I curse myself for not running faster when I could. For letting him stop me in the first place.
I shake my head, my face a stony grimace. My eyes tell him not to close the few steps that lie between us.
Why do I always let him stop me?
The silence between us is heavy. There is so much that needs to be said, but for a few simmering moments, neither of us is brave enough to say them. He stares at me. Silent and longing, not his usual pensive self. I couldn’t read him if I tried. He is blank, his eyes nearly reflecting my blue-clad frame. As if that is all he is taking in.
"How... how are you?"
I retract my neck and feel my face bunch in confusion.
How are you? I stare back at Harlan as if he's just spoken to me in a foreign language and there is no hope in translating his meaning.
Aft
