Just A Knock Away

Salem shook her head, her hand reaching up to shove the cascading flow of tears from her face. "You should leave." She demanded with a tone laced in lemon juice. "You should leave my apartment and . . . and never speak to me again."

"We need each other Salem. People need people."

And to my surprise, she laughed. "People die."

Like salt in a wound, her words stung. It was as if she knew that what she said would hurt, or at least pinch, and she fully intended on seeing me flinch. But I didn't. People had said worse to me, and I had been hurt by worse. "Yeah. But they live too."