I reached across the black leather seat and linked my fingers with hers.
Lennon peered up at me, as if she had nearly forgotten I was even there. A saddened smirk touched her mouth and vanished as soon as it came.
The torture in her eyes reminded me how limited our time was.
Fuck.
I couldn’t bear for it to end.
I needed her, and she needed me. We were exactly what the other required in the most fucked up way imaginable.
We were order and chaos. Beauty and destruction. Life and death.
Hyper aware of my beating heart, I shook my head, conflicted if the racing was from emotions or the defective heart that diseased my insides.
I would never know.
It was a ticking time bomb. A sound always alerting me of its presence with no countdown to warn me of the impending explosion.
Duke slowed in front of her apartment building. I had never taken the time to truly appreciate the greenery that lifted the appearance on her street. Maintained shrubs and trees highlighted that someone cared enough to carve beauty into the street.
The pride it took to nurture something in the middle of the city.
Ironically, Lennon being one of them.
“Have you ever admired the greenery on your street?” I asked before I could stop myself.
She scoffed, looking at me with pure distaste. “You mean the shitty maples everywhere?”
Baffled, I laughed. “Well, I didn’t know they were maples, but yeah. The shitty maples, I guess.”
She opened her door before I had the opportunity to get out and open it for her.
I hopped out to chase after her. “Wait! What the fuck did I do now?” The words lashed out before I could stop them.
Frustrated, I dragged a hand through my hair. “I don’t get you sometimes. I make an attempt to have these beautiful moments, acknowledging the beauty in life with you, and—”
“Just fucking stop, Asher! You’re not going to fix me, okay?!” she screamed.
I stepped onto the sidewalk where she stood. “I’m not trying to,” I replied simply.
Her face twisted with pure annoyance. “Yes, you are! You can’t stand that I am the way I am. Look at you, pointing out the fucking trees!”
“I just thought they were nice, okay?”
“No. These trees are weak, invasive, full of fucking disease and act like a complete nuisance. They offer no value to the space around them. They bring nothing but a mess.” Her eyes burned into mine. “But hey, that’s what you like anyway, right? Complete disasters that wreak havoc on those around them. Sound familiar?”
Lennon took off into her building, leaving me dumbfounded on the street. The shift had turned so quickly I hadn’t even had a chance to defend myself.
I observed the tree that stood directly in front of her apartment.
It stood tall. Strong.
But upon closer inspection, broken branches dangled loosely, swaying in the soft wind. The bark appeared weathered. Leaves bore dark spots that could resemble some sort of fungus. The ground surrounding the base left many seedlings that damaged the acidity of the grass, choking it to death.
I saw what she saw.
But then I didn’t.
