Status: Complete - February 22, 2018
Haunting Grey
Twenty-Eight
There were noises all around me; machines keep beeping, only louder this time. It's one tone, and I know exactly what it means.
Natalie is here, and she grabbed my fingers tightly.
"It's okay, Travis," she said, smiling.
Her face looks different somehow, and then I understand: it's intact, whole.
"You look normal," I whispered, reaching for her.
When she pulled me closer, my heart skidded. This is what I've wanted for so long, and I was finally getting it.
Except it came with a price.
"Nat," I said roughly, her lips on my neck. "Oh God."
"What is it?"
Her mouth grazed my collarbone, and I can feel myself unraveling. But I stopped, held myself together, gripped her shoulders, and pushed her away.
"I can't," I told her firmly. "I can't stay with you. I want to, so much, and you know that. But my dad, he's alone, and—"
Her posture stiffened, and her face crumbled. Her voice was flat as she said, "You're a liar, Grey. You never wanted this. You only wanted to stay with him." When she reached out to grab my hand, her nails dug into my skin, hard. "I won't let you go back."
Natalie is here, and she grabbed my fingers tightly.
"It's okay, Travis," she said, smiling.
Her face looks different somehow, and then I understand: it's intact, whole.
"You look normal," I whispered, reaching for her.
When she pulled me closer, my heart skidded. This is what I've wanted for so long, and I was finally getting it.
Except it came with a price.
"Nat," I said roughly, her lips on my neck. "Oh God."
"What is it?"
Her mouth grazed my collarbone, and I can feel myself unraveling. But I stopped, held myself together, gripped her shoulders, and pushed her away.
"I can't," I told her firmly. "I can't stay with you. I want to, so much, and you know that. But my dad, he's alone, and—"
Her posture stiffened, and her face crumbled. Her voice was flat as she said, "You're a liar, Grey. You never wanted this. You only wanted to stay with him." When she reached out to grab my hand, her nails dug into my skin, hard. "I won't let you go back."