I kiss his lips as my answer. “The same goes for you, mister.”
Silence consumes the air as I place my cheek on his warm chest.
“Stop fighting to close your eyes, Trin. Go to sleep,” he whispers. “I’ll still be here when you wake up.”
I can’t go to sleep and miss our last moments together. I can’t …
His hand runs through my hair. “I’ll be right here the whole night.”
I nod, the stubbornness overtaking the logical part of me.
Leonidas kisses my temple. “Let’s close our eyes at the same time.”
I run my finger up and down his muscular chest. My gaze focuses on the defined dips. I try to keep my tears at bay, but they betray me. Misery invades his beautiful orbs as he follows the trail my tears make. My body melts into his as his lips kiss away the salty moisture.
“Go to sleep, Trinity,” he says hoarsely, which makes my heart ache uncontrollably.
Why does love have to hurt this much? I feel like I’m rapidly getting stabbed in the chest. You know those movies where the person watches their loved one fade away before their eyes, and they reach out and try to stop them, but they still disappear, and they’re left empty and cold? That’s how I feel regarding Leonidas leaving town.
Leonidas wants us to go to sleep, so we’ll both temporarily get rid of the pain we currently feel. I want to argue back, but I do as he said, knowing he has a long day ahead of him.
I drift off into a deep slumber by hearing Leonidas’s steady heartbeats.
* * *
Normally, waking up next to Leonidas in the morning would feel like total bliss. But as my eyes open and I’m met with the blinding sunlight, I dread what’s coming.
My back is tightly pressed against Leonidas’s front. His muscular arms make it hard for me to breathe. I feel his steady breaths on my neck as he relaxes in his sleep.
Soaking in this feeling that I won’t feel in a while makes the waterworks come again full force. Today is officially the day he leaves. He won’t be here tomorrow. He’ll only be a phone call and a text message away.
God, why did I have to fall in love with a boy that you would take away from me?
I stay still in his arms until I feel him awaken. Turning around, we stare at each other until the other looks away with moisture in their eyes. An hour later, we sadly pull away, knowing we have to get on with the day ahead. Every movement we make is slow, hoping to drag on the moments we have with one another.
Both of us walk down the steps toward his kitchen, hand in hand. As I spot his siblings sitting around the kitchen table, Leonidas turns my body toward his.
“I’ll see you in a few minutes.”
As he turns around for the front door, I grip his hand, stopping him in his tracks.
“Where are you going?”
Biting his lip, he shuffles on his feet. “I need to discuss a few things with your mom.”
The serious look on his face tells me not to argue, so that’s why I watch him leave.
Why would Leonidas have to talk to my mom?
Joining the others at the table, I meet my best friend’s gaze.
“Don’t make me cry, bitch,” Amelia sneers at me from across the table.
I stare at her and blink when she threatens me with her spoon. I glare at her.
“Tell Elijah to stop looking at me like a lost puppy then,” I argue back, and he flinches dramatically.
I’m going to miss these two. They’re my best friends. I’ll miss Elijah’s humor and his slight protectiveness. I won’t hear Amelia’s laughs of joy, and my venting system will go away.
