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And the darkness inside me itches.
29
Wynn
Lanston’s hands are warm,his endearing eyes more so.
The song is slow and nostalgic. One of my favorites. “The Night We Met” by Lord Huron.
Lanston pulls me close and whispers, “I remember the night we met,” his voice and eyes melancholic.
“Me too. It was like a month ago and under the influence of a counselor.” I grin and raise a brow in an attempt to lighten the mood.
His eyes soften and he nods. “Yeah. I guess that’s what made it so different. You, the girl with pink hair and sorrow in her eyes.You, the person who was broken like I was.”
My heart sinks.
I know what he’s trying to say. Liam’s words from the other night turn in my head.You know he loves you, right?It’s an incurable ache, to know that you’d love a man without a shadow of a doubt if perhaps you’d met him first. But Liam has that part of my soul. I love them both viciously—but I love them differently.
“I don’t think anyone in this world understands me more than you do, Lanston.” I rest my head on his chest and he caresses me delicately. His embrace is like being wrapped in a warm blanket under the stars.
“But it will always be him, won’t it?” he whispers.
I tighten my jaw and nod. “But you’ll always be a part of our cure.”
He lets out a short, low chuckle. “Yourwhat?”
“Our cure. The three of us. Always the three of us.” I beam at him and the sadness in his eyes brightens until it fades away.
“So, he told you about the tattoos then, huh? Come to think of it, you two have cured me in ways I never thought possible. Because of you two, I want to live. Every single day.” He presses a kiss to my forehead and I cup his cheek with my palm.
“Because of you two, I want to live too.”
We stare into each other’s eyes until the song ends and everyone starts switching partners. I see Liam walking toward us in the corner of my eye and mutter, “Let’s race again tomorrow?”
“There’s nothing I’d enjoy more.” He turns and smiles brightly at Liam.
“Care if I catch the next dance?” Liam’s blue eyes are soft and my cheeks warm as he takes my hand.
“She’s all yours,” Lanston says with a false smile.
Liam takes position, bowing and kissing my hand like a gentleman as the next song picks up. “9 Crimes” by Damien Rice.He straightens and pulls me to his chest, our feet moving in time together.
“Such a violent song to dance to,” he murmurs as he presses his lips to my forehead. He spins and dips me back. Our eyes connect. I long to kiss him, tangled in the bedsheets until the sun rises.
“Liam?”
“Hm?” His eyes are hooded with those beautiful dark lashes. He dips closer until our noses touch.
“Why did you come into my room that day at the hospital?”
Liam stares into my soul like he’s searching for doubt. “To be honest, I’m not entirely sure. I wanted to see you. I’d heard the nurses and doctors fussing over you for a few days while I was lying in bed, and the more I heard, the more curious I grew. Ihadto see you. And when I did—God. I was so mad. I was mad because you were perfect, Wynn. You were beautiful and you had pink hair, you had the softest frown on your face, and the moment your eyes met mine I wanted to shake you. I wanted you to live, and the thought of you dying…” He takes a deep breath to reset his composure. “I came to you that day because I wanted you to live. And I wanted to help you find a reason to. I didn’t know we’d be roommates here, but fuck, am I glad fate worked out that way.”
He lifts me back up and we finish the dance, standing still. Everyone else moves fluidly around us as if only he and I are trapped in a time bubble. He curls strands of my hair around his finger and grins.
No one else has experienced a love like Liam’s. It is chaotic. It is pure. It is love in its simplest, most cathartic form.
Liam presses a kiss to my lips. “Thank you for the happiest moments of my life.”
