼt spill it on the seat"
and iʼd laugh
because i already did.
And you never got mad.
You never got mad at me.
We werenʼt dating.
You werenʼt mine.
but God,
you remembered my favorite ice cream.
You wiped the corner of my lip
once.
Just once.
With your thumb.
like it meant nothing.
And maybe to you,
it didnʼt.
But I could still feel it
hours later
when you dropped me off
and didnʼt even look back.
I wish i never liked oreos.
I wish your car wasnʼt
always parked
right in front of my memories.
Because now,
even something as small
as freezer aisle desserts
tastes like
you.
And i hate that
you made sweetness
feel like sorrow
in disguise.