Let Me Stitch Your Broken Heart

Carly and Colton tumbled onto the hard asphalt of a parking lot. They both looked around cautiously before fully standing.

“I think we actually made it home,” whispered Colton.

Carly replied, “I think so.”

Sure enough, a lone car was parked a few yards away. Carly recognized it from the night Colton had been beaten by the mysterious cloaked creatures who she now knew as natives of Ceilidh. They walked across the lot, hand in hand, to the vehicle. Colton opened Carly’s door for her before climbing into the driver’s seat. They knew what they had to do.

The ride home was silent except for the unique whir of the engine and the friction between the tires and the road. What could they possibly say? All either of them could do was focus on the asphalt ahead and struggle to breathe evenly. After only a few minutes, Colton pulled up across the street from Carly’s house. It seemed so plain and ordinary after all they’d seen. Carly pulled at the door handle and began to exit Faas’s loaned car.

“Wait,” Colton clasped her left hand gingerly, preventing her from leaving just yet. She turned to look at him. “Don’t go.”

“Colton, I have to. I’ve been missing for God-knows-how-many years. My parents could have died of old age by now.”

He paused to choose his words carefully. “Carls, I know that—”

“Don’t call me that.” Her voice was cold.

“What? You’re just saying that because the venom’s gone and my healing wore off. I told you, I can fix that. Don’t worry. I love you.” He leaned toward her with his head at an angle. His lips were slightly puckered.

“Colton, stop.” She leaned back while pushing him away. “No.” She shook her head and sighed heavily. A few seconds passed before she explained, “I’m leaving.”

Colton let out a small laugh and smiled nervously as he answered, “Don’t sound so serious. You’re just going home for the night, Carls.”

“I said don’t call me that.” She paused to collect herself before going on, “I’m leaving, Colton. I’m leaving you. I don’t want to see you anymore.”

He was speechless.

Carly pulled her hand from his and opened the passenger door the rest of the way.

“But I love you!” He sounded urgent and needy as the words darted and tumbled from his mouth.

“You barely know me.”

“I know everything I need to: I love you and I won’t let you go.” Colton took hold of her forearm, trying to pull her back to him.

She yanked away. “I don’t know you.” Carly got out of the car, shutting the door behind her.

Colton opened it again. “Carly, please.” His voice was dying out.

“Colton, I’m a human.”

“So am I!”

She shook her head more ferociously than before.

“We’re soul mates, Carly!”

“Colton!” She raised her voice as if to get his attention. “I am a human, and you are a…a…a werehumire. Our worlds were never meant to collide!” She slammed the door closed.

Speaking through the now open window, Colton gave one last attempt, “Carly, I love you.”

She put a hand to her forehead, distraught. Breathing deeply, she looked into eyes. “And I love you, but I can’t handle your world, Colton. I was born human for a reason. I was meant to grow up, start a family, and live my life. I’m not supposed to need you to fix me. I know that, now,” she sighed again. “We’re not meant to be.”

“But—”

Slowly, she shook her head for a third time. “Goodbye.”

At a loss, Colton watched her walk around the front of the car and across the street. He scrambled out his door, wanting to say something to make her stay, but he knew she’d made her decision. She was gone, and all he could do was stand there and watch her stride away. He saw her pull a key from beneath the doormat as unknown words of pleading died on his tongue. Carly stepped inside. His ears picked up voices, but his mind wouldn’t register the words. A haggard couple embraced Carly with overflowing love and joy. The woman had tears streaming down her cheeks and the man struggled to keep his above the brims of his eyes. Her parents. The door clicked shut a few minutes later.

Colton didn’t know how long he stood there before a scratchy wisp of a sound caught his attention. He looked down sullenly to find a piece of paper lying face down at his feet. He picked it up. “MISSING” was spelled out in bold letters at the top. Under it, a picture of an older-looking Carly stared up at him. A red asterisk notified him that it had been digitally aged to twenty-one. Six years. Colton carefully traced the outline of her face with his index finger before folding the paper up and slipping it into his jeans’ pocket and driving away. He knew that they’d always love each other, even though she was gone.