Switched

Chapter 7: Drew

She knew I was lying.

    “I’m pretty tired, I’m going to bed,” she said squeezing my hand.

    “Okay, I love you.”

    Even though I’ve been lying about drinking and going out, that is the one lie I have never told her. I love that girl with everything in me, but how is this going to work? She’s just going to screw me over and leave all because she’s some princess?

    “Drew?” Megan said pulling me out of my thoughts.

    “Yeah?”

    “What’s been going on with you two?”

    “Nothing,” I replied irritated, it was none of her damned business.

    “Well, we can all see that nothing is going on, but I know that you guys are having some problems. I just want to help.”

    “You can help by keeping your nose in your own business,” I snapped. She knew that it was only because of my drunken state, she knew me too well to be able to tell when I’ve drinking. I walked slowly to my bedroom and when I got inside the lights were all on, and Kriss was sitting on the floor near the dresser.

    “I thought you were going to bed,” I said walking to the bed.

    “And I thought you wouldn’t lie to me.”

    “Babe, I didn’t,” I said defensively.

    “I could taste the alcohol on your breath, so don’t you dare try to lie to me about it! You put this ring on my finger as a promise, and here lately you haven’t done the best job of being honest,” she said blinking back tears.

    “It was just a couple drinks, you went out and a good time, I’m entitled to one too, aren’t I?”

    “Yes, but do you really think that you need to drink to the point where you're a complete idiot?” she shouted.

    “Really, now you're going to yell at me? I thought you didn’t want to be like your parents?” I regretted what I said immediately as I saw the tears fall from her eyes making streaks across her beautiful face.

    “I-I’m leaving, I’m going to Aristole tomorrow night, I don’t think its good for either of us to put it off any longer, all we ever do- is fight. I hate it, I love you, but lately, I don’t even know who either one of us are-” she choked out between sobs.

    God, that sobered me up. I can’t lose her. “Don’t go, don’t leave me,” I whispered.

    “I’m not leaving you, I’m just leaving this country, this life, this… me, I’m not leaving you, I made a promise when I took this ring from you and I intend to keep it,” she chuckled sadly. I felt such relief to know that she wasn’t going to abandon me. But it still hurt to know that she was going to leave early. She was determined, once she put her mind to something, nothing would persuade her. It’s one of things that made me fall in love with her. We were debating over whether Ursela in The Little Mermaid was actually the villain. She just couldn’t accept that she was.

    “Okay.” I breathed. “Stay for the night, and spend one more night in my arms, I’m not going to let you leave while you are upset with me, it won’t solve anything.”

    “I know,” she said crawling over to the bed. She put her head in my lap and I stroked her hair. How long had it been since we have touched each other like this? When will be the next time we will touch like this? This is the last night that I will spend with the love of my life. What if she can’t change the law about us marrying? Tears flowed from eyes and dripped onto her hair.

    She back on her knees with her feet tucked under her body and looked up at me, our faces matching red, teary eyes, flushed cheeks, and the undeniable look of misery.

    “I love you,” she whispered.

    “I love you too.”

    She got up and came over to me, moved my hands from my lap, and sat there. She hugged me and listened to my heartbeat. We sat there in silence except for the occasional sniffling noises that she would make. I grabbed her near her waist and laid back on the bed. We laid there in silence for hours arm in arm. This is what love is, crying, yelling, laughing, kissing, just being together or miles apart, just being here with her made me fall in love with her all over again. Hell, I fall in love with her everytime I look at her. We laid there all night, but neither one of us knew what to say, and sleep was nowhere in sight. She was leaving tomorrow, and who knew the next time I would see her again. During the night when she would start to cry I would hug her tighter to my chest and rub her back until she calmed down. When I would think about the future and not having her in my arms again she would find my hand and intertwine our fingers. This, I just wanted to stay like this forever. I wanted to have her in my arms forever. Most importantly I didn’t want her to be upset this way, ever.

I looked at the clock and it was nearly three in the morning. Kriss’ breathing was slow, but not slow enough for her to be completely asleep. If today was going to be my last day with the woman I love, then I was going to make it count. I would take her on a trip to remind her of every milestone that we ever had in life together, and I would make her want to stay. Maybe, just maybe, it’ll work.