Page 44 of Queen Rose

“Yeah. I didn’t know what to do. I tried to calm you, but it didn’t work very well. I’m sorry. I feel like I made it worse.”

She shakes her head. “No. This isn’t your fault, Nate.”

“Do you want to talk about it? What can I do?”

“N-no. I think I just need to go b-back to sleep.” Her gaze shifts to the door.

And as much as I don’t want to fucking have to do it, I murmur, “Aria, do you want me to go get Xander?”

She gives a sharp head shake. “No. He shouldn’t have to deal with me. H-he’s happy. He’s better now.”

She’s trying to be so damn strong, but I can tell she feels like she’s about to crumble into a million pieces. “Okay. Can I hold you instead? I want to. So badly.”

Hesitantly she curls up at my side in the crook of my arm. “You’re too good to me. I don’t deserve someone like you, Nate. You shouldn’t have to deal with this,” she whispers right before she loses it.

I feel her sobs all the way down to my very bones.

I feel her sadness running through my veins.

I feel her fear coating every inch of my skin.

The pain being torn from her body with each sob is like nothing I’ve encountered in my entire life. And it’s not like my world is all rainbows and ponies, either. Whatever this is, it’s bad. So dark and so deep inside her, I wonder if she’ll ever put words to it.

Her words haunt me all night long. No. Don’t— Don’t. Stop. Stop. No!

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