I ignored her.She needed me and Iignoredher.
I scream because it’s the only thing I can do. My chest aches like I’m being stabbed. I gasp for air, but I’m suffocating.
She’s a part of me. She’s ingrained into my soul, and I can’t let her go.
33
MYLES
I remember sitting in the tree house with Emma not long after we’d met.
She was eating strawberries while staring out the window. “Would you ever go to outer space?”
“No,” I said, following her gaze.
She frowned like she was disappointed. “Why not?”
I took a strawberry off the plate in front of her. “Because it’s scary.”
“Why?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s big and dark.”
She shook her head. “I don’t think so.” She bounced her feet on the floorboards, never able to stay still. “I think it would be fun to see what Earth looks like from up there.”
“Aren’t you afraid of anything?” I asked.
“Everyone’s afraid of something.”
But I had a hard time believing her because from what I’d seen, she was brave. She wasn’t scared of bugs or the dark. She didn’t seem to care if she was up high or in tight spaces.
I was amazed by her.
“What are you afraid of?” I asked.
She tilted her head, peering over at me. Her eyes were shy, which I wasn’t used to. It was like I was getting a glimpse into her innermost thoughts, the ones she kept secret.
“Being alone,” she whispered.
I didn’t expect her to say that since being alone wasn’t something I found scary. I figured whatever frightened her was going to be something horrific.
“What’s so scary about that?”
She scratched her head, looking back out the window. “Lonely people are the saddest people I know.”
Her smile faded a little, and I wondered what she was thinking about. Had she been lonely before?
I couldn’t fathom anyone wanting to leave Emma alone. She was addicting. From the moment we met, I wanted to be around her. Every chance I had, I’d sneak next door.
I rested my head on her shoulder, wanting her to feel better. “You don’t have to worry.”
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“I won’t let you be lonely.”
She rested her head against mine. “Promise?”
“Cross my heart.”
