Page 102 of Paint the Town, Dove
My heart hammered in my chest as I opened my mouth, and leaned in. “You’ve always known the answer to that.”
Amore de ferro.
Iron love.
The curve of his lips barely brushed mine before we were wrenched apart, hands – hands all over me, all over Ryden, a mass of screams and yells tearing into my eardrums.
What?
What the hell??
What’s happening–
“NO! GET THE FUCK OFF ME!” I screamed, though I recognized his grip – Morty’s –WHY?
WHY IS HE HOLDING ME?
“Ryden!”I ripped, watching as a crazed fucking woman, dirty blonde hair grabbed at him, Derek and Donny holding him back, Tav and Dean hoisting this feral fan off of him.
So much security.
So much press.
Another mess.
Another fucking mess.
We can never have good moments, I thought in the haze of it all.We can never be happy together.
“Morty, let me go or I’ll dig my heel so far into your foot you’renever going to walk –”
“Mom?”
I –
…
I…
…
I couldn’t… move.
…
“M… Mom?”
His voice, Ryden’s voice, it was…smallernow.
I hadn’t… I hadn’t heard him speak that way since we were kids.
Since we lived on Slater Street.
Since…
Since he saw… Clara, Clara Elise Spectre…
Before she ran away.
