This Love (Paige Bueckers)

46

narrative

Iris pov

I look over at Paige's limp body laying next to mine.

her hair is silky and smooth, still slightly damp at spots from our shower.

I have my arm under her neck. her hand is resting on my hip.

she's wearing a pair of basketball shorts and a black Nike sports bra. even though she isn't wearing much, her body is still warm next to mine.

i feel the weight shift on the bed and look down to see Kat walking along the bed. she comes and lays right next to Paige's head, on her pillow.

it's 02:24 and I haven't been able to sleep. memories from earlier flood my brain.

Paige punching the wall until she bled. her sobbing while curled into a ball. her telling us that she was about raped and killed by that bitch. geno even crying because of it. her acting like everything's fine right after.

I reach down for her hand and bring it to mine.

I run my thumb over her knuckles, that are wrapped in gauze.

I gently unwrap her knuckles and see that the bleeding has seemed to have stopped a while ago. her hand is covering in red cuts. they are starting to scab. around the cuts, her fingers are bruised. she is insanely lucky she didn't break anything.

I bring the hand to my lips and softly kiss her knuckles.

she makes a quiet, 'mmm' noise.

"Iris?" she whispers with her raspy morning voice.

"sorry baby, go back to sleep," I say.

"no," she opens her eyes fully, "what's going on?"

"nothing," I whisper. "I was just checking on your hand."

"ok," she mumbles. "I love you."

"I love you too," I whisper.

her eyes close and she seems to fall back asleep.

I continue to look at her beautiful face. her perfect bone structure. the smoothness of her skin. the pink color of her lips.

"ma," she gets my attention.

"yes?" I smile.

"can you sing for me?" she asks.

"baby, it's late," I say. "go to sleep."

"I want to hear you sing first," she whispers.

I sigh. "alright."

she smiles a bright, tired smile.

"wise men say, only fools rush in."

"more," she whispers.

"but I can't help, falling in love, with, you."

"you have a beautiful voice," she whispers.

"I got offered a job opening for Taylor swift," I tell her. I found out a few weeks ago. I have been scared to tell Paige. I wasn't sure how'd she react.

"really?" her eyes open.

"yeah," I smile.

"that's amazing!" she sits up.

"yeah," I laugh. "and now that I have an album out I can sing all of my own songs."

"that's so exciting mama," she whispers as she lays back down.