You Were Never Alone

4 (Hurt)

Talking to him is like knocking at a door when you know the resident's are there but they refuse to open the door. It's coming home to a locked door and not having a key.

"It's okay... if you're not okay." Her voice cuts through the eerie fog that they let drift between them.

"You're wrong."

He lets her take his hand. He lets her console him.

"I have to be okay. If I'm not..."

God knows what would happen if he isn't.

"It really is okay. I promise."

His skin crawls.

"You promise?" His fist clench and her heart thuds heavily in her chest. "What does your word get me? You left Emily! You pretended to die, leaving the rest of us here!" He turns away from her, giving himself a chance to swallow hid emotion.

He turns back to the window and scratches at his palm with his fingers.

"I've never not been the strong one," he whispers to her. No one but her. She's his secret keeper. He has to tell someone. "If I stop for even a moment I might think I'm broken. I can't be broken. I can't." He blinks away tears and fights away the hopeless feelings threanting to kill him. "I can't keep coming back here.. to you. I'm going to break your heart, Emily. You can do better than me. Don't let me hurt you."

Her hand comes to rest on his chest. Just over his heart.

"Break my heart," she whispers softly. Her tears, like rain, fall down her cheeks. "Shatter my heart under your feet." She presses her hand down," break it. It was only ever your's to break."

She steps closer, like she'd opened him and simply stepped right into him, and her hand slides up his chest to his cheek. "Can't you see it?" Her thumb brushes across his bottom lip," you don't need to fear breaking. We're human. We're made to be shattered into a million peices and still rise. We're meant to be broken."

He roughly grabs the sides of her face and kisses her.

Dave smiles at makes his silent exit.

"Why can't you see that I don't want to hurt you," he says against her lips. "I know I can. I can break you right here, with the simple turn of my wrist." Her body shivers as his hand travels to the back of her neck. "I'm tired of hurting everyone. I can't hurt Jack. I can't hurt you. I can't Emily. You have to understand. You have to."

She kisses him gently, taking pleasure in the way he taste and feels under her fingers.

"Maybe," she whispers resting her lips against his temple," just for once you can worry about yourself?"

He smiles and she pulls their heads together," let me help you. No feelings just help. I'll be here, whenever you need me. If it's two o'clock in the morning and you can't fall asleep or if it's six and you just realized you haven't eaten anything all day."

He hugs her. A real, two armed, chest-to-chest, genuine hug.

"I'm not very good at asking for help."

"Then I'll teach you."

😊
-SH