24
Erik
She was coming. I didn't know how she escaped the dream, how she gained a state of mind. Somehow I knew she was coming and she knew how to get to me in my lair. I made sure all the death chambers and booby traps protecting me from intruders were disabled, just to be safe. What seemed like seconds later, I heard footsteps approaching. They sounded unusually eager. Quite obviously, it was Nicole, shabbily dressed and radiant as ever. What was there to say to her? "Welcome back, my dear," I somehow uttered.
She smiled at me, just like Imani would. "Good to be back." She caught me staring at her as she approached me. "Something…something wrong?"
"No, it's nothing," I said as she sat on the closed coffin, beckoning for me to join her. My hands clenched. "It's just…you look so much like Imani right now."
Her face fell, but she still looked like her. "Did you and her…ever…"
I took her hands inside mine. "No! Never!" I cried.
"Okay," she muttered awkwardly.
I sensed doubt, or perhaps needed to assure her. "Nicole, there is only you. I swear on my rotting soul that she was simply a friend," I insisted.
"All right, all right, I believe you. It was a yes or no question, jeez," she giggled. She then sighed and continued, scooting closer to me and letting me wrap my arms around her, "Y'know, I wonder what she'd think, of…whatever we are. Like, if she'd be cool with it or…or freak out, kill you and put me in a chastity belt or something."
I chortled. "I'm not sure either."
"My dad would either slit your throat or be too high to give a crap," she scoffed. "I've been really good keeping all your secrets, by the way. Resisting temptation and stuff."
I knew about the drawing but trusted her too much to call her on it. I kissed the top of her head and whispered, "Thank you."
"Even from Dante," she scoffed.
"Who is he, precisely?" I asked.
She groaned. "My friend who graduated the year I came to Walker. He taught me to play the drums and is the king of hugging. That's it. Yes, I was in love with him for a few days, but for Christ's sake, that was six years ago. Now I'm in love with a much older man who's…a zombie ghost thingy."
I chortled. "That's all I ever wanted."
"Good, because that's what'cha get," she replied. "Look, you should come to the gig. Little John's Bar in Manhattan. It's not in the classiest place in the world, but I'll be there. Saturday night at seven."
I'd fight an army of a thousand men to see her perform half a song. I'd do anything. Luckily, all I had to do was go there. "I'll be there," I said.
"Yay!" she chirped. She then threw her arms around me and kissed me lips, catching me by surprise. It didn't take long for me to relax in her arms and advance the kiss. The world stopped turning for us, until she ran out of breath and my lips had to release hers. She rested her head on my chest and sighed, "I love you."
My hand wandered up to her face, pushed some hair away and stroked the soft skin of her cheek. "I love you, too."
She fell asleep. It was impossible for me to move and disturb her.