Seventeen year old Safaya Bennett must navigate young adulthood under the stresses of her sins, her crumbling relationship with her twin sister, Rue, and a crippling mental disorder that makes her very dependent on her relationship with Nate Jacobs...
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*mature themes ahead*
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As far as I'm concerned, my sister and I were two completely different people. We just shared the same face, parents, and love for drugs.
Safaya and Nate were in his bedroom, her bag laying in the corner while she sat on the floor and he sat on his bed. He was quiet. Just watching her play with her nails and waiting for her to talk. She felt a little bit better being in his presence but the looming thought never left her head on the way over there.
"Why did you leave me?" She broke her silence, looking up at the tall boy. "I know you were having problems with Maddy but we're different. It's always been Nate and Saf against the world. And you, you just, you left me alone." She was calm. The type of calm that even scared Nate Jacobs.
He ran a hand over his face. "I'll explain, just please come to bed. You know I don't like you sitting on the floor, come up here."
She crossed her arms over her chest, getting up and trudging over to his bed. She began to sit on the opposite end but before she could sit down, Nate pulled her close in front of him.
"It's been a lot going on with this whole investigation thing. I had to figure out how to defend myself and I just needed some time." He lied. Only giving her bare minimum information to protect her. "But I'm here now and I'm not going anywhere. I'm going back to school soon and I won't leave your side. Ever. I promise."
Nate held her hands, noticing her nails were different from the last time he had seen her. It was a color he hadn't picked out but he still liked it. He grabbed her hands and brought them to either sides of his face. Settling into her touch and letting out a sigh. He loved her touch more than anything and right now he wanted it in every way possible.
Safaya ran her thumb across his cheekbone. "How'd you get everything dropped so quickly?" She asked.
"Doesn't matter." He said. "The only thing that matters is you and me. I love you, Safaya, I always have."
She frowned. Looking down and taking her hands from his face. She knew what he meant when he said that and the words didn't have the same emotion behind it anymore. "Not like how you love Maddy." She thought back to what Dr. Stevens said and what I had yelled at her about an hour ago. She knew we were right and for the first time she began to admit it to herself and actually vocalize it.
"Did your sister tell you that?" Nate inquired. "You know it's bullshit, right? You know she's never liked me, Saf. And how the hell would Rue know anything about us?" He huffed. Nate lifted up her hand and opened her fingers, exposing her scarred palm. "She hurt you. She could have killed you over something so stupid. I'd never do that. I'd never hurt you, Saf."
Safaya didn't know what to say. "I just ... she and I had an argument before you picked me up and it came up." She cowered. Trying not to cry again as she thought back on it. "I'm sorry."
