I Hope You Like the Stars I Stole for You

I woke up to Vic whispering at around seven o’clock, I guess we had missed dinner. I listened closely to what he was saying, he thought I was still asleep. He was singing softly to himself, and his voice was amazing.

I stretched sleepily to subtly let him know I was awake, and he kissed my forehead. “Hi sleepyhead.” He got up and turned on some music, and I jokingly danced around to it. I turned on my lamp and my window lights, giving the room a rosy glow. Vic grabbed my hand and started slow dancing with me, dipping me and spinning me. I laughed at his choice of song, we were currently slow dancing to of Mice and Men. “What ?” he asked innocently. “Nothing “ I said in the same tone, giggling. He leaned in to kiss me, but a loud noise made us both jump in surprise. I flinched instinctively, and Vic looked at me with concern in his eyes. I didn’t look back at him, because I didn’t want him to see the fear in my eyes. I was scared that my dad was going to come back and do something to me, right in front of Vic. My eyes flickered to the broken mirror, and I raised my hand to touch the bump on my head. I quickly lowered my arm and pulled my sleeve down, all too aware of the way I was acting and Vic’s eyes on me.

He stepped closer to me, cradling my elbow and pulling me against him. I peered up at him, my voice a whisper “Run away with me.”

His eyes got wide “ I-I can’t…” My heart broke with those words, and it broke a second time as I watched the panicked look in his eyes as he turned and hurried out of my room, down the stairs, out the door, and back to his house.

“But I love you.” I whispered brokenly to the empty room.

Vic’s POV

I still hadn’t told Pruitt about where I went when I ‘disappeared’ and it was getting tougher to hide. I had to go back to see Dr. Garland one day in middle October, and I would be missing school all day. I didn’t really give Pruitt and explanation, and I knew she was getting worried, but I was too afraid of losing her. I worried about leaving her alone at school, I knew the bullying she faced. One day, I was going to catch all the ones who hurt her, and they would get what was coming to them.
I fed Dr. Garland a bunch of bullshit lies that he seemed to believe, but the visit still lasted all day. I was itching just to get home and get to Pruitt’s house, but of course the traffic was horrible. I was fidgeting all around, trying to listen to music to calm me down, because now I was late. Dr. Garland dropped me off and I booked it straight to Pruitt’s house, dying to see her after the day I’d had.
Grace let me in, and I grimaced when I saw Hank drunk. I hated when people were drunk, I just found it creepy. When I opened the door to Pruitt’s room, she wasn’t in there. “Pruitt ?” I called in confusion. Her muffled reply came from the bathroom, and I breathed a sigh of relief. I don’t know what I would have done if I didn’t get to see her. A bang and a slam late, and Pruitt appeared. I greeted her with a smile and a “Sorry I’m late babe.” She pulled me into a hug, squeezing tightly. She seemed upset and my stomach dropped “What’s wrong ?” “Nothing…just hold me.” She said, her voice quieted by my chest. I forced a smile, pretending I didn’t know something was wrong; I didn’t want to pry. “In that case…” I said lightly, pulling her to the bed. She pressed her lips to mine, more forceful than ever before. I kissed back, slipping her the tongue, a tiny moan escaping from my lips. She grinded her hips against mine, and my breath quickened. I couldn’t contain my smile, and my hand slid up her thigh, resting on her hip. Her cold hands slid under my shirt and I shivered at her touch. I moved my mouth to the hollow in her neck, sucking on her skin. I traced her bony clavicle with my lips, her hand tangling in my hair, tugging slightly. One last kiss and then we intertwined our bodies, falling asleep together.

I woke up before she did, lyrics wandering around in my head as usual. I started to sing softly, watching her as she slept. She looked like a child, peaceful and without a care in the world. I smiled, murmuring the words to “Let Love Bleed Red” by Sleeping with Sirens. I wrote my own lyrics, but I didn’t have a band, so it was pointless. Besides, I wouldn’t let anyone hear them. Pruitt stretched, groaning a little and turning to look at me. We got up and turned on some lights, and I watched as she danced around. She looked so beautiful in the soft lighting, and I took her in my arms for a slow dance. She giggled as I spinned her and I played along. “What ?” I asked her, trying to keep her smiling for as long as possible. I leaned in slowly to kiss her, but a loud boom made both of us jump. Pruitt flinched noticeably, and she looked frightened. She refused to look me in the eye, instead staring past me at her mirror. I noticed a large crack in the bottom corner of it that had not previously been there. She stared at it for a moment, then absently rubbed the top of her head. She jerked and yanked her sleeve down over her hand. I watched all of this silently, waiting for her to tell me what was going on.

I stepped toward her again, getting closer. My hand cradled her elbow, and I pulled her body against mine, to show her that I would protect her, that she was safe with me. Her gorgeous eyes peered at me from under a fringe of lashes and her voice came out in a whisper “Run away with me.”

I was shocked, I had no idea what to say. Of course I couldn’t do that, even though I loved her enough to follow her anywhere. I would go to the end of the earth and back for her, so I surprised myself when my own voice said “I-I can’t…”

I instinctively turned and rushed down the stairs, and before I knew it, I was back at my own house, wondering what the hell I had just done.