Thorns between us

Twenty: Two Nights

Drayk’s POV

She still won’t touch me.

Three days since the trees. Since I almost lost it.

Since she held me and talked me down and then pulled away again like I’d burned her.

Draygon hasn’t stopped talking since.

`She saved you. She could’ve let you. Why didn’t she?`

I don’t have an answer.

We move like ghosts in the same camp.

Morning.

I’m already up. Knife in hand. Cutting wood.

The fire’s going. Coffee’s hot.

She comes in from the trees. Again.

Hair damp. Eyes red.

“morning,” I say. Don’t look up.

“morning.”

I pour her a cup. Set it on the log between us.

Our fingers don’t brush.

`Coward,` Draygon says. `Pick it up yourself.`

She does. Sits. Two feet away.

Always two feet.

“did you sleep?” I ask.

“some.”

Liar.

`Liar,` Draygon agrees. `She was talking again. To nothing.`

I drink. It scalds my tongue. I deserve it.

The hunger is worse today.

It’s been worse every day since she stopped letting me near.

Draygon is coiled in my ribs, tight.

`One night,` he reminds me. `One night until the moon is full.`

I ignore him.

“we should move camp,” I say. “not safe here.”

“okay.”

No “why.”

No “are you okay.”

Just “okay.”

We pack in silence.

She takes her side. I take mine.

Draygon counts the distance between us. `Three feet now. Getting better.`

We walk.

All day.

She leads. I follow.

She doesn’t look back once.

At night we make camp again.

Bigger fire this time. Like we’re trying to burn the space between us.

She sits on her blanket. I sit on mine.

The gap is still there.

“Dionne,” I say.

“what.”

“are you leaving me?”

The fire cracks.

She goes still. “what?”

“you keep disappearing. you don’t sleep. you don’t talk. you don’t—” My voice breaks. “are you leaving me?”

`Say yes,` Draygon says. `Then I can eat.`

She looks at me. Really looks.

For a second I see it. The old her. The one who’d fight me and kiss me and call me an i***t.

Then she shuts it down.

“no,” she says. “i’m not leaving.”

`Liar,` Draygon purrs. `She’s lying. She has one night left.`

I nod. Because what else am I supposed to do?

“okay.”

I lay down. Face the fire.

Not her.

She doesn’t lay down for a long time.

I hear her. Pacing.

Whispering again.

“...i don’t know how... please...”

`Who is she talking to,` I think.

`Someone who wants me dead,` Draygon says. `Someone who wants her to do it.`

My hands curl into fists.

“shut up,” I think at him.

`Make me.`

Hours pass.

The fire dies.

The moon is high. Almost full.

I hear her finally lay down.

But not near me.

Far.

The cold is bad tonight.

I don’t offer my blanket.

She doesn’t ask.

`She’s going to do it,` Draygon says. Soft. `Tomorrow night. And you’re going to let her.`

“no.”

`Yes. Because you love her. And because you’re weak.`

I close my eyes.

Pretend to sleep.

She’s still awake.

I can hear her breathing.

Shaky.

`I’m losing her,` I think. `And in one night I’m going to lose her for good.`

Draygon laughs. Inside me.

`No. In one night, you’re going to lose everything.`

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