𝐒𝐮𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐇𝐢𝐦

THIRTY-THREE

I scream, "Charlie!"

I ran to him shutting the door before he could open it. "Amina what are you—?"

"You need to leave now!" I grab his hand running for the bedroom, I quickly move to open the window.

"Wait! Your bleeding." He points.

I look down at the blood running down my leg, a wave of nausea washes over me.

I tried to control my breathing, "Charlie leave, run."

"What? I can't leave you here alone, do you hear that door?!" He panicked.

I placed my hands on his shoulders, "Please, you need to get out of here. Your a great person Charlie so I need you to run as fast as you can." I swallowed.

His eyes grew heavy with tears.

"It's okay," I whisper rubbing his blushed cheek, my vision blurred with unshed tears.

We shared a faint, mournful chuckle, "I wish I found you ages ago." He smiles, and my heart sank.

"In another life we got to be friends the right way." He whispered, lightly kissing my cheek.

We jumped at the sound of the front door being busted open, I pushed him for the open window. I hunch over at my stomach beginning to cramp. He looks back at me with a worried expression, I nod last seeing him jump out, and the world around me went dark.

•••

"The best ones lost their minds."
My dearest Archie

33

past

We were tipsy, more than a little reckless, dancing under the moonlight on a rooftop, we were at a party with a low number of people from his world. Laughter and voices mingled in the night, I leaned into him, feeling the warmth of his body against mine.

His smile was infectious, in this moment he was everything, wild, free, the way he always was when the night took over. He lifts me by the waist, making me wrap my legs around him, and we drunkenly swirled around, forgetting there were people around us.

I laughed, "Do not drop me. You are a very drunk man right about now."

Archie smiles brightly, slowly putting me back on my feet, "Your just as drunk woman. I say fuck this party and see where the night takes us." He pondered licking his lips.

The world felt soft, hazy, like a dream I didn't want to wake up from. "Okay yeah, Let me grab us drinks to go first."

He pecks my lips over and over before letting me go. One minute, I was heading over to the drink cooler, and the next, I blinked, hoping he was in the same spot I left him, but he was over there—on the edge of the building. His feet hanging dangerously over the side of the building, as his body swayed.

"Baby, what the hell are you doing?" My voice trembled. He looked down at me, a glint in his eye was something reckless.

"The view is beautiful from up here, just like you," Archie's words thick with alcohol. His voice was too unhinged, he was feeling to free.

I swallow, "Oh that's nice, how about you come down here and tell me about it." My heart hammered in my chest

He just stared at me, that same reckless grin pulling at his lips, the edges of it a little too sharp. "Are you scared baby?"

Archie didn't seem to realize the danger—he didn't care. "Yes I am, very, I need you to get down."

"You're cute when you're scared," he said, his tone softening, almost tender, but it didn't make it better. He was dancing to close to the edge. My heartbeat skyrocketed, he was drunk and acting on pure impulse.