The Sea of Tranquility

I think it might physically hurt him to talk to me.

so much as intrigued. I nod. “From scratch

“I love you, Sunshine,” I tell her, before I lose my nerve. “And I don’t give a shit whether you want me to or not.”

“Emilia,” he says, and when he does, it warms me to my soul. “Every day you save me.”

And then he turns and puts his hands on either side of my face and kisses me with a reverence I may never understand. And maybe I’m a liar and I do need it, because being kissed by Josh Bennett is kind of like being saved. It’s a promise and a memory of the future and a book of better stories.

I was fucking amazing,” I try to joke, but it just comes out sad.
“You still are,” he responds with quiet conviction, piercing me with his eyes the way he does when he wants to make sure I’m listening. “Every way that matters.”

I end up on the twin bed in Sunshine’s room, with her body curled up against mine, and I don’t care how small the bed is, because she will never be close enough.

there are no stories or secrets in the world worth holding onto more than his hand.

I’d trade my hand all over again to take back everything I did and hear him call me Sunshine.

“Leaving is the only thing you could have done to disappoint me.” I would have lived every day without the truth, to keep her, even if it was wrong.