With This Ink in Our Skin We've Sealed Our Fate
Six
"Come on, Brian, let's go to our room," Michelle said, grabbing my hand.
I followed her, thinking about Bree. I really like her, but I can't break up with Michelle. We got in the elevator and she pushed the button for our floor. I looked down at her and she was leaning against the wall. I stood in front of her, and she put her hands on my waist. I put my hands on her hips. She smiled up at me. The elevator doors opened again and The Rev and Zacky walked in with Bree, who was hysterical crying. I looked at Zacky in alarm.
"What happened?"
"She probably broke a nail," Michelle sniggered.
"Shut the fuck up, you fucking cunt!" Bree yelled, "My best friend just died and my boyfriend broke up with me over a text message!"
I took my hands off Michelle and walked over to Bree. She was clinging to The Rev. Jimmy pulled her off slowly and pushed her lightly in my open arms. She collapsed on my chest, bawling.
"Who died, Bree?" I asked.
"Jill," she choked out.
The elevators opened and I put my arm around her shoulder, guiding her to my room. As soon as I opened the door, she darted into my room and started searching through my luggage.
"Babe, what are you doing?" I asked, alarmed.
"Where is it?!" she screamed.
"Where is what?"
"Your fucking .45!"
I froze. She wanted my gun.
"What do you want my gun for?" I asked, moving toward her. She was getting closer and closer to it.
"I told Jill that if anything happened to her, I'd fucking kill myself. Jill had cancer, Brian! I'm gonna kill myself!" she shrieked.
She found my gun and stood up. Her moves got quiet.
"Bree," I said.
"Don't even start, Brian. I made a promise to her," she said.
"Don't do it, Bree," I said, tears forming in my eyes.
"Why not?" she asked, staring at the gun. She raised it to under her chin.
"Bree," my voice shook, "Please don't."
"Why the fuck not!" she yelled.
"Because," I said, tears running down my cheeks, "I can't imagine life without you, Bree. You've always been in my life, and if you went, I don't know what I'd do."
"But, B," she said, "You aren't mine."
"I could be!" I yelled.
"You'll make some excuse not to be with me, I don't even know what the fuck they are anymore!"
"Bree! Please, put the gun down."
"Is there anything you want me to tell Jill for you?" she asked.
"Don't fucking pull the trigger," I bit out, "Because I'll grab it out of your hands and kill myself, too."
She was still crying, and finally saw my tears. She pulled the gun away from her face and threw it lightly on my luggage.
"Come here," I said throatily.
She walked slowly toward me. I grabbed her as soon as she was in arm's reach and hugged her tightly against me. She wrapped her arms around my waist, and I wrapped her arms around her shoulders.
"Don't ever scare me like that again," I said.
She nodded against my chest. Her whole body was shaking. I looked down at her.
"Baby, what the hell was that?" I asked.
She sobbed into my chest, "I don't even know. I've never been suicidal in my life," she whispered.
"Stay with me," I whispered, "Stay in my room tonight."
"What about Michelle?" she asked, looking up at me with red-rimmed eyes.
I closed my eyes and took a shaky breath, "I'll talk to her. Can she take your room?"
I felt Bree nod.
"Can I trust you alone?" I asked.
She took a deep breath, "Yeah."
I kissed her forehead and then her lips. She smiled weakly and laid down on my bed. I put my gun back in Michelle's suitcase. I walked over to the door and looked at her. The whole suicide and crying thing must've worn her out. I closed the door and knocked on the door opposite mine. Zacky opened it.
"Hey, how is she?" he asked quietly.
"Why are you so qu--"
"Gena's sleeping," he said.
"Oh. She had some weird episode, but she's sleeping now."
"What kind of episode?" he asked, his hands shaking.
I looked at my shoes, "She found my .45 and held it to her mouth," I said.
His eyes widened, "No."
I nodded, "But I talked her down."
Zacky gave me a hug, "Thank you."
I hugged back, then pulled away, "Where's Michelle?"
"She's with Matt and Val next door that way."
I smiled, "Thanks."
Zacky nodded and shut the door. I knocked on the door and Matt opened it. He saw me and ushered me inside.
"How is she?" he asked quietly.
"Do you know of a promise that she made Jill if anything happened to Jill?" I asked.
Matt thought for a minute, and his eyes widened as tears came to them, "She didn't!"
"No! Matt, no. I talked her out of it. She's sleeping."
He shook his head, "I need to see her."
I looked at Michelle, "Baby, I need to stay with Bree tonight. You can stay in her room if you want, okay?"
Michelle nodded understandingly. I walked over to her and gave her a hug. She kissed me.
"Tell her I'm sorry, okay?"
I nodded, "Thank you, baby. Val, I'm stealing your boyfriend. He needs to see Bree."
"You got my boyfriend?" she asked.
I smiled, "I got yo mannn!"
She smiled and kissed my cheek. I brought Matt to my room and he saw Bree sleeping on the bed. He choked on a breath.
"Thank God," he whispered, "Give me Michelle's bag with the gun in it," he said.
I grabbed the bag and handed it to him.
"She's driving home, right?"
Matt nodded, "Tell her to take it home with her."
"Okay."
I gave Matt a hug and I laid down next to Bree, wrapping my arms around her. She woke up slowly.
"B?"
"Go back to sleep, Bree."
"Did you tell anyone about before?" she asked.
I stroked her cheek, "Just Matt and Zacky. We're gonna have Michelle drive home with the gun, so I think we're gonna have to tell her."
She nodded, "Only if she's not gonna hold it against me."
I kissed her forehead, "I'll talk to her."
She bit her lip, "B?"
"What's up?" I asked.
"Kiss me?"
I bit my lip and leaned down, kissing her. I couldn't help but wonder,
Why can't I break up with Michelle?
I followed her, thinking about Bree. I really like her, but I can't break up with Michelle. We got in the elevator and she pushed the button for our floor. I looked down at her and she was leaning against the wall. I stood in front of her, and she put her hands on my waist. I put my hands on her hips. She smiled up at me. The elevator doors opened again and The Rev and Zacky walked in with Bree, who was hysterical crying. I looked at Zacky in alarm.
"What happened?"
"She probably broke a nail," Michelle sniggered.
"Shut the fuck up, you fucking cunt!" Bree yelled, "My best friend just died and my boyfriend broke up with me over a text message!"
I took my hands off Michelle and walked over to Bree. She was clinging to The Rev. Jimmy pulled her off slowly and pushed her lightly in my open arms. She collapsed on my chest, bawling.
"Who died, Bree?" I asked.
"Jill," she choked out.
The elevators opened and I put my arm around her shoulder, guiding her to my room. As soon as I opened the door, she darted into my room and started searching through my luggage.
"Babe, what are you doing?" I asked, alarmed.
"Where is it?!" she screamed.
"Where is what?"
"Your fucking .45!"
I froze. She wanted my gun.
"What do you want my gun for?" I asked, moving toward her. She was getting closer and closer to it.
"I told Jill that if anything happened to her, I'd fucking kill myself. Jill had cancer, Brian! I'm gonna kill myself!" she shrieked.
She found my gun and stood up. Her moves got quiet.
"Bree," I said.
"Don't even start, Brian. I made a promise to her," she said.
"Don't do it, Bree," I said, tears forming in my eyes.
"Why not?" she asked, staring at the gun. She raised it to under her chin.
"Bree," my voice shook, "Please don't."
"Why the fuck not!" she yelled.
"Because," I said, tears running down my cheeks, "I can't imagine life without you, Bree. You've always been in my life, and if you went, I don't know what I'd do."
"But, B," she said, "You aren't mine."
"I could be!" I yelled.
"You'll make some excuse not to be with me, I don't even know what the fuck they are anymore!"
"Bree! Please, put the gun down."
"Is there anything you want me to tell Jill for you?" she asked.
"Don't fucking pull the trigger," I bit out, "Because I'll grab it out of your hands and kill myself, too."
She was still crying, and finally saw my tears. She pulled the gun away from her face and threw it lightly on my luggage.
"Come here," I said throatily.
She walked slowly toward me. I grabbed her as soon as she was in arm's reach and hugged her tightly against me. She wrapped her arms around my waist, and I wrapped her arms around her shoulders.
"Don't ever scare me like that again," I said.
She nodded against my chest. Her whole body was shaking. I looked down at her.
"Baby, what the hell was that?" I asked.
She sobbed into my chest, "I don't even know. I've never been suicidal in my life," she whispered.
"Stay with me," I whispered, "Stay in my room tonight."
"What about Michelle?" she asked, looking up at me with red-rimmed eyes.
I closed my eyes and took a shaky breath, "I'll talk to her. Can she take your room?"
I felt Bree nod.
"Can I trust you alone?" I asked.
She took a deep breath, "Yeah."
I kissed her forehead and then her lips. She smiled weakly and laid down on my bed. I put my gun back in Michelle's suitcase. I walked over to the door and looked at her. The whole suicide and crying thing must've worn her out. I closed the door and knocked on the door opposite mine. Zacky opened it.
"Hey, how is she?" he asked quietly.
"Why are you so qu--"
"Gena's sleeping," he said.
"Oh. She had some weird episode, but she's sleeping now."
"What kind of episode?" he asked, his hands shaking.
I looked at my shoes, "She found my .45 and held it to her mouth," I said.
His eyes widened, "No."
I nodded, "But I talked her down."
Zacky gave me a hug, "Thank you."
I hugged back, then pulled away, "Where's Michelle?"
"She's with Matt and Val next door that way."
I smiled, "Thanks."
Zacky nodded and shut the door. I knocked on the door and Matt opened it. He saw me and ushered me inside.
"How is she?" he asked quietly.
"Do you know of a promise that she made Jill if anything happened to Jill?" I asked.
Matt thought for a minute, and his eyes widened as tears came to them, "She didn't!"
"No! Matt, no. I talked her out of it. She's sleeping."
He shook his head, "I need to see her."
I looked at Michelle, "Baby, I need to stay with Bree tonight. You can stay in her room if you want, okay?"
Michelle nodded understandingly. I walked over to her and gave her a hug. She kissed me.
"Tell her I'm sorry, okay?"
I nodded, "Thank you, baby. Val, I'm stealing your boyfriend. He needs to see Bree."
"You got my boyfriend?" she asked.
I smiled, "I got yo mannn!"
She smiled and kissed my cheek. I brought Matt to my room and he saw Bree sleeping on the bed. He choked on a breath.
"Thank God," he whispered, "Give me Michelle's bag with the gun in it," he said.
I grabbed the bag and handed it to him.
"She's driving home, right?"
Matt nodded, "Tell her to take it home with her."
"Okay."
I gave Matt a hug and I laid down next to Bree, wrapping my arms around her. She woke up slowly.
"B?"
"Go back to sleep, Bree."
"Did you tell anyone about before?" she asked.
I stroked her cheek, "Just Matt and Zacky. We're gonna have Michelle drive home with the gun, so I think we're gonna have to tell her."
She nodded, "Only if she's not gonna hold it against me."
I kissed her forehead, "I'll talk to her."
She bit her lip, "B?"
"What's up?" I asked.
"Kiss me?"
I bit my lip and leaned down, kissing her. I couldn't help but wonder,
Why can't I break up with Michelle?