Divide (Jessa Russo) by Jessa Russo

Author:Jessa Russo
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fairytale, Young Adult, Retelling
Published: 2014-04-14T04:00:00+00:00

Mick

With Holland asleep on my chest, I was both completely at ease and on high alert. I knew the next time the beast tried escaping would be worse, and with each occurrence, overpowering the rage would become more and more difficult. She’d done well this time, but tonight’s episode was only the beginning. She’d be flying off the handle with more frequency now that we were fully into the change, and I’d lose a little more of her each time.

All it would take was one time…one instance of Holland succumbing to the monster, and she’d be gone from me forever.

Her hair tickled my nose, and I leaned over to smell her without even realizing what I was doing until I’d done it. She smelled familiar, like home. She’d showered in my shower and used all of my products, so the shampoo was a familiar scent. But it was more than that. More than just the way her smell mingled with familiar soap and shampoo, Holland felt like home. She fit perfectly in the crook of my arm, and I never wanted to let go.

She murmured something in her sleep and I froze, not wanting her to wake up and put distance between us again. She wiggled around a bit, readjusting and crawling further into the space of my open arms.

The movie had been over for a while now, and the brand name for the player floated around on the screen. I’d waited long enough and should probably get her to bed; if she slept curled up in this cramped space on the couch all night she’d have a terrible kink in her neck come morning.

I slowly moved forward on the couch, cradling her in my arms, then stood as gracefully as I could, so as not to disturb her. She stirred, but didn’t quite wake up. I started for the stairs, turning off lights with my elbows as I went.

“…Nic Cage…” She mumbled the words that preceded and followed the actor’s name incoherently. I could imagine what she tried to ask, though, and I laughed quietly.

“Yes, Holland,” I whispered, “you were right about that.”

“Mmm.”

I shook my head and turned the corner into the master bedroom. Even while sound asleep, she was stubborn and determined to be right.

I placed her onto the bed as gently as I could, then tried to get the covers over her with her weight on top of them. She turned and looked at me with sleepy eyes barely open, her hand darting out and gripping my wrist.

“Stay with me.”

“What?” I froze. She was sleeping, the words mumbled and nearly incoherent. She must not have known what she asked of me. Or I misheard.

“Stay.”

Nope, that’s what I’d heard. I stared, unblinking.

“Don’t get any ideas, Mick, it’s not like that. I just don’t want to be alone, okay?”

I nodded, words failing me still, my mouth painfully dry. Schmuck.

She curled into a ball and allowed me to cover her. I made my way to the other side of the bed, removed my boots, and stretched out atop the duvet.

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