Clare

The air was clean. The oxygen so pure, I swear it was suffocating. It hurt to breathe, sharp breaths invaded my lungs, but I didn't care. The blood in my body was pumping electrically, my heart forced the life through me, and I finally felt alive. I could breathe. The only thing I wanted to breathe was Eli and he was finally apart of me again. The skin he touched hours before still were shocked from his touch. I was drowning, but now I was stepping into an electrical fire. No amount of water would put these flames out, not that I wanted it to burn out, I wanted to feel this, I wanted to burn. I needed to see him again. I needed to hear his voice. It had been hours since my confession, barely a day but I couldn't have enough. I wasted too much time as it was; only the Lord knew how much time I had left. I loved him from the start and I will love him to the end.

I hoped I was enough. I was fragile now; I wasn't the machine I was when we were first in love. The fire was once natural, but now I was irregular, I was electric. I hoped I was enough. I can't kiss him as long as I once did. I didn't want him to pretend to make me happy, I wanted him to love me because he did, not because I was dying.

Panic.

I started to shake; maybe it was a mistake bringing him back into my life. Maybe I shouldn't have told him. Now he feels like he has to love me, he has to pretend. I was dying. I was hindering him. I was a burden. I could feel the pain in my chest build as I silently reveled in the panic that was overtaking me. I could hear the monitor warning me to calm down, I was shaking uncontrollably, I was a fucking burden. My mother and Jake raced up the stairs.

"Clare!" They were all worried about me. I caused them to just worry endlessly.

"Help." I choked. Yes, help me, I'm helpless. Why did I kid myself into thinking Eli would want this? Helpless, pathetic Clare.

Calm.

Medication was the only thing that could ever love me.

"Let me call Eli." Let me coax the truth out of him. I just want him to live free of this; free of me.

I'm a burden but at least I know it.

Eli

Clare. Clare was all I needed to see. My head was spinning from Imogen's harsh words, and all I needed was too see her face, see her smile, and see the blue eyes that taunted me in my dreams for so long. Mine. They were mine now; finally mine again. Her voice, the angelic song that was directed toward me, made me want to dance. I was finally happy, she was mine again. Clare Edwards loved me and I loved her. The warmth in me could hardly be contained. I was burning, it didn't hurt one bit. Clare Edwards lit the flame- no, she was the flame. Engulf me, Clare, because I'm nothing without you.

I know I promised a long chapter, but I was a little bit busy today. I worked on an outline for the chapter after this. Review please? :)