A/N -- turns out I was right the first time. I've changed the Alvarado meeting back to the 6th of August. oops. :D Also, sorry the updates are coming out a little slower than usual. It's kind of busy for me, but I'm writing as fast as I can, I promise! Anyway, leave me a vote and comment(s) if you enjoy this chapter! Love you.
Austin
Kirstin hasn't come back for us yet.
When we woke up this morning, we found two bowls of porridge left for us inside our cage. Mitch had refused his and insisted that I eat his ration, claiming that I needed it more than him. I still made him eat a few bites, but after that he declined any more. So I choked down the remainder of the bland substance, trying to not make a face. I should be thankful that she's feeding us at all.
Mitch went back to sitting in a corner by himself, and so I went back to just sitting, staring at the ceiling, and worrying about him.
"Have you...ever been in love?" I ask.
Mitch looks up abruptly at me in surprise. "Uh...that's kind of a forward question, isn't it?"
I look down, embarrassed. "Sorry."
Mitch sighs, and I don't think he's going to answer me. But then he surprises me by speaking again, and surprises me even more by what he says. "Does it count if it was one-sided?"
"What?"
"Would you say that you're 'in love' if you loved the person but they didn't love you back?" Mitch asks. My heart breaks. Again.
"Um...I'd say so, yeah," I reply.
Mitch smiles sadly. "Then yeah. I think I have."
I crawl over to him. "Care to elaborate?"
"It's a long story," he sighs.
"We have time," I say.
Mitch lets out a long exhale, and then agrees. "Okay, fine. If we're going to do this, we're going to do it properly and start from the beginning."
"I'm listening," I tell him honestly.
He sighs again. "Alright. So, once upon a time, when I was young -- probably about your age -- I had this friend. She and I were so...tight. Absolutely inseparable. She was the best thing that had ever happened to me, and I loved her like a sister. But then...she grew up. She found a man, got pregnant, and had a baby. I was still her best friend, but she was busy all the time. She was a really hard worker. She was...well, she was pretty much my boss. When she got too busy for her baby girl, I was the one who cared for her. And soon, I grew to love the little girl like a daughter, too.
"But anyway, all good things come to an end. Something...happened. Something horrible. And mother and daughter were separated. I don't know where the mother went. And the daughter...well, in an act of haste, the mother used the Sapphire on her daughter to ensure that no one could hurt her ever again.
"That's why I used the Sapphire. I swore to protect her daughter, because I loved her like my own. If the daughter was doomed to spend eternity living, then I would too. And it worked for a little while. We were happy. I raised her, we loved each other. And then..." he takes a deep breath. "...and then he came along."
"Who's he?" I ask, hanging onto his every word.
"Travis," Mitch answers, looking blankly at the wall of the room. "He found me and the little girl and swept me off of my feet. I fell head over heels for him, to say the least. He was handsome, he was sweet, and he was incredible in bed," Mitch says with a humourless chuckle. "At the time, he was everything I ever wanted. And I thought...well, it was stupid, but I thought he felt the same way about me.
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The Clockmaker and the Pirate - EVERMORE BOOK 1
Fanfiction"The only thing I've wanted my entire life was to die, to die, to die. But then -- by a twist of fate you found yourself onboard my dinky little ship and you flashed your stupid smile and you gave me the opposite," he tells me. "What's that?" I...
