i felt the slow burn of guilt creep through my body, pulsating when i was near you. making my finger tips singe, so i painted them in your favourite colour so you wouldn't notice how badly my heart had swollen.

i dried my eyes and wished for them to be brighter so they could never look sad when i looked into yours.

i hid my guilt behind the curtain of time, lending you more of it to make up for what i had done.

i shoved my waves of regret behind the curtain's thin fabric, thinking it would convince you, or convince me, that i had made up for what could not be undone.