I stormed his castle, crossed the moat onto the muddy ground, pressing myself against the outer wall and shimmying sideways until I found an opening.

I raced up stairs, fighting off swordsmen, and people throwing rocks. But I dodged and ducked and moved higher until I found his room, where he hid from me – with her.

“How dare you barge in here?” he roared.

“How dare you betray me?”

He draws a sword and we spar, metal clanking and breaths huffing, much like they used to between us.

“You deserve this,” I say, and plunged my hilt to his … Read the rest

He curled around me and squeezed my heart, tightly circled, never letting go.

It was comfortable at first, it felt safe being that snugly held, and I didn’t think twice when the pressure got stronger, when the squeeze started feeling tighter than before.

It’s like they say, you can drop a frog in water and he won’t jump out when it starts to boil, because he gets used to the discomfort.

The pain becomes the one thing that is real, and certain.

I don’t struggle anymore, there’s no use.

He’s got me wrapped in him, and he’ll never let go.… Read the rest

“This is all I can give you,” he said, and it wasn’t enough for her.

She knew before he even said it that those words were lingering in the air between them.

The distance, the caution, the unwillingness to open up and really share a life.

Not to mention being the dirty little secret after years of not being a secret.

But as much as it hurts, it doesn’t touch the fear of being alone, and the dread of having no one to come home to, no one to hold her in their arms.

It never should have been him.… Read the rest

The girls were sleeping in two rows in the living room, tucked close together in their sleeping bags, but Mara was awake and staring at the thing hiding in the corner.

It was blacker than black, darker than the darkness, and she couldn’t tell if it was moving closer to her.

“Amy, Amy,” she smacked the girl beside her.

“What?”

“There’s something in the corner.”

“What?”

“Something is here with us!”

“Just go back to sleep.”

It was then that Mara’s heart started pounding, thinking she was alone in dealing with the darkness, not knowing that she always would be.… Read the rest

There was that time we were together and not together, when we shared space but not a life.

I can’t forget how much it hurt the days I couldn’t touch you, and how sad it was to even smile at you, because I was crying inside.

We’re never going to be friends now, you and I. If this ends, it ends.

I can’t live in a world where you’re right there and I’m over here and you won’t reach out and touch me.

Eternally platonic, I would have broken to pieces, doing everything I could to feel your love again.… Read the rest