Counterfeit

-seventytwo-

—seventytwo-

How could a heart like yours ever love a heart like mine?+ Willamette Stone +

-

"CAN I HAVE the honour of walking you back to your cabin one last night?" Charleston requested after he had finished saying goodnight to everyone.

I smiled, deep down wanting a reason to miss this place a little bit. "I would love that." I answered, holding onto his arm until we made it outside.

As we walked, Charleston kept up light conversation with me, half focused, half caught up in his surroundings. I wondered if he was envisioning tomorrow's fate: as if he could already see the fires and tragedies that were to take place, carefully avoiding those areas as he stepped.

"Everything makes sense now, doesn't it?" He sought confirmation.

I nodded. "I know what needs to happen. I know I need to wait for your signal."

He nodded this time.

"When will that be? Before or after Billie gathers the IRs?" I wanted to know if I would have a chance to see MiKinley before we left this place. I was still trying to figure out how I was going to tell him, and when, neither of which I had made any progress on.

"We're going to aim to start at the same time. But people aren't going to want to be separated, so it's going to be difficult to predict."

"I'm torn between wanting to stay in today, forever, and wanting tomorrow to have passed already."

"Maybe just try and be in right now. The future isn't here, and we will never have this moment again, and I think one day we'll want it back."

"Why would I ever want this night back? Knowing all that's about to happen."

"I think you know why." He answered, pausing, as if debating whether to continue. He stepped on the path and turned to face my trail heading towards the creek. "And I think that there's something else you need to do tonight. Someone waiting for you."

"MiKinley?"

Charleston smiled, but he still looked heartbroken. "He's been waiting to tell you something, too. He's by the creek. He asked me to tell you."

"I don't know what to say to him."

"Just listen. You'll know."

Even though we were out in the open of the dark, cold night, Charleston still risked everything to hold my hand for a moment. We'd both ran out of words by now, but with only a look, we understood the other.

I exhaled, my breath shaky as I let go of Charleston's hand, walking down to the creek for what I knew would be the last time, to end the night with a boy whom I knew I might be seeing for the last time.

The leaves and twigs snapped under my feet. He could hear me, but he never turned to face me, not even when I sat down next to him. Could he still not look at me?

"None of this makes sense. Everything is so haunting to me." He left a pause, but I didn't read as one for an answer.

"The world changes overnight, and I can't keep up with your revelations. I was so scared I'd get left behind."

"I'd never leave you."

Finally, he looked over, but it felt like he was looking through me, rather than at me. For a moment, I thought I'd lost him forever.

"And I don't want you to go." He replied. "But I don't know what's happening. I... I think it's the end of The Dormir." I emphasised with the torment in his voice. The secrets fighting to spill out, the taste of poison brought with them.

"You've been a great friend to me, Pip. You're actually the best one I've ever had. And I'm sorry that I challenged your kindness sometimes. I never wanted to see you get hurt; thought I was protecting you. Promise me you'll stay safe?"

My eyes were threatening to spill with tears, but I fought them back. "I need you, MiKinley. I'm always gonna need you." Sometimes the truth hurts, so we keep it locked away, but other times it bursts at the seams of you, demanding to be heard.

"This better not be a goodbye of some sorts." I attempted at a laugh to try and convince my heart to feel something survivable, dabbing at the corners of my eyes.

"It's not." The world was just us now.

"It feels like one."

There was a long pause between us. I think minutes might have passed before he spoke, but it felt like seconds, like it could never be enough. His eyes were locked on mine, lost in the world inside of me. But he fell back into reality, eyes watering in the low light.

"I know."

I couldn't even fight any more. The tears came and drowned me in them. I wanted to save him and I would never want something so much again in my life.

"We're gonna get out of here, MiKinley. We'll be fine!" I told him, my words acting as some sort of prayer. But did God reach places like this, if hope didn't? If life didn't?

"Promise me you'll be safe." He repeated, needing an answer like his life depended on it.

"I promise! But we'll be fine. We have to be. It's us."

But he was already stood up before I had finished my sentence. Tears streamed down his face as he took one last look at me, contemplating something, but running off before I could respond to what he said.

"I want you to know that you saved me everyday."

-seventytwo—
"It feels like one" // "I know."

Quite possibly my favourite piece of dialogue between those two.

To put it into perspective, there will be less than eighty chapters in this book. I'm not ready for it to end, though. Pip and Charleston have taken me on such an incredible journey, and writing about them has taught me so much. At least there's still two more books, and a short film for them coming.