So I was listening to Carrie Underwood's CD Carnival Ride when I saw a song called I Told You So. The title just got me going, and I wrote this thing in literally a half hour. It's not perfect, but I'm not one to proofread for very long. And I've only actually listened to the song once...but it's amazing. In fact I'm listening to it right now.
Enjoy!
I Told You So
“Please, Joe, just leave me. I- I can’t do this anymore.”
“Sara, let me explain, I’m so busy-“
“And don’t have time and you’re too tired and I don’t matter anymore! I get it, ok? Please leave!” she said, her face nearly drowned in tears.
“Sara, baby, we can work this out, I know it,” he said, grabbing her soft hands, placing them along his sides. “Please.”
“I’ve been here too many times. Do you know what I’ve been through? I cry myself to sleep! You say you’ll call, but you don’t! I talk to Nick and Kevin’s girls, they don’t have that problem! So why do you? Why?” she said, screaming at him. Then she softened up. “Joe, I love you. But not if this is how you treat me.”
“I know, and I’m sorry,” he said. He dropped her hands and looked into the sunset. But he couldn’t. It reminded him of her.
“I should leave now. I’m so sorry. I wish I had known,” he said, and turned back to his car. Sara tried to keep her composure, but knew she had lost it long ago.
“I’ll always love you, Sara,” he said before grabbing the car door.
“And I’ll love you too Joe. Maybe, it’s just, you know, wasn’t meant to be,” she said, her face blank. It wasn’t meant to be. Maybe it really wasn’t.
And with that he left, out of her driveway, out of her town, out of her life. Already she missed him.
That night she cried herself to sleep. Telling herself he’d be back, he’d be sorry, she’d forgive him, and they’d spend hours upon hours crying into each other’s arms, just as they did time and time before.
But she knew it was different this time.
And as she fell asleep, all she could do was think about him.
She’s gone. That’s all he could think about. Sara, the love of his life, the one he thought would be there forever, was gone. All because of him. He picked up his phone to call her, to apologize, but he couldn’t. He knew she was right. It just wasn’t meant to be.
While Kevin and Nick ran around with their girls, he stayed. Writing the song, the one song he thought could bring her back. But it didn’t fit. The lyrics and the melody got lost in the air, appearing as a string of words, trying to find a place. He knew it was over.
He walked out the bus door, careful not to be caught, as he wandered around. With his Ipod and running shoes, he ran. To no where. To anywhere other than where he was. Anything to get his mind off of her. But nothing worked. And he ran into the sunset, lost in his own world, while all he could do was think about her.
“Oh my gosh,” she said.
“What is it now girl? Don’t tell me you forgot your keys again.”
“It’s him.”
“Oh, gosh. Sara, come on, let’s go now. You can sleep over at my house, we can eat all the ice cream we want, watch movies, just leave him alone,” Jessica said, begging her best friend to take his eyes off of him. “You’ve avoided him for this long, don’t go back now.”
“I know, but, I can’t. Everything reminds me of him. The sunset, the morning breeze, the ocean’s scent, the ice cream parlor down the street. I really need to do this.” And with that she walked right back into his life, the one boy she had tried to avoid so long. The longest 6 months of her life.
No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t stop her legs from moving forward. She knew she couldn’t be done with him, ever. She just hoped he felt the same.
“Hi, Joe, it’s me.”
He stopped. He knew that voice by heart. He hadn’t heard it in so long, but would remember it forever. And as he turned his head to see the brunette standing behind him, he prepared to say what had been inside for so long.
“Hey.”
“Hi, Joe.” She was embarrassed, awkward standing there. Why did I do this?
“You know, this was a bad idea, let me just leave before I get myself into a bigger mess.” She turned to walk back to her car, but was stopped by a warm hand on her arm.
“I’m sorry, for everything. I never should’ve treated you like that. And I wouldn’t blame you if you never forgive me. But it’s still true, I still love you. More than the world. And I can’t stand not hearing your voice everyday when I wake up, or seeing your smile when I come off stage, or feeling your hands on mine. I’ve been lost without you.”
She stood, breathless. His hand was on her arm, as she worked up the courage to look into his eyes. His eyes said it all, the sweet and innocent boy she had known and loved. But he hurt her. More than anyone else could or would.
“You were the one and only, the one I thought would never break my heart. But you did. And now I’m just so scared.”
“Oh, baby, never again.” He took her into his arms as she let it all out. Everything she had been hiding from the world was let out into those tears, as they streamed down her face and onto Joe’s shirt. “Just tell me that you love me.”
But how do I know if it’s true? As she cried there, she could only wonder. He was the boy who had caused so many tears already, so many long nights alone, yet so many fun and loving days, the days she could never forget. She could keep the key and lock him out, or let him in to her life again. She knew he cared, but was it enough?
But there was no one else on Earth who made her feel this way. And so, despite her past experiences, the pain, and the suffering, something in her heart told her he was the one. The only one who could look at her and make her smile, hold her and make her feel safe, who could kiss her and make her melt. She knew she had to do it.
“I love you, Joe.”
“Ok baby, I’ll call you as soon as I get off stage. I’ll be thinking about you. I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
She clicked the phone shut and smiled to herself. It was call number 3 of the day, 15 of the week. And she was counting down the days till she saw his face again. Only 2 more long days.
She scrolled through her text messages, reading all of the ones he had sent. She listened to her ring tone, the one he had recorded for her. She read the bulletins on her calendar he wrote, so she would always know where he was. She looked at the pictures of them, loving and caring towards each other without a care in the world.
Time passed by as she thought about him. The one, that not so long ago had torn her apart, had sewed her back together in a matter of months.
“Sara!”
“Joe!”
They ran towards each other, smiles on their faces. It didn’t matter how many eyes were watching, of how many cameras were going off. They were lost in their own world. He spun her around, her hair swaying in the air, their smiles like beacons casting light a clear ocean night. He gently lifted her chin to look into her eyes.
“I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
And he kissed her. The most delicate, yet passionate kiss there was.
She could hear her heart talking to her the entire time, muttering the same phrase. The same heart that had shut him out, let him in, and never let him go. And it said the same 4 words.
I told you so.
