Not Don't Want, But Can't

"What's wrong with you?" Felix asked after a moment of silence, and Veronica's crying subsided.

Veronica didn't answer right away. But she slowly pulled away and looked at Felix intently. "Am I important to you?"

"What do you mean?" Felix did not understand.

"Felix, do you know how much I'm worried about you? I was worried about you and rushed over as soon as I learned about your condition. But, before I had much time for you, you disappeared. Now you're back, but have you ever thought about me? What do I mean to you? Is my presence in your life that important?" Veronica asked in rapid succession. Every time her mouth moved, her gaze didn't leave Felix's, making the man's face change slightly.

"Why are you suddenly asking me this?" But even so, Felix still responded flatly. There was neither warmth nor coldness. His voice was somewhere between apparent indifference.

Veronica's eyes glazed over again. She quickly looked down and wiped them away. She did not know why she had suddenly be