Millie’s head bobs up and down. “It’s me, I’m here.”
Oh fuck.It feels like the floor opens up beneath me and my stomach bottoms out. I feel nauseous and dizzy as I continue to watch them embrace.Is she hurting Millie? Fuck! What about her heart? What do I do?How do I get her out of my girlfriend’s body?
“What is going on? I mean how—” Anna asks the same damn thing I’m thinking.
“We don’t have much time. I need you to know that night wasn’t your fault. I left the party because I wanted to.” Millie’s hand caresses Anna’s face in a soothing manner, but Anna’s not having any of it.
She starts violently shaking her head. Silent sobs make her entire body vibrate. “I should have stopped you. I should have tried harder to make you stay!” Anna screams, and I jolt from the sheer intensity of it.
“Shhhhh. I need you to listen to me. I’m gone because I made a stupid decision.Me.Not you, not anyone else.Me, Anna.” Millie—fuck, Lucy—pronounces each word carefully.
“But I could have gotten you to stay,” Anna sobs as Lucy continues to try to soothe her.
“I made a mistake. I wanted to prove to myself that I could be spontaneous, that I could be sexy and alluring.” Lucy frowns before continuing, “I’m the reason I’m dead, Anna. Not you.”
Lucy’s admission only inflames Anna’s pain. “It doesn’t matter! I’m the one that talked you into going out that night! I’m the one that pushed and pushed, when all you wanted to do was stay home!” Anna pulls in a haggard breath. Tears trail down her face, one after the other.
I can’t just stand here and do nothing. I’m terrified for Millie and what this is doing to her body. On shaky legs I stand and walk over to them. When I reach for Millie’s arm and pull her up, Lucy doesn’t stop me.
I turn her to look at me, and what I see on her face has my heart breaking. It’s utter and complete devastation.
“Lucy, you could be hurting Millie.”
She shakes her head. “She’s fine. I can still feel her.”
I swallow hard, unsure of how to proceed or what the fuck to even do. “Her heart,” I implore.
Millie’s hand reaches up and touches the top of the scar that’s barely visible beneath her shirt. She drops her hand suddenly and turns her head to Anna.
“I’m okay. I need you to believe that. I want you to go live your life, go to college, meet a boy, do all the things we dreamed of doing together.”
Anna sobs, “I can’t. I don’t want to, not without you.”
Lucy jerks away from my grip, and I watch helplessly as she goes to Anna once more.
“You made me a promise, and you better keep it.” Lucy’s tone isn’t harsh, but it’s borderline stern.
Anna’s eyebrows pull together in confusion. “What promise?”
“On the day I died, you promised me something. Do you remember?”
“I—” Anna’s head shakes as she struggles to find the words. “I don’t want to. Not anymore.”
“I’m asking you to. We promised each other if anything ever happened we would never forget, but we would live enough for both of us. You aren’t living, Anna. You are only existing.”
Anna’s sobs continue to shake her body.
“You promised me,” Lucy implores, but just as she reaches for Anna once again, Millie’s body begins to shake uncontrollably. Irush forward to catch her right before her knees give out from under her.
“Millie!”
Fuck, she’s completely limp in my arms. Her eyes are rolling into the back of her head. I lower her to the floor and check for a pulse.
Thank fuck.Her pulse is there, but it’s thready. I lower my ear to her mouth to listen for an inhale. She’s breathing.
“Is she okay?” Anna asks, desperately.
“No, she’s not fucking okay. Your friend just hijacked her fucking body!” I lash out. Panic is pouring into my body, and I don’t know what to do with it. I don’t know how to help her.
