Is anyone still reading this?
If you gave someone your heart and they died, did they take it with them? Did you spend the rest of forever with a hole inside you that couldn't be filled?- Jodi Picoult
When my brother died, my heart was gone. I was left with an empty void in its place. Only my best friend kept me going; like a wined up toy, he would reset me each day. But I was still empty.
Then she came; perfect and beautiful and kind, she made me feel. I no longer need to be wound up; I'm alive again.
She's so innocent compared to me and I try to push her away, but she just reaches through my breast and grabs hold of the shadow of my missing heart and doesn't let go. Everything she does makes it pound with a strength that makes me believe she is forging a new one with her name scrawled across the center of it.
With a beating heart,
-Scotty
She lands on top of me, when I fall back on the tiled floor, with a thump and she only presses her lips harder into mine.
I can feel my heart pounding erratically throughout my entire body to the point of almost pain. It almost feels like its lodged in my throat and I might chock.
I gasp as her other hand, the one that was still clutched in my hair, finds its way to my clenching stomach, a moan rising past out tangled tongues and the vibration transfers to her lips where she swallows it. Her fingers leave trails of heat wherever they touch over my twitching and agitated muscles.
My fingers ache to travel as well, and explore this goddess hovering above me, but my nails dig farther into me hips.
"M-Miley." I murmur, using all my strength to pull back.
"Shut up." She replies, and I have little power to resist as she attacks my lips once more.
"Miley stop." I say a little stronger, pulling back after a few seconds.
She hesitates at the new tone I used, and sits back on her heels. I lay there panting at the ceiling, trying to get back some of my stolen breath, or even a little function to my brain.
"Do you not want me...?" I finally glance up with these words, at the girl sitting between my legs to see Miley's bangs covering her eyes as she stares at the ground.
"God Miley, of course I want you. I want you, no need you more than anything."
"Then why-"
"If we're going to do this, if you want me as much as I want you, we need to take it slow. I wouldn't be able to handle it if this was just an in-the-moment thing for you, and you end up regretting it. Regretting me. It would be unforgivable if I took advantage of this moment for my own sick purposes."
She looks at me with an 'awe' kind of smile.
"There you go again. Worrying about me and protection me from the smallest of things."
"It's because of me that you need protecting." I say, gently brushing her hair behind her ear and lingering my finger on her cheek.
She shakes her head. "It's my choice to do those things I need protecting from, not yours."
I sit up to argue, but my protests die when I feel her soft lips lightly brush mine and her palms cupping my cheeks.
"Guess what?" She whispers.
"Hmm?" I hum, barely able to focus on her words with her breath fanning across my face.
"I think I'm in love with you too."
I pull back abruptly is surprise, searching her eyes for any sign that she's lying, but her eyes are rapidly changing colors and shades so fast, that I can't keep up or place the emotion before it's gone and replaced.
I have truly never seen anything like them and I ache to reach out and kiss her again.
So I do.
I fist my hand in the front of her shirt and pull her into me forcefully. But we are parted a moment later by the sound of something breaking downstairs.
"Shit, already?" I curse pulling away a leaping to my feet.
I turn to confused Miley, still on her knees on the tile floor. "Don't come downstairs, alright?"
Not waiting for her response, I race down the steps and into the living room where I find my mom is already drunk, even though she probably just woke up an hour ago.
I think she lost her job or something because she hasn't left the house since I first found her home.
She now stands, cursing and bare foot, in the debris of a fallen lamp.
"Don't move." I tell her, tiptoeing my way over.
"I don't need your help."
Ignoring her words, when I get close enough to her, I gently grab her arm but she h=jerks away.
"Don't touch me!" She screams and shoves me.
Like anyone would, I gasp as I fall and feel my palms split open and purple glass lodge there. Another sharp intake of breath that doesn't belong to me, sounds at the stairs, making both my mother and I turn to a wide eyed Miley.
"Go back upstairs Miley, I'm fine." I get up and pull my mother, screeching, into my arms and lift her into my arms like a child.
I wince every time I receive a blow to the head or cut my foot, but I make my way to the couch and gently set her down on the soft cushions.
Once again ignoring her screaming protests, I search her feet for any cuts only to find none.
I'm brought back to attention when a hard slap is delivered to my cheek, making my head snap to the side with the force.
Another gasp from the steps and I look up.
"Go back up stairs Miley." Another sting on my face.
"Don't ignore me!" My mom brings my notice back to her.
"Get some sleep mom; you're not hurt."
I straighten up and retrieve a broom and towels to sweep up the glass and wipe up the blood that had splattered onto the floor.
"Come on Miles." I say softly, tugging on her sleeve to get her up the stairs. She follows me blindly back to my bathroom where I start digging fragments of glass out of my palms, making fresh blood begin to spill over my skin.
After about the third crimson turned piece clanked into the trashcan, Miley finally seems to snap out of her wide eyed staring.
She rushes over with another gasp.
"What was that? How long has this been going on?" Her voice is high in panic as she pushes my hands away in order to do it herself, much more gently than I had.
With her small careful fingers, my hands are glass free in only a few, minutes. I pull the cabinet under the sink open to show her the large supply of bandages left over from years before.
She sadly pulls out what she needs and starts wrapping my hands. I finally respond when she finishes.
"A few weeks; since she's been home. I think she lost her job and that's why she's drinking so much; she can't bury herself in work."
"Why don't you tell anyone?" She holds my bandaged hands to her heart.
"She just needs help; she's not a bad person."
"She abuses you."
"No." I shake my head. "It's not abuse; she doesn't mean what she does. Besides," I shrug sadly, "I've had much worse; I can take it."
Miley's eyes water so I cup her cheek and draw her closer. I brush my thumb under her eye, wiping away her tears before they fall.
"Is this oaky?" I ask, pulling her closer still.
She nods, so I softly kiss her trembling lips.
"I'm sorry you had to see that." I murmur, pulling her into what I hope to be a comforting hug.
I assume it is because she then buries her head in my neck and sniffs. "No, I'm glad I know now."
I just nod in response.
"Hey Miley?" I ask softly after just standing awhile.
"Hmm?" She hums.
"You should probably go home now; your dad will be getting worried and I don't want the FBI knocking down my door thinking I kidnapped you."
She groans and pulls back. "My dad is going to kill me if he finds out that I was drinking."
I smile in amusement as she fists her hands in her hair and starts looking for her shoes back in my bedroom.
"That's why I brought you here instead of home."
She pauses in front of me with one shoe on, the other clutched in her hand as she pecks me on the lips.
"Thanks." She breathes, her warm breath fanning across my face. I beam in response as she hops on one foot to jam on her other shoe.
She grabs my hand and then drags me to the door. "Come on, Daddy's going to be angry."
When we sit down in Oliver's car, I can't help but stare at Miley, her hair creating chocolate waves down her back and her face, soft. A shiver runs down my spine when I realize that her lips are redder than usual, still raw from kissing me so hard, but not noticeable unless you stare at her with as much intensity as I am now.
"What?" She sifts self-consciously under my gaze.
"Nothing." I say turning back to pull out of the driveway. "It's just that you have no idea of how beautiful you are."
From the corner of my eye, I see her blush and as an after thought, I smile and say, "And I'm not flirting."
A short laugh falls from her lips, causing my smile to grow.
I hop out of the car when we pull up into the driveway, and rush around to open Miley's door as well, causing her to giggle slightly.
As soon as Miley walks through the door, Mr. Stewart is stalking toward her.
"Miley Ray Stewart, where in Sam's Hill have you been?" Even thought he's trying to sound angry, worry lines are evident on his face.
Ever since I told him the whole story of what happened with Miley a few weeks ago, minus the reason she was searching for me in the first place, he has been even more worried when she goes out. Except when she's with me.
I step forward.
"I'm sorry Mr. Stewart, it's my fault. We lost track of time just talking and it was really late by the time I realized how late it had gotten. I was really tired and didn't think that I could drive very safely, and I didn't want her going home by herself in the dark, so I made her spend the night. We just woke up about an hour ago."
He turns his affectionate gaze to me.
"That's alright Lily, you're just taking care of my baby girl. Thank you."
I scratch the back of my neck awkwardly. If only he knew what we were just doing a half hour ago... I bet he wouldn't think so highly of me then.
"Would you like to stay for breakfast, or lunch for you I suppose?"
I really hope that the drool dripping onto my shirt is imaginary. I nod vigorously and land myself into my self appointed chair at the table. Miley sits next to me with an amused smile.
"Jackson already working?" I ask absent mindedly while cutting a large piece off my omelet and shoving it in my mouth.
"Yup." Mr. Stewart says. "Rico is working him real hard."
I hum while chewing. "Rico is an evil midget demon."
Miley giggles. "An evil midget demon?"
I release my fork for a moment to demonstrate my two fingers sticking out of my head.
"With little horns." I say with as much conviction as I can.
She giggles again and I look at her in all seriousness as I shove another mouthful of my breakfast for lunch.
"I'm dead serious. He once got me to carry him everywhere for a week, and don't ask how, cause I'm not tellin'. Bottom line is if he wants something, he'll get it with as much pain and embarrassment as possible from the people he uses."
Miley gulps comically as I scrape my plate clean. "Don't worry, he wont mess with you. He's not the only one good at black mail." I send her a wink as I stand to put my empty plate in the sink.
"You're amazing, you know that?"
"Hm." I hum as Miley stands up with her half empty plate. Because I'm leaning against the sink, she has to lean close to put it in. My breath freezes I'n my throat as I catch a whiff of her hair.
Miley pauses as well and looks deep into my eyes. They're doing it again; her eyes are flicking through colors, swirling, mixing, fading, changing.
Miley looks at her dad over her shoulder before taking my hand and dragging me up the stairs.
"We're going to my room Daddy!" She calls to her father who is absorbed in the game playing on TV.
"Alright bud." He replies.
When the door to her room shuts, I can't help but step forward to capture her lips in a long gentle kiss.
"I'm never going to get tired of that." I mumble pulling away, and smirk at the dazed look on Miley's face. "You'll be my girlfriend, right?" I ask almost shyly, which is crazy because I'm me. I don't get shy!
In answer, I get another long kiss that make my brain short circuit.
"Of course." She says pulling away, making me pout in protest. She laughs, kisses me shortly again, then goes to sit on the bed.
Much more satisfied, I claim my seat on the roll-y chair by the desk.
"So did you like girls before me?" I ask, playing it off as disinterest as I spin around and around. Secretly though, I watch her expression from the corner of my eye.
She seems to know this, because she smirks. "Nope."
I stop spinning. "Were you freaked out when you realized what you were feeling?"
"Not at all; you can't choose who you fall in love with, and I knew that."
I smile at the indirect confession of love. And like that, we sit there and talk until the late afternoon.
Mr. Stewart comes to the door at about four and pokes his head in. "Will you be eating with us Lily?"
I shake my head. "Sorry Mr. S, I should get going. I have to get Oliver's car back to him..."
"That's alright Lil, maybe next time."
"Most definitely." I grin to which he returns.
"All right then, see you when you come by tomorrow."
Miley and I follow him down the stairs but when he goes into the kitchen, she follows me out the front door.
I turn to her with a reluctant smile, a little disappointed that I have to go
"Bye Lily." She says and starts to turn away when I catch her wrist.
"'O, wilt thou leave me so unsatisfied?'"
She grins and says in reply, "'What satisfaction canst thou have tonight?'" But even then, she moves closer to cup my cheek.
"O, fair Juliet, it is but your touch that I crave and your love of me."
"I don't think that was a line that they said." She says lightly kissing me, but pulling more than a centimeter away.
"That's because it wasn't This is all me." I whisper, kissing her for what seems like the millionth time, but not nearly enough.
"Mmm." She mumbles. "How charming."
"Only for you, Love."
-Kiss.
"You should go."
-Kiss.
"I know." I lean in for one last lingering kiss that leaves my pulse racing and cheeks flushed...
I reluctantly pull away.
"Goodnight." She whispers to which I reply, "'Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow that I shall say goodnight till it be marrow.'"
I surge forward again and kiss her quickly before she can scold me for not leaving.
"Bye Lily." She says as I finally make my way to the car.
"Goodbye my sweet Juliet." I smile at her as I slide into the stale seat.
So if you are still reading this, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. There is still more to come though, so it's not over yet.
Does my writing suck? Does it not make sense? Please let me know.
-Fantasy