Free All for Allie by Julie Bailes Page B

Allie’s cool arms wrap around me from behind. She presses the side of her face against my back. “Look, I know something’s bothering you. You should just tell me.
    You’ll feel better. Your body is tense; your eyes are glossy, and you’re asking strange questions. I’m a little worried,” she expresses.
    When the fire’s blazing again, I drop the fire poker to the ground and place my hands on top of hers. I caress her fingers with mine. I can’t tell her the real reason I’m acting strange, so I tell her something that’s not necessarily a lie, but not exactly the truth either. “My mom and dad moved, without telling me. I went to see them the other day, just to check on Mom,” I lie. “The house is empty, and there’s a “for sale” sign posted in the front yard,” I add.
    Her arms tighten around me. “I’m so sorry, Wyatt.”
    Why the fuck would she apologize for them? I turn in her arms and pull her head into my chest. “No, don’t apologize for them. I’m fine. I just wanted to make sure my mom was still alive; that’s all. I don’t need them. All I need is you. You’re all I need in this life.” I kiss the top of her head as she nods. She’s all I need, yet I’m losing her in less than a day. What the fuck did I do to myself? How can I do this to her? To us? Fuck.
     
    ***
     
    I lie here on my back with my butterfly’s legs tangled in mine. Her arms are pressed into my side, and her head’s resting on my shoulder. The sun is beginning to rise, breaking beautifully through the clouds. This is the first time I’ve taken my eyes off her. I didn’t close my eyes one time after she woke me up. I refused to let sleep consume me. I watched her as she slept in my arms. I watched her facial expressions change as she dreamed. I held her tight as she snuggled closer and closer into me. I ran my fingers through her hair and showered her head with feather-like kisses, remembering that this is the last time I’ll have the chance to savor her.
    Allie stirs in my arms as the sun breaks through the clouds. “Morning, butterfly,” I greet, squeezing her tighter.
    “Umm, mornin’,” she moans, stretching her legs. She cocks her head up so she can look to me. I lean up to kiss her, but she cups her hand over my mouth and shakes her head. “Uh, no.” I’m taken aback by her refusal. I scrunch my brows and eye her curiously. “It’s not you. It’s your breath. Morning breath is not attractive,” she explains.
    “Well, I haven’t been to sleep. So technically, I don’t have morning breath.” I lean up and kiss her quickly.
    She slaps my shoulder, and then pushes herself to her feet. “Eww, just gross,” she crinkles her nose and stomps off towards the deck.
    “ Pffft, there is nothing gross on this, baby,” I say, standing up and motioning up and down my body.
    She snaps her head back to look at me. “Maybe not on the outside, but everyone’s breath stinks in the morning. Bad breath is inevitable, and you have it. Nasty.” She makes her way up the steps and disappears into the house.
    I stay behind to gather up the sleeping bags and things I pulled out to the backyard last night. I make my way into the house and place them back in the basement where they belong. I need to freshen up for Kyle’s party. Lucille invited a few of our friends over to hang out so they could say goodbye to Kyle, but little do they know, they’re saying goodbye to me as well.
     
    ***
     
    I hear something crash to the floor as I climb the steps and emerge into the kitchen. “Wyatt, can you reach up here and get the punch bowl?” Lucille asks, stretching as high as she can to the top cabinet. Several pots and pans lay on the floor around her feet.
    “Yes, ma’am.” I go over, lift my arm up, and grab the bowl effortlessly. “Anything I can help with?” I ask as she takes the bowl from my hand.
    She places the bowl onto the island and taps her foot as she thinks. “Umm, nothing that I can think of.”