#collabowriting

            “That was the last of it,” I groan as I move a few feet to sit beside him. 

           “Yeah, but we should be in Rochester soon.  I’m sure we’ll be able to get more at Mayo.”

          “Well, if they don’t have a magical cure for me, at least they’ll have magical opiates,” I say. 

          “That’s not funny.”

          “Was to me.”

           “I wish you wouldn’t try to pretend,” Adam sighs.  “Like today.  You should have said something sooner.  You could have killed yourself trying to slog it out all day, acting like nothing was wrong.”

She turns her head so her forehead is pressed against the center of my chest. I wonder if she can feel how fast my heart is beating. Too fast. Too much. I love her too much.

            “I would do anything in the world for you,” I whisper. “Anything. I just want you to be happy.”

            She looks up at me and her eyes are glassy, the water threatening to spill over. “Kiss me, then.”

            I promised myself I wouldn’t for her sake. I wanted her to get less attached. But that’s not happening. It’s just upsetting her more. And maybe it is too soon, and maybe I shouldn’t kiss her because of everything that’s happened in her life, and maybe she doesn’t need it.

            But I do it anyway.

            Just a quick peck on her lips.

            She lets go of my hand and my shirt and shakes her head as she steps back. “Why won’t you treat me like you used to? I hate this.”

            “Juliet –”

            The water further builds in her eyes, pooling at her lower lids. “You were all I had before. You were it. And now you’re treating me like I’ll shatter. I am not glass.”

            “I know that,” I try. But she is fragile.

            “Then kiss me like you used to kiss me,” she says firmly, crossing her arms over her chest. Her voice is strained, but the tears haven’t fallen. They’re still there, making her eyes glisten sadly.

            “Jules, what –”

            “I feel empty, Asher. Empty. There’s nothing here,” she interrupts quietly, her fingers pressing against her chest. “Please, make that go away. Please, I just can’t live with –”

            I’m going to hell for this. I step forward and close the space between us, and I kiss her. I kiss her like I used to – maybe with more longing. Maybe with more passion. My fingers tangle in her hair and I hold her face against mine with my other hand, and she grips onto my sides like I’m her only lifeline. And as she kisses me back, I feel a tear drip down her cheek and fall against my hand.

            My older sister, Zoey, is sleeping on the couch.  Nearly a perfect mirror of Ria’s sleeping upstairs, minus the unicorn. 

            “What the hell are you doing here, Zoey?”  I ask loudly to wake her up.

            She groans and opens one eye to glare at me. 

            “I was sleeping.” 

            “I gathered that.  Why are you sleeping here?”  I really don’t have time for her shit today. 

            “I’m not welcome in my own home?” Zoey grumbles as she sits up, the small throw blanket falling off of her shoulders as she does.  Her brown roots are clearer against the bleach-blonde-dyed hair now that her head isn’t shoved against a pillow. 

            “You don’t live here anymore.” I refute.

            “Technicality.” 

            “Get off of my couch!” I snap. 

            “It’s not your couch, it’s Mom’s couch,” she replies childishly, sticking her tongue out at me. 

Raquel: *writing, writing, writing*

Raquel: *stops*

Raquel: Left or right?

Megan: Left.

Raquel: Sweet, thanks.

I would petition to fix that if we had more than 7 followers.