I hadn't left my room in days. I didn't know if I could bear it—seeing her face to face.
Her eyes followed me in my dreams, wide and honest and hurt. I stayed up into the late hours of the night when the whole house had gone to sleep, avoiding my unconscious thoughts.
I had laid on her side of my bed for so long that it no longer smelled like her. I tossed and turned during the night, visions of that day at the mall flashing before my eyes.
I couldn't bring myself to open the locket—I would die, on the spot, from internal heart combustion, I thought.
But it sat in the back of my mind, swirling around in my thoughts when I wasn't keeping them in check, begging me to open it, uncover it, see what she had left behind.
On Tuesday, I couldn't take it anymore.
It was dawn, and I hadn't slept for a moment. The little brown box was tucked away under my bed, whereit wouldn't hurt me, I had decided.
I pulled it out slowly, inhaling uncomfortably as the memories of that day appeared once more.
I clenched my jaw, rubbing my thumb over the smooth material.
My hands shook as I opened the box.
The gold heart remained, untouched, glinting light into the dark room.
I quietly picked it up from the box, long chain dangling into my hand.
The house was silent. All I could hear was the sound of my heart beating in my chest, moving up into my ears, a constant thump.
My fingers opened the lock, slowly pulling the heart open.
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Dix & Adds Forever
The engraved words punched me in the throat, and I couldn't breathe—my eyes wouldn't look away—I stared down at the photo, until my vision was blurry, heavy tears threatening to fall.
That day we had gone to Westfield, Charli snapping our photo as we shopped the outdoor area.
Dixie had grasped my hand in the back alleys, kissing my cheek when no one was looking.
"Forever," I exhaled, curling the pendant into a closed fist.
I unclasped the hook, bringing the chain around my neck.
Weighted and warm, it rested against my chest, directly above my heart.
